The Animal in the Zoo
In our memory, the zoo is a beautiful place that we can see many animals by our own eyes and also have fun with families and friends. In most of the people’s heart, animals here can get good treatments and they all have a talent for performing. But what is the truth about the so-called talent? Do these animals really live in a dreamy island? I don’t think so.
Animals belong to the wild. When asked where are you come from, you may speak out the name of your hometown immediately and may introduce it proudly. However, the animals in the zoo would not reply like this. Let’s imagine what will happen in the zoo. The seal asks:“Where are you come from?” And the sea lion replies:“I am from the number thirty-one cage in the southern part of the aquarium. My mom told me she is from Tierra del Fuego, where she can swim without touching the edge of the pool. But I have never been there.” How ridiculous!
They are different from people. Keeping animals living in the zoo, a new place for them, is not just like people moving to a new home. As people, we can control our life. But these animals can’t. Not only the right for going to outside world, but the right for controlling their eating time is deprived by people. If they are tractable and do well in the practice, they can eat something they want. If they don’t, they can’t eat. Also, the long-term living in the zoo is not good for their habits. Those animals, who are kept in the zoo, are no longer as wild. They even don’t know how to hunt, how to survive and how to live only by themselves.
Additionally, the space for animals to live is not enough. For example, when in the wild, dolphins can swim anywhere from 40 to 100 miles, but the average space offered to dolphins in the aquarium is only 24 feet wide. (Lauren, 2015) Also, the movie Madagascar uses a humorous way to express the need and the demand of animals to run, to live, to swim and to fly in the wild. They could have been free.
Rather than the zoo, I prefer some reserves or the natural park because people there mainly play roles as protectors. No audience, no food prepared by people and no master-slave relation. There are only free lives.