Persuasive Essay Against Animal Captivity

Animal Captivity Whether in the zoo or the circus wild animals produced in captive breeding programs are almost never released into the wild; instead, they are doomed to life in captivity. Holding animals captive is just as bad as holding people captive, which is horrible. Animals, just like humans, have emotional feelings, and no matter the reason, captivity should never be an option. Captivity and imprisoning should only be allowed for criminals and guilty people, but never innocent animals. keeping animals should only be allowed if the animals are treated well by their owners or trainers. Keeping animals captive for human entertainment is wrong because it is cruel, it can be dangerous, and it limits the animals’ freedom.
By all means,
animal captivity is a cruel activity. “For decades, critics have argued that elephants, highly intelligent, socially sensitive animals, have no place in captivity. Animal rights groups have long battled circuses for their use of the prod-like metal ankus, or bullhook, as a training device, and some cities have even explicitly banned it” (Davis 3). It's brutal what is being done to animals just for some money and entertainment. Cruelty towards living organisms with emotions should never be the case for any reason. Animals should be treated well because no matter what, they still have emotions and feelings, and humans should be able to relate to that since they have emotions and feeling as well. Just as humans nowadays don’t receive cruel and harsh treatments as such, animals shouldn’t either.
Indeed, sometimes animal captivity can be very dangerous and cause problems.
For example, in the article, A Bittersweet Bow for the Elephant, Davis states, “circuses could be thrillingly dangerous... although rare, a few elephants, in circus parlance, infamously “went bad,” ramping through town and stomping audiences and keepers alike. In 1903, Topsy, a former elephant, was electrocuted at Coney Island, the death captured on film” (Davis 11). Holding animals captive and under cruel training might cause many dangers not just to the animals, but to the people and trainers as well. Dangers and problems are very unexpected especially when working with wild animals who at any time can turn against their trainers causing trouble and
complications.
One might argue that even though holding animals captive might seem cruel and wrong, these animals can make many people happy and entertained causing attractions to circuses and zoos and therefore more money.
However, another key point to why animals should not be held captive is because captivity limits their freedom. In the poem “Sympathy”, by Paul Laurence Dunbar, it states “I know why the caged bird beats its wing till its blood is red on the cruel bars; for he must fly back to his perch and cling... a pain still throbs in the old, old scars and they pulse again with a keener sting- I know why he beats his wing” (Dunbar 15). Other animals, not only birds most likely feel the same way about wanting to get out of their cages and being free in the world. In the poem, “Caged Bird”, Maya Angelou states, “The caged bird sings with a fearful trill of things unknown but longed for still and his tune is heard on the distant hill for the caged bird sings of freedom” (Angelou
35).
In conclusion, keeping animals in captivity is wrong and it should not be done even if it is for human entertainment. Animals suffer from harsh treatment and cruelty. They have emotions and feelings just like humans and the brutal conditions that they face are absolutely horrible. Animal captivity can also be dangerous, not only to humans who train and work with these wild animals. Sometimes, captivity is also dangerous to the animals as well. Lastly, captivity also definitely limits the animals’ freedom which is honestly a terrible thing. Just as humans wouldn’t want to live a life without freedom, animals surely don’t enjoy it either. Captivity in all ways is generally wrong and shouldn’t be done to especially innocent animals.