Animals should not spend their unabridged lives in captivity only to fulfil our want to see them. Here are our top ten facts nigh zoos that yous need to know...

one. Zoos are miserable places for animals

This dead wallaby was left to rot past staff at Tweddle Farm Zoo for two weeks and
the zoo refused to carry out a postal service-mortem to found why the animate being died

In 2010, a Freedom for Animals cloak-and-dagger investigator filmed sick animals left untreated and dead animals to rot on floors atTweddle Farm Zoo. Freedom for Animalshad to take rabbits to a vet to have infections treated and afterward our expose local police confiscated a monkey who had been kept alone and given block and other junk food to swallow.

Think safari parks are improve than 'traditional' zoos? Woburn Safari Park was keeping its lions locked into pocket-size enclosures for eighteen hours a day . A government zoo inspection study in 2010 said: "The animals were very crowded and in that location was no provision for individual feeding or sleeping areas. In that location was no visible environmental enrichment. Some of the lions exhibited skin wounds and multiple scars of various historic period, some fresh, some healed."

In tardily 2012, another safari park was shamed equally West Midland Safari Park was exposed for providing white lion cubs to a notorious circus animal trainer , who sent them to a traveling circus in Japan. The Lions remain in the circus today.

A regime-funded study of elephants in Britain zoos found "there was a welfare concern for every elephant in the United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland." 75% of elephants were overweight and but 16% could walk normally, the remainder having diverse degrees of lameness. Less than 20% were totally costless of foot problems[i].

2. Zoos tin't provide sufficient space

Zoos cannot provide the amount of infinite animals have in the wild. This is particularly the case for those species who roam larger distances in their natural habitat. Tigers and lions accept around 18,000 times less space in zoos than they would in the wild. Polar bears accept one million times less infinite[two].

3. Animals endure in zoos

A authorities-funded study of elephants in UK zoos found that 54% of the elephants showed stereotypies (behavioural  problems) during the daytime. One elephant observed during 24-hour interval and night stereotyped for 61% of a 24-hour menses[3].

Lions in zoos spend 48% of their time pacing, a recognised sign of behavioural bug[4].

four. Animals die prematurely in zoos

African elephants in the wild live more than than iii times as long as those kept in zoos. Even Asian elephants working in timber camps live longer than those born in zoos[5].

40% of lion cubs die before 1 month of historic period. In the wild, merely xxx% of cubs are thought to die before they are vi months old and at least a tertiary of those deaths are due to factors which are absent in zoos, like predation[6].

five. Surplus an imals are killed

A Freedom for Animalsstudy institute that at least 7,500 animals – and maybe as many as 200,000 – in European zoos are 'surplus' at any in one case.

Animals are regularly 'culled' in Britain zoos. In 2006 the whole pack of wolves at Highland Wild animals Park were killed after the social structure of the pack had broken downwardly. In 2005 two wolf cubs and an adult female were shot dead at Dartmoor Wild fauna Park. The vet reported: "Selective cull due to overcrowding and fighting in the pack" and "Farther choose of cubs needed". In 2001 a DEFRA zoo inspection of Dartmoor Wildlife Park in October 2001 found that "several significant dead animals" were stored in a food freezer "for taxidermy in the time to come".

The European Clan of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) said in 2007 that member zoos were being actively encouraged to impale unwanted animals, including tigers, if other zoos did not desire them and if they were hybrids. It said that such animals take up space and keeper fourth dimension[7].

In 2010, zoo merchandise bodies rallied to the defence of a German zoo which was prosecuted for breaching animal welfare laws later it killed iii tiger cubs because they were not pure-blooded (hybrid)[8].

In 2011, an exposé of Knowsley Safari Park led by Freedom for Animalsfollowing information provided by a whistleblower showed the safari park to be in contravention of legislation on disposal of carcasses every bit well as raising queries over treatment of firearms. A former employee of the safari park declared: "culling was being used as a means of traininginstead of existence carried out in the kindest and most humane way."

In early 2014, there was global outrage when Copenhagen Zoo killed a good for you young giraffe chosenMarius. The result triggered a worldwide debate on culling in zoos and information technology was admitted by zoo spokespeople that thousands of salubrious animals are deliberately killed in European zoos alone each twelvemonth.

6. Britain zoos are continued to animate being circuses

These lions were sent as cubs from West Midland Safari Park to a circus trainer

Freedom for Animalsexposed a UK zoo in 2009 that was a member of the merchandise body BIAZA (which supposedly upholds the highest standards) equally having abreeding connection with a controversial fauna circus. Noah's Ark Zoo Farm had been convenance camels from the Great British Circus for several years and in 2009 obtained 3 tigers from the circus.

A female person tiger at the zoo had iii stillborn cubs and another who died at three weeks old. The mother also died.

The aforementioned zoo was found to doing business withanother circus animal trainerin 2013. This was the same trainer who had been sold lion cubs byW Midland Safari Parkand sent them to a traveling circus in Nihon.

7. Animals are trained to perform tricks

Many zoos train animals to perform tricks as if they were in a circus. Performing sea lions, birds and elephants tin can be seen at many UK zoos.

Some training of elephants has been done using electric goads. Liberty for Animals infiltrated a training session held at Blackpool Zoo in 1998 and filmed elephants existence trained to elevator their feet and head, hold sticks in their mouths and jabbed with elephant hooks in the shoulder and caput.

In 2010 information technology was revealed that an elephant at Woburn Safari Park had previously been trained using an electric goad [9].

Blackpool Zoo proudly publicised its training of a infant sea lion for shows in mid 2013 [10]. This is in spite of the fact that the Uk Regime has agreed to ban like shows in circuses on the basis that: "we should feel dut y-leap to recognise that wild animals have intrinsic value, and respect their inherent wildness and its implications for their treatment".

8. Animals are still taken from the wild

In 2003 the Uk government gave permission for the capture of 146 penguins from a British territory in the South Atlantic (Tristan da Cunha). Those who survived the seven-day boat journey from Tristan to a wild fauna dealer in South Africa were sold to zoos in Asia [11].

In 2010, Republic of zimbabwe planned to capture two of every mammal species found in Hwange National Park and send them to N Korean zoos. This included rhinos, lions, cheetahs, zebras and giraffes besides as two 18-calendar month-one-time elephants. The plan was simply stopped after international pressure by a coalition of organisations including Freedom for Animals.

seventy% of elephants in European zoos were taken from the wild [12].

A Freedom for Animals study plant that 79% of all animals in United kingdom aquariums were caught in the wild. Sea Life aquariumsadmitted to taking animals from the wild as recently every bit 2013, simply refused to provide information on how many of the animals held by them were wild-defenseless.

nine. Zoos don't serve conservation

Zoos merits to breed animals for eventual release to the wild only breeding programmes are primarily to ensure a captive population, non for reintroduction.

Lions are popular in zoos, merely the vast majority "are 'generic' animals of hybrid or unknown subspecific status, and therefore of footling or no value in conservation terms [thirteen].

Keeping an intelligent, complex and social fauna like a chimp in a United kingdom zoo
does nothing to protect his relatives threatened in the wild

Zoo director David Hancocks said: "There is a commonly held misconception that zoos are non only saving wildlife from extinction but also reintroducing them to their wild habitats. The confusion stems from many sources, all of them zoo-based… In reality, well-nigh zoos have had no contact of any kind with whatever reintroduction program."[14]

Captive breeding is considered by some conservation scientists to be a diversion from the reasons for a species' decline, giving "a fake impression that a species is rubber so that destruction of habitat and wild populations tin go along"[15].

Zoos spend millions on keeping animals confined, while natural habitats are destroyed and animals killed equally there is insufficient funding for protection. When London Zoo spent £5.3 million on a new gorilla enclosure, the chief consultant to the United nations Nifty Ape Survival Projection said he was uneasy at the mismatch between lavish spending at zoos and the scarcity of resources available for conserving threatened species in the wild.

"V million pounds for three gorillas when national parks are seeing that number killed every day for want of some Country Rovers and trained men and anti-poaching patrols. It must be very frustrating for the warden of a national park to meet".

Measures to protect giant pandas' habitat as well supports hundreds of species of mammals, at to the lowest degree 200 birds, dozens of reptiles and over one-half of the plants known to exist in China [xvi].

In 2013, Freedom for Animals revealed that the UK'southward largest aquarium operator, Sea Life, could traceless than 3 pence per visitor to in situ conservation projects.

10. Zoos fail education

A Liberty for Animals study of UK aquariums found that 41% of the animals on display had no signs identifying their species – the nigh basic of information.

A US study found no compelling evidence for the claim that zoos and aquariums promote attitude change, education, or interest in conservation in visitors. The study authors urged zoos to stop citing a zoo-funded study which claimed an educational benefit from visits "equally this determination is unwarranted and potentially misleading to consumers."[17]

In 2010, a Authorities-commissionedstudyfound that "Concerns remain, however, with regard to the lack of available evidence about the effectiveness" of conservation and pedagogy projects in zoos.

Animals in zoos are suffering. You lot tin assist end that by joining usa every bit a Freedom Champion today!

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[1]Yard Harris et al. The welfare, housing and husbandry of elephants in UK zoos. Academy of Bristol, 2008

[two]Broad roaming animals fare worst in zoo enclosures. Guardian, ii.10.03

[3]Chiliad Harris et al. The welfare, housing and husbandry of elephants in UK zoos. University of Bristol, 2008

[iv]M Stonemason & R Clubb. Guest Editorial, International Zoo News, Vol 51, No 1 (2004))

[5]R Clubb et al. Compromised survivorship in zoo elephants. Science, Vol 322, 12.12.08

[6]Grand Mason & R Clubb. Invitee Editorial. International Zoo News, Vol 51, No 1 (2004))

[vii]Zoos kill healthy tigers for the skin trade. Sunday Times, 22.7.07l

[8]Code of Ethics & Animal Welfare. World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, June 2010

[9]Woburn admits it gave bull elephant electrical shocks. Dominicus Times, 27.6.x

[10]http://world wide web.lep.co.united kingdom of great britain and northern ireland/news/local/blackpool-zoo-s-babe-sealion-follows-in-her-mother-s-footsteps-1-5750458

[eleven]Taken past force. BBC Wildlife, February 2004

[12]R Clubb and M Bricklayer. 'A Review of the Welfare of Zoo Elephants in Europe', RSPCA, 2002

[thirteen]Nicholas Gould, Editorial, International Zoo News, Vol 49, No 5 (2002)).

[xiv]Quoted in 'Who Cares for Planet World?' B Jordan, 2001

[xv]Snyder et al. Limitations of Captive Breeding in Endangered Species Recovery. Conservation Biology, Pages 338-348. Volume 10, No. 2, April 1996

[16]Panda mating frenzy hits zoo. BBC News, 4 May 2007 )

[17]L Morino et al. Do Zoos and Aquariums Promote Attitude Change in Visitors? A Critical Evaluation of the American Zoo and Aquarium Written report. Society and Animals eighteen (2010) 126-138