Photo courtesy of

Behind the Scenes:
Zoos and Circuses- The Good VS The Bad

Zoos:

Pros:

-Provide a very personal experience with animals compared to watching them on a T.V. screen.17 
-Known for rescuing endangered species.
       -For example, the Smithsonian National Zoological Park participates in the recovery of endangered or threatened species including giant pandas, tigers, golden lion tamarins, cheetahs, black-footed ferrets, etc. Some of these breeding programs for these species consist of bringing the endangered species into the zoo's, breeding them, then releasing their young into the wild to help repopulate. 18
-A long-lived family tradition; gathering the whole family and taking a day trip to the zoo. 17


Cons:

-Animals are taken away from their natural habitat and all thats important to them. 17
-Some animals develop a condition called “zoochosis.” The animal is seen swaying back in forth in a state of oblivion. This condition is so common in zoos that animals are now being given anti-depressants like Prozac. 18
-Wild animals are also unable to thrive in such small, enclosed environments. 17
-Animals in captivity also rarely get the chance to choose their mate.17
-Most animals are artificially inseminated so their offspring can legally be sold or traded to other zoos. This type of practice leads to miscarriages, death at birth, or the rejection of their young. All of these results have a huge negative impact on the animal’s mental state. 18

Circuses:

Pros:

-Entertainment/amusement
-Education
-Animals are kept safe/ healthy with regimented food and medication that they
wouldn’t get in the wild. 6 
- An exhibit could be brought near you. 6


Cons:

-Animals are forced to do the tricks. 7
-Animals are kept in cages while circuses travel. 7
-Animals are taken away from their families and become lonely and sad. 8
-Animal abuse (some whip and beat animals). 7
-Not much is learned by watching animals perform tricks that they’ve been taught by trainers, best way to learn about animals is to see them in their natural habitat. 8
-Public safety hazard b/c animals are unpredictable/animals often become violent or aggressive towards people because they experience such harsh conditions, so people could get hurt. 8
- Travel and transport, close confinement and restricted movement, restrictions on
natural behaviors and inappropriate social groupings of animals. 7

Sanctuaries:

Pros:

  -Allow for a permanent home for animals, but instead of an enclosure, they are able to roam around. 4
 - Animals are living on land that stretches for between 30 to 2,000 acres. 4
-Animals are able to keep their all of their natural instincts intact. 4
 -They are not influenced by the small space or the human interaction that happens while residing in a zoo/circus. 5
 -Animals live the same life they would live in the wild with the human observation still able to occur. 5
-Workers/Volunteers help to rehabilitate animals if need be and then release them back into the ‘wild’ (sanctuary) as soon as possible. 4


Cons:

-Animals may not allows be able to be seen from look-out spot. 4
-No human interaction is able to occur because they are fully wild animals. 5
-May not always get an up-close and personal experience. 4
  



 Below it can be seen how beneficial sanctuaries can be for animals opposed to their conditions in zoos/circuses.
Chart courtesy of the IDA.

        The Alternatives: Sanctuaries and Safaris

Safaris:

Pros:

- Gives the same effects of going to a zoo while in an animal's natural environment 1    
- You get to see animals in their natural habitat (how they really act, what they're really like, etc.) 2      
- The animals won't be harmed by human interaction in any way. 1
- Animals won't develop any physical or mental disabilities due to human actions that they experience when involved with people. (i.e. harm from being in a cage) 1
- Animals will live longer and healthier lives because they won't be abused mentally or physically by humans (workers, observers, etc.) 1


Cons:

-Viewers don't always get to see the animals up close. 3         
- Could potentially eliminate jobs for zoo and circus employees. 3