Why Do Zoos Are Good For Conservation?

The question of the necessity of zoos is very controversial nowadays. There are many people who advocate for replacing them with sanctuaries as they believe money spent on keeping wild animals captive might have been better used for conserving them in wild. Others think that zoos serve not only for people's pleasure but for preserving and keeping populations that otherwise would go extinct. There are a lot of arguments for both points of view, and a great number of articles are dedicated to this significant topic. “Do elephants belong in zoos?” by Jeffrey P. Cohn and “Eight reasons why zoos are good for conservation” by James Borrell are the examples of them. The opinions expressed there are mostly similar as it is stated that zoos are definitely
As stated in “Do elephants belong in zoos?”, zoos not only fund research on wild animals but also contribute to reducing the conflicts between them and people by planting crops that frighten animals away and exploring the cases of poaching that could affect elephants' mortality (Cohn 717). Moreover, most of the scientific matter on elephants such as facts about their communications, reproductive physiology and behavior were originally gathered on the ground of captive animals (Cohn 717). In his article, Borrell expresses the same opinion. He states that zoos serve as “a living museum” that can help scientists not only to find necessary information on species for the research but also use it on the animals living in the wild, for example, to prevent their extinction (Borrell 9). It is stated that zoos are crucial for raising money to preserve species by giving them firsthand wildlife experience that can increase interest in wild animals and provide necessary funding for research and conservation purposes (Borrell 9). Moreover, zoos always respond to emergencies, such as deadly threats to one or another species, and provide specialists and breeding and treatment programs for them (Borrell 9). Thereby, both articles express the opinion that zoos are important institutions for conservation purposes as they provide a wide range of specialists and research
Cohn writes that the medical care for elephants increased significantly that led to the reduction of diseases and deaths (716). The elephant enclosures are expanded to give them more space and to provide an opportunity for them to form a group they form in the wild (Cohn 716). Most zoos walk their elephants to ensure they move enough for their health, moreover, they encourage natural behavior and, by doing that, surpass their duties (Cohn 716). Borrell also states that most of the zoos are getting better by constantly changing and improving their programs and housing conditions (9). They also serve as a reminder of success in animal preservation and encourage people to continue working on it (Borrell 9). To sum up, both articles provide evidence that zoos are improving over the years to serve their purpose more effectively. Constant development helps them to save more animals and at the same time show the results to the public which is important as it inspires people's participation in preservation