Exotic Animals in Human Captivity - Research Paper Example

27 October, Exotic animals in human captivity: Introduction: Man draws pleasures from nature. Association with nature and its components is one of the most fundamental traits of human nature. We form part of nature and tend to explore all other non-living and living beings that are part of our world. In addition to that, man’s intrinsic superiority to all other creatures provides him with an edge to govern other creatures in nature. Man has interfered with the natural habitat of many animals for personal interests. Exotic animals have always been a source of recreation, adventure and excitement particularly to the children and juveniles. Documentaries featuring exotic animals are equally famous among the children and adults as among the taxonomists. That is why, many exotic animals are kept in zoos and such other public places. Animals caged in public places include but are not limited to lions, tigers, monkeys, bears, kangroos, deer, dolphins, sharks, ostriches, snakes and zebras. The tendency among people to retain exotic animals as pets has increased in the recent years. (Born Free Foundation, n.d.). Also, many agencies working to preserve and enhance the existent members of many rare species of birds and animals have underscored a need to temporarily cage them so that necessary biological treatments can be enacted. Therefore, many exotic species are put in intensive care units in an attempt to accomplish the intended effects. Though the animals are rigidly caged and secured, yet many such units are near or within the public dwelling places, so there always remains a slight chance of their violent encounter with people. This paper analyzes the positive and negative aspects of the practice of keeping exotic animals in human captivity. Merits of confining exotic animals: Means of education: Exotic animals in a zoo form a wonderful addition to the number of animals children normally happen to see from a small distance on the other side of the bars. This adds to the vocabulary of little children as they tend to memorize the pictures of such animals along with their names in the elementary books. Trips to such public places as parks and zoos provide practical means of education and cognitive development particularly for the children in very early years of their life. In the zoos, children avail an opportunity to psychologically and physically interact with the characters they have formerly seen in books and media. It is indeed, a matter of great significance for little children who have just stepped into the world of academic development. Children learn a lot about the behavior of different species of animals as they talk and communicate with them. Although there is no point discussing that the animals understand the language of children or vice versa, yet little children tend to associate every action of an animal with the instruction or statement they pass to them. This waives their fear for academia as they practically interact with the characters they study in books, poems and cartoons. Visualization of exotic animals in the very early years of life develops children’s interest into studies as well as recreation. Not only for themselves, little children become a source of inspiration for their fellow students as they recapitulate their experiences of interacting with the characters in their books. This is essential for both their mental and physical development and nourishment. In the zoos, animals are kept in environment that is very close to, if not exactly their natural habitat. Lions are caged in big dens, and are provided with meat to eat. Polar bears and pandas are kept in icy places. Besides enhancing their interest in studies, confining exotic animals in zoos provides the children with a good opportunity to learn about the natural habitat of the animals, their living essentials, and the kind of diet different animals live upon. Not only this, children learn about the behavior of exotic animals, and learn what to remain distant from and what to get close to. The distance usually maintained between the public and such fierce animals as lions and tigers impresses upon the children that they are something to remain far from. Popcorns thrown in the water for the dolphin makes children learn about their food as well as the friendly response on the part of the dolphins. Similarly, the friendly nature of elephants and horses is revealed as they are often used as a means of riding. It is because of the huge educational significance of the zoos that many school trips to zoos are arranged every year all over the world. Knowledge of the animal behavior is extremely essential for people of all ages in order to deal with them in the right manner and to remain unscathed. Means of recreation: Exotic animals are kept in zoos as they are a significant source of recreation not only for the children but also for the adults. Visiting such places dawns the nature’s beauty upon one, and provides an individual with a temporary escape and relief from the mechanical everyday life. Business: Exotic animals in human captivity are also a very good source of income for those who own the animals. It is an established fact that places caging exotic animals are of huge significance to the public in general. Keeping this fact in view, many people tend to benefit from it and open cafeterias and tuck shops in such places. Visitors tend to go for a cup of tea or snacks to these shops. As a result of this, the shopkeepers make good amount of money at the end of the day. In a vast majority of cases, such shops belong to the citizens of relatively lower economic status, and thus, the business proves profitable for them. Besides, there are other kinds of business that involve the use of exotic animals. What is particularly good about such businesses is that the owners can earn a lot with a very little investment. Specifically the poor and the needy, who possess bears and monkeys make money by training their pets in a certain way that teaches them how to dance in public and respond to various requests made by the audience. However, such businesses have their own implications that will be discussed in the following section. Research: Exotic animals in human captivity provide taxonomists with an opportunity to conduct experiments and scientific research on them, that would generate useful results for many extinguishing species. Experiments are conducted on these animals in order to identify their genetic traits and characteristic features so that measures can be taken to make the conditions more conducive for their growth and expansion in number. There are many places in the world where many species of exotic animals are declining in number as a result of global pollution and warming. There are species of many animals that have become extinct outside human possession. (UKQnA.com, 2010). Scientific research reveals ways to preserve them for the coming ages. Demerits of confining exotic animals: Injustice to animals: Animal Rights Movement keeps the motto; “animals deserve consideration of their interests.” (Roland, 2009). Although exotic animals are a good source of education for humans when captivated in public places, yet it is an injustice to the animals in that they are deprived of their natural habitat and way of life. There is no doubt in the fact that zoologists make good efforts to customize the environment as per the natural requirements of the respective animals. However, animals can never enjoy real adventures of animal life as it is in the jungles. It is the nature of all living beings that they find more pleasure in searching for food themselves and do not find the food offered to them as appealing as one that they hunt for themselves. Besides, menu of animals in human captivity is limited to what is decided by the owners in comparison to innumerable tastes and textures they enjoy in their wild life. Animals in pet shops are conventionally deprived of decent care that would ensure the provision of a clean and healthy environment. (Born Free USA, 2010). Danger for human life: There is a lot of tendency among people to keep reptiles and snakes as pets specifically in the most advanced countries of the world in the present age. Keeping exotic animals as pets is considered a special hobby, and is appreciated among the elite of the society. People retain huge snakes in large aquariums and swimming pools in covered portions of their homes. Some people pay large sums for collecting cubs from shops or zoos and bring them up right from the very early months of their life. Moreover, animals may escape from their cages particularly if they were formerly kept as pets. Bears and monkeys in human custody can escape making use of any opportunity. A lot of cases of the exotic animals’ encounter with humans have been conventionally recorded in the history. This may result in serious repercussions, with irreparable loss of human life. Exotic animals can hurt people on their escape from the owners’ place. Between 1998 and 2001, 59 accidents have been recorded in which people were harmed by tigers that had been in human captivity. (Nyhus, Tilson and Tomlinson, 2003). Hazard for environment: Owners of exotic pets relish their hobby on the cost of psychological peace and tranquility. In some cases, owners might have to pay more than they ever earned for the loss caused by their pet to the neighbors or other citizens in the locality. “Domesticated animals like dogs and cats dont do well without people, and wild and exotic animals dont do well with people.” (ASPCA, 2010). An individual owns a right to sue any person in possession of a dangerous animal if the animal caused harm to the life, property or even mental peace of the individual. An individual might have an issue with the roar of a lion kept in the backyard of the neighbor’s house. Similarly, it is not uncommon for a person to come across a monkey stealing bananas from the kitchen that was supposed to be in the cage of the person living next door. Moreover, owners of the exotic animals themselves have to pay the price for keeping them in terms of feeding them with the unusual stuff they naturally live upon. A lion has to be provided with meat and can not be entertained with grass. Similarly, reptiles require a constant supply of mice, cats and other domestic animals in order to survive in the environment of a city. It is not easy to arrange such food particularly in the congested areas of the country, where a person’s activities are monitored by the neighbors and authorities. Hunting of wild animals and birds is strictly prohibited in the advanced countries of the world. Spread of epidemic diseases: There are a lot of diseases that are introduced into the society because of the exotic animals in human captivity. Such diseases include but are not limited to flu, viral infections and other epidemic diseases. An increasing number of zoo workers have been reported to have acquired the diseases that are not common among the communities distant from the zoos. “Three workers at an Indonesian zoo were hospitalised with suspected H5N1 avian influenza. Four children who had visited the zoo were also under treatment in hospital.” (Captive Animals Protection Society, 2005). Conclusion: The merits and demerits of keeping exotic animals in human captivity have been discussed and it is evident, that the practice can have serious consequences. However, a division between the various species must be realized in order to distinguish between animals that can be retained in domestic environment and others that can not. Animals that are not harmful for humans usually are found in living areas. Such animals include cats, dogs, horses, camels, sheep, goat and buffaloes and majorly belong to the herbivorous group. Other animals that include lions, tigers and whales belong to the carnivorous group and can prove dangerous for human societies. In view of the analysis that has been presented in this paper, it is obvious that exotic animals belong in jungles and must not be secured in homes and zoos. Works cited: ASPCA. “Exotic Animals as Pets.” 2010. Web. 27 Oct. 2010. . Born Free Foundation. “Exotic Pets.” n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2010. . Born Free USA. “Retail: An Ugly Reality.” 2010. Web. 27 Oct. 2010. . Captive Animals Protection Society. “Animal captivity and the threat to global health.” 2005. Web. 27 Oct. 2010. . Nyhus, P. J., Tilson, R. J., and Tomlinson, J. L. “Dangerous animals in captivity: Ex situ tiger conflict and implications for private ownership of exotic animals.” Zoo Biology. Vol. 22. Issue 6. 2003: 573-586. DOI: 10.1002/zoo.10117 Roland. “Captivity: Good or Bad for Animals?” 6 Jan. 2009. Web. 27 Oct. 2010. . UKQnA.com. “Is it fair to keep snakes and other exotic animals in captivity?” 2010. Web. 27 Oct. 2010. . Read More