Zoos and Animal Welfare (Issues That Concern You) - PDF
نویسندگان: Peggy Daniels
خلاصه: Z oos have evolved over time from symbols of power and pres-tige of the early rulers, to institutions for education andresearch, to powerful businesses, and ultimately to a beacon ofhope in a world facing alarming rates of extinction. Yet to some,zoos have always been and continue to be prisons where other-wise healthy animals waste away inside depressing enclosures, fac-ing a lifetime of neglect. These critics will need a lot of convinc-ing to believe that zoos can be beneficial to animals. People canlearn more about the fears of critics and the future of zoos by trac-ing their evolution over time.History of ZoosWild animals have been displayed in captivity for thousands ofyears. According to most sources the first known zoos were largecollections of animals assembled in Egypt around 2500 B.C. Exoticwild animals were captured on expeditions, then displayed in cap-tivity by early rulers as symbols of wealth and power. In 1500 B.C.Queen Hatshepsut of Egypt built a zoo, and about five hundredyears later the Chinese emperor Wen Wang constructed theGarden of Intelligence—an enormous zoo that sprawled over 1,500acres (607ha). Later many smaller zoos were founded by rulers innorthern Africa, India, and China to show off the strength andriches of the current regime.Studies also show that the Romans kept wild animals in cap-tivity and sent them into battle in bloody public spectacles. Lions,bears, elephants, and other creatures were forced to fight to thedeath in public arenas to the cheers and shouts of onlookers.The birth of the modern zoo did not happen until 1828, whenthe London Zoo dedicated itself to the study of captive wildlifein London. The success of the London Zoo set off a wave of sim-ilar establishments, including the first zoological garden in7INTRODUCTIONMelbourne, Australia, and the New York City Zoo. In 1889 theU.S. Congress established the National Zoo for the purpose ofbreeding native wildlife