Animals in Captivity

Question 1

What is animal welfare?

Answer 1

The idea that an animal’s quality of life is affected by their physical health and feelings

Question 2

The SPCA’s view on animal use

Answer 2

it is justified for human purposes as long as the animal’s welfare is ensured

Question 3

SPCA’s factors of animal welfare

Answer 3

Animals should be able to experience positive feelings
Animals should be free from poor physical health and negative feelings
Animals should be healthy, pain-free, comfortable and unstressed.
Animals have 5 essential freedoms which are: from hunger and thirst, from pain, injury and disease, from distress, from discomfort, and to express behaviours that promote their well-being

Question 4

The 5 essential freedoms of animals for their welfare according to the BC SPCA

Answer 4

From hunger and thirst
From pain, injury and disease
From distress
From discomfort
To express behaviours that promote their well-being

Question 5

Arguments for zoos (11)

Answer 5

Educate the public and foster appreciation for other species
Provide a protected environment for endangered species from poachers, area loss, starvation and predators
Preservation programs can stop extinction events
Most zoos have to go through an accreditation process so are held to high standard of care. Even if they aren’t, they are regulated by the animal welfare acts
A good zoo will provide an enriched habitat for the animals, and activities to maintain their natural instincts and movements
Visiting zoos is a fun family activity
Seeing an animal in real life is more impactful than seeing a video or picture
Zoos can take in exotic pets that can’t be cared for and rehabilitate them
Are an economic resource for communities.
Zookeepers are trained and have specialized knowledge which reduces accidents and attacks
Veterinary care is available at most zoos

Question 6

Arguments against zoos (11)

Answer 6

Humans don’t have the right to breed, capture and confine other animals even if they’re endangered because it infringes on their rights (philosophical argument)
Animals in captivity suffer from stress, boredom and confinement
Intergenerational bonds are broken when animals are sold or traded between zoos.
Incentive to breed babies because bring in visitors, leading to zoo overpopulation, and killing, selling to zoos or circuses or canned hunting facilities the surplus animals
Most captive breeding programs never release their animals, so are always part of chain of captivity
Removing individual animals from the wild further endangers the wild population because the genetic diversity is reduced and the remaining individuals might have more difficulty finding mates
People can see live animals in the wild or data sanctuary, which don’t breed or buy animals.
The animal welfare acts are for the minimal standard of cage size, shelter, health care, ventilation, fencing, food, water etc.
Petting zoos are linked to disease
Animals can escape, endangering themselves and people
People ignore warnings and get too close to animals

Question 7

Captive Breeding Success Stories (11)

Answer 7

Arabian oryx (hunting)
California condor (lead poisoning)
Whooping crane (hinting)
Black-footed ferret (prairie dogs and disease)
golden lion tamarin (area loss)
red wolf (hunting)
Peregrine falcon (DDT)
Bald eagle (DDT)
Koala (Hunting)
Grizzly Bear (Hunting)
Blue poison dart frog (pet trade)

Question 8

Critiques of captive breeding (7)

Answer 8

Focuses on a few, charismatic species
Problems in wild population: genetic diversity may decrease too low to be regenerated by captive breeding
Doesn’t focus on root cause: costly and diverts resources from ecosystem conservation measures. If ecosystem is expected to disappear then they won’t survive anyways, so is last-ditch effort to save the animals after we’ve destroyed their ecosystem. We would be better off focusing on restoring the ecosystem. You might end up releasing the animals back into an ecosystem that can’t support them anyway. Most of the successful species recoveries involve animals that were facing threats other than ecosystem loss.
Gives the false sense that battle against extinction is being won
Release problems: Animals can become semi-domestcated, lose intergenerational knowledge and many don’t survive when released. The odds of captured predators surviving freedom are 33%. They can develop behavioral changes such as decreased predator avoidance, decreased foraging, increased sleep, decreased overall activities and problematic social behaviors
Can result in genetic differences between captive and wild populations.
Can make animals more susceptible to disease