Every creature on earth exist within a geographical zone that ensures it's survival, this is how the ecosystem strives. Humans being at the top list of inhabitants on earth with the highest rate of awareness of our existence constantly expand due to our growing population. As a result of this, places that used to be the natural inhabitants of some beings have been hijacked, driving these creatures to extinction. It is a situation beyond our control, as we grow higher in numbers, we also have to seek shelter by building more homes which deprives other beings of their homes.
Every corner of the earth that used to be considered as the wild has been subjected to development to foster humans comfortability. Humans and every other species on earth have always shared a space but not intertwined. Each being managing and dominating his/her own territory. Which means the wild is meant to be a territory for the existence of the wild animals but this doesn't really apply to humans, as we have dived into territories that was never ours to begin with. With our new found situation, it has forced us to coexist with our wild neighbours and those we can't coexist with, we wipe them out of existence.
It definitely sounds like the survival of the fittest, which I'm sure our wild neighbours also get the memo. We have heard of countries with high rate of wild animals attack, where large wild animals such as polar bears, elephants, wild cats e.t.c can roam freely in the streets and anyone unfortunate enough to be around to witness such an irregular confrontation will definitely have an unpleasant story to tell. These are areas where humans are willing to coexist with the wild, I can say I'm really glad none of that is around here. Even the monkeys that used to roam around my neighbourhood in those days have suddenly gone missing.
These are cases of humans being the source of extinction of the wild, in our endeavours to combat this issue lot of laws have been passed about wildlife, just to preserve its existence. Lot of wildlife recreational centres have been created throughout the world, everyone preserving the wild in their own way. I wouldn't say this is just for the benefits of wildlife only, humans have also found ways to monitise these solution to earn considerable amount of profit. It is kind of getting harder to determine for whose benefits are these wildlife recreational parks being created.
At least for wildlife recreational parks, these parks have enough space for animals to still enjoy something close to their natural inhabitants but for zoos, it is a different case entirely. These animals that used to roam freely in the wild are in cages, where they would live for the rest of their lives, just like every other animal in a circus. I don't really know much about animal psychology but if there is one thing I'm aware of, is the survival instinct both humans and animals have in common. After all, we are also categorised as higher animals, the type that cause the extinction of other animals.
I'm sure there is no creature that would appreciate being in captivity and being subjected to be a source of entertainment to others. You might wonder, how would you know if these animals in zoos are not okay with being cages? I believe series of animal attack in zoos and wildlife recreational parks is a proof that these animals don't appreciate captivity. But since they are animals, what rights do they have? Or does anyone care to ask for their opinion?
Would these animals be better off in the wild? I believe that is for the animals to decide. The wild is a dangerous place for every creature that lives in it, it is a place where even the strongest of animals can become prey. It is no doubt that some animals will definitely live a lot longer in cages where their needs is being catered for but it is a complex situation. What would you say, if you were asked to remain in prison to live longer? Every being on earth appreciates freedom, it is something that is tantamount to each creature's happiness. Who would prefer being held captive compared to freedom?
Nothing is more fascinating than the power of freewill. The best way to answer this question would be to ask the animals, which do you prefer? For humans we claim we are preserving these animals whereas we are busy exploiting the captivity of the animals for profit. Being held captive in order to stay alive definitely feels like a tough price to pay for survival.
Holding animals captive for humans entertainment, will it ever be a good thing? Well, it depends on who you ask. If you ask a human, I'm sure they would state a thousand reasons why it is for the benefit of the animals which I also agree to, since I'm also human. Who doesn't love to watch a monkey in a cage? If only animals could express their opinions in ways humans does, wouldn't it be a lot easier to just ask them? But one thing I'm sure of as a human being is that, no one loves being in prison.
This write-up was inspired by weekly featured content titled All about the zoo in hive learners community.
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