a good thesis statement for zoos

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Are Zoos Good or Bad for Animals? The Argument, Explained

Debates about the ethics of zoos abound — but when it comes to animal welfare, there are certainly more cons than pros.

Explainer • Entertainment • Policy

Words by Björn Ólafsson

For many people, zoos are the only chance they’ll have in their entire lives to see beautiful animals native to far-flung ecosystems — lions, elephants, pandas, lemurs — the list goes on. And they’re popular — over 181 million people visit a U.S. zoo every year . But zoos face criticism from animal welfare organizations and environmental activists for inhumane treatment of the animals they claim to protect. Zoos maintain that they are important aspects of conservation and education. 

So, what are the advantages and disadvantages of zoos ?  Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of these controversial organizations. 

What Are Some Pros and Cons of Zoos ?

First, not all zoos are created equal. While it is easy to imagine animal ethics as a binary of evil and moral, zoos can vary widely on how they treat their animals, how much space they are given and how the animals are obtained. Still, most zoos tend to have the same positives and negatives overall. 

Arguments Against Zoos

Poor conditions for animals.

Animals Often Only Have Quite Limited Space

Many zoos’ enclosures are too small, especially for animal species that are used to roaming, flying or swimming large distances in the wild. For example, polar bears are used to home ranges of about 1,000 square kilometers in the wild — large swaths of land and ice they enjoy exploring . In zoos, they get a couple hundred square feet. 

Zoos Are  Crowded

In addition to limited space, many zoos cram in as many animals as possible into the enclosures. Many visitors prefer seeing animals up close, instead of peering at them from afar, hidden in their dens or nests. This encourages zoos to increase the number of animals per exhibit,  increasing the likelihood of visitors seeing animals on the move near the boundaries of the enclosure. 

Animals Are Trapped in Unnatural Environments

Anyone who has visited a zoo knows the exhibits are a far cry from the natural landscape they are trying to imitate. Nearly all zoo enclosures contain fences, glass or other barriers for visitors to look through, which are inherently artificial. And the natural-seeming landscapes can sometimes be made out of astroturf, concrete or plastic.

Confinement May Alter the Behavior of Animals

The lack of space, unnatural environments and crowded conditions can directly affect the behavior of animals ; most notably in the form of what’s known as “stereotypy.” Stereotypy is a condition in which non-human animals engage in repetitive behaviors with no apparent purpose, such as pacing for hours on end, wagging tails abnormally or picking their own fur. 

The structure of zoos increases the likelihood of stereotypic behavior due to a lack of enrichment, mundane environments and boring, repetitive schedules. This prevalence of stereotypy in zoos even has its own name: “zoochosis,” or psychosis caused by zoos . 

‘Surplus’ Animals Can Be Killed

After an animal has reproduced successfully and the zoo no longer requires the animal to maintain an exhibit, the animal is deemed “surplus.” At this point, the animal’s welfare is no longer profitable . Zoos can sell the animal to private owners (who may keep the animal in tiny cages for amusement or kill the animal for taxidermy purposes), sell the animal to other zoos or enclosures, or “euthanize” the animal. 

Animals Are Often Mistreated 

Animal mistreatment is much more than hitting or beating an animal. It also includes harmful training techniques, separation from family members and forcing animals to behave in abnormal ways. 

In a report from World Animal Protection, three-fourths of zoos include human-animal interactions , many of which can be very stressful or physically harmful for animals. In some extreme cases, visitors rode on the backs of animals (causing injury) or encroached on the animals’ enclosure (causing stress).

Investigations into popular zoos sometimes reveal that caretakers don’t always clean the exhibits frequently , leaving the animals to live near their feces. The research also reveals many zookeepers hitting animals who “misbehave,” and not helping animals with injuries sustained in the enclosures. While not all animal caretakers behave this way, the reporting suggests many zoos around the world are lax with animal welfare. 

Animals Don’t Like Being Visited

The mere presence of human beings can negatively affect wild animals, especially in massive crowds that are common at zoos. Being bombarded by the sounds, smells and appearances of swaths of humans can trigger the stress responses of some animals . Some studies show that the number of visitors correlates with the amount of stress hormones in many animal species. 

Animals Struggle to Form Connections

Many animals are highly social creatures. Elephants, lions, pigs, cows and many more species are shown to have complex connections, hierarchies and relationships with members of their own kind — especially with friends and family. However, zoo animals rarely stay with the same herd or family for their entire lives. Instead, zoos opt to transfer, sell, buy or relocate animals throughout their lifespans, making it difficult for animals to form social connections . This lack of bonding can harm the animals emotionally. 

Zoos Are for Humans, Not Animals

Most zoos are for-profit enterprises, meaning they have one goal in mind: maximizing revenue. It is easy to see how making more money can come at the expense of animal welfare. For example, a zoo is unlikely to fund an exhibit expansion if it isn’t cost-effective, regardless of its benefits for the animals inside. While many zookeepers form real bonds with their animal companions, the animals still exist under a for-profit, human-centered organization. 

Zoos Promote Human Superiority

The aesthetic nature of zoos — animals in panopticon-like enclosures, viewed 24/7 by members of a different species — can reinforce human superiority. As moral philosopher Lori Gruen writes in her book, “visitors leave the zoo more convinced than ever of human superiority over the natural world.” Of course, zoos also reinforce the idea that humans have a right to take away animals’ freedom and bodily autonomy.

Zoos Don’t Always Help with Conservation — Some Wild Animals Have to Be Caught to Bring Them to Zoos

Many animals in zoos are born in captivity, but that’s not the case for all. Many animals are taken directly from the wild , often when they are babies, to make the transition to captivity a bit easier. At times, this is done in the name of conservation, or when a wild animal is very ill. But many zoos will take animals from the wild, or buy animals from unethical animal traders. 

It’s Often Not Possible to Return Animals to the Wild

Releasing an animal into the wild isn’t always successful, especially if the animal has spent time in climates different from their native regions, like jungles, savannas or ice caps. Properly preparing animals for success in the wild is a multi-stage process that can require thousands of dollars — and it doesn’t always work . Captive-born predator species — disadvantaged by being born and raised in an artificial environment — only have a survival rate after being released into the wild of 33 percent , according to one study. As a result, re-release is not a priority for many zoos.

Zoos Are Poorly Regulated

While there exist many laws that protect animals, such as the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) and the Endangered Species Act , they only offer minimum protections . For example, the AWA excludes entire species of animals, like mice, farmed animals, birds and all cold-blooded animals. Its “minimum” standards of care usually ensure the animals’ safety, not their welfare or happiness. Many animal law experts say these regulations don’t go far enough . 

What Are the Pros of Having Zoos?

They Can Be Important for Researchers

Biologists and zoologists can benefit from studying animals in zoos. Some breakthroughs in animal behavior and treatment, like why elephants swing their trunks or how gorillas develop heart disease, have been made possible because of zoos’ ease of access . However, not all animals behave the same in captivity as they do in the wild, so not all research is possible in zoos. 

Zoos Are Educational — People May Behave “Eco-friendlier” After Going To the Zoo

Zoos can kickstart individuals’ interest in biodiversity, which is a critical aspect of environmental protection. Many zoos include calls to action in their exhibits, highlighting how endangered animals are being poached, driven away, or otherwise killed by human activity. This can inspire some people to behave more conscientiously. One limited survey found that 35 percent of eco-friendly people learned sustainable behavior from zoos . ‘

Zoos Can Help Educate Children About Animals

Zoos are a quintessential school experience for many young people. Children love learning about animals up-close in a safe environment — in fact, education is possibly the biggest advantage of modern zoos. Many programs, like school presentations, guided tours, informational exhibits, and talks with zookeepers can trigger a lifelong love of animals in children .  

But zoos aren’t perfect in this regard. According to a study of zoo visitors in the UK, only 34 percent of children learned more about animals at zoos (the result was slightly better when the children were given  a guided tour). Worse, children did not feel empowered to help with conservation efforts after visiting a zoo. This suggests that if zoos care about education, they need to more actively reach out to schoolchildren for empowerment and education. 

Going to the Zoo Is Affordable

More ethical ways of engaging with animals without removing them from their natural habitats — like whale watching, safaris, hikes, or excursions — are usually expensive or inaccessible for many people. Zoos tend to be relatively cheap for the average family that wants to learn about animals. 

Conservation

Zoos Can Protect Endangered Species from Extinction

Zoos often claim they can protect entire species from extinction through conservation programs that involve breeding more animals in captivity and then releasing them into the wild. This is especially important for endangered species like pandas. 

While these conservation efforts are truly important, they don’t represent the majority of a zoo’s activities, nor are zoos leaders in conservation worldwide. At the National Zoo, for example, only one-fifth of animals are endangered . In North America, zoos only contribute about 14 percent of all animals reintroduced into the wild as part of a conservation program. Zoos also tend to focus on headline-grabbing endangered animals to bring in visitors, like pandas, elephants or tigers, as opposed to lesser-known but crucial species, like tamarins, kakapos or wombats. 

Are Zoos Good or Bad for the Environment?

Zoos claim to support global biodiversity through conservation efforts like protecting endangered animals. This is somewhat true, although it varies greatly from zoo to zoo. 

On the other hand, zoos are big polluters and use up lots of resources , especially energy and water . Aquariums in particular use tons and tons of water. Zoo animals also generate waste that may or may not be composted or disposed of correctly.

Should Zoos Exist or Be Banned?

Given the many ways that zoos are unethical to animals, the flawed attempts to contribute to conservation, and the positioning of humans as superior to animals, many animal ethicists believe zoos should not exist — or at least, not exist in their current form . 

For example, animal philosopher Dale Jamieson says in his book Ethics on the Ark that zoos primarily “alleviate our sense of guilt for what we are doing to the planet, but they do little to help the animals we are driving to extinction.” He continues to argue that zoos exist for humans alone , and that it is very difficult to wave away the inherent immorality of depriving animals their liberty for the sake of human amusement. 

Instead, private conservation programs can benefit endangered animals without showcasing them to the public. Animal sanctuaries, which are  areas of land in which endangered and other animals are protected by humans, are also advantageous for both individual animals and global biodiversity . 

Zoos do have advantages — fostering curiosity and education chief among them. But experts believe there are other ways of accomplishing these goals without resorting to zoos with tiny enclosures. Excursions, nature documentaries, safaris, local gardens, hikes, boat tours and other ways of interacting with nature don’t involve taking animals out of their natural habitats. 

The Bottom Line

If you do choose to visit a zoo, opt for zoos that have certifications from independent animal welfare organizations. If you are interested in animal conservation, you’d be more impactful donating to a non-zoo animal protection organization instead. And if you do want to visit animals, consider an animal sanctuary or an ethical safari, where you can see animals in their native environments.

Independent Journalism Needs You

Björn Jóhann Ólafsson is a science writer and journalist who cares deeply about understanding the natural world and her inhabitants through stories and data. He reports on the environmental footprint of the meat industry, the alternative protein sector and cultural attitudes around food. His previous bylines include the EU Observer and Elemental. He lives in Spain with his two lovebirds.

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Should Zoos Still Exist?

I’ll start by saying that personally I’m fundamentally against zoos but I do understand some of the arguments why they should exist. My main reason for being against zoos is because I don’t agree with caging animals for our entertainment.

I’ve disliked zoos since I was a small child. The memory of a polar bear pacing back and forth in a very small enclosure in a Yorkshire zoo has stuck with me. Many zoos now provide more space for their wild animals but it could hardly be described as equivalent to what they have in the wild. Keeping animals in climates that are not suited to them seems even more cruel.

Why Zoos Should Exist

Bearing all of the above in mind, some zoos do actually carry out important conservation work. The arguments for zoos are many and varied…

The arguments for zoos

• Zoos can help to save endangered species by keeping them in a ‘safe’ environment. Safe as in protected from poachers, predators, habitat loss and even starvation.
• Some zoos have breeding programmes. This is another way to protect endangered species which may have trouble finding suitable mates in the wild.
• Zoos have an educational aspect. It’s easier to learn about an animal by seeing them in person.
• Fostering empathy… By seeing an animal up close, the public might be encouraged to be more empathetic to a species that is facing extinction in the wild. They might put 2 and 2 together and realise the orangutan they saw is in jeopardy due to the products they buy. ( Read about Palm Oil here ).
• Good zoos have high standards of welfare for their animals. Visiting an accredited zoo is better than visiting one which isn’t. For example, BIAZA ‘members are dedicated to achieving the highest standards of animal care, conserving the natural world through research and conservation, and educating and inspiring their visitors.’
• A few zoos take in abandoned exotic pets and rehabilitate wildlife.
• Zoos are a traditional family activity.

What is BIAZA?

“ BIAZA is the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums; the professional body representing the best zoos and aquariums in Britain and Ireland. We have over 100 zoo and aquarium members who pride themselves on their excellent animal welfare, education and conservation work.”

“BIAZA contributes approximately £24 million to conservation projects a year.”

Why Zoos Shouldn’t Exist

Just like there are quite a few arguments for the existence of zoos, whether you agree with them or not, there are also a lot, if not many more, arguments against zoos.

The arguments against zoos

• Like the polar bear that’s haunted me for over 35 years, animals in captivity often suffer from boredom and stress. Captivity can in no way compare to being free in the wild.
• What gives humans the right to capture, confine or breed other species? If an animal is endangered does that justify us removing its freedom?
• Most captive breeding programmes don’t release animals into the wild. More often than not they become part of a never-ending chain of zoos, safari parks, circuses, canned hunting facilities and even the exotic pet trade. There are more tigers in American backyards than there are in the wild !
• Baby animals bring the public in in droves, but this often leads to zoos having too many animals. Surplus animals can be sold on to other zoos (or safari parks, circuses etc) but many are just killed. You might remember back in 2014 when the Copenhagen Zoo in Denmark killed Marius the giraffe. ‘Young giraffe unsuitable for breeding was shot, dissected in public and then fed to lions despite offers of a new home.’  The Guardian
• Bonds between animals are broken when they are sold to alternative facilities which exploit animals, causing further stress to them.
• The wild populations of different endangered species may become less genetically diverse due to the removal of individuals from the wild, causing them to become even more endangered.
• If you want to see wild animals behaving normally they should be seen in the wild. Watching a captive dolphin performing tricks at Sea World in no way compares to seeing a wild dolphin in the ocean.
• If you can’t afford to see animals in their natural habitat visit a wildlife sanctuary that does not buy, sell or breed animals. Sanctuaries take in injured wildlife, unwanted exotic pets or surplus animals from zoos.
• Wildlife encounters at zoos might be an unforgettable experience for children or adults but they are stressful and can be harmful to the animals.
• Zoo animals can escape. Not only is this dangerous for people and native wildlife, but the animals are often killed rather than tranquilised .
• Zoo visitors often don’t act responsibly. They can put the animals lives in danger due to their stupidity or lack of care. When a toddler fell into an enclosure at Cincinnati Zoo in 2016 there was a worldwide outcry that Harambe , the gorilla whose enclosure the toddler fell into, was shot and killed.

The Difference Between Zoos, Safari Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries

What is a Zoo? “an area in which animals, especially wild animals, are kept so that people can go and look at them or study them”

What is a Safari Park? “a large park where wild animals are kept and can move freely, and can be watched by visitors driving through in their cars”

What is a Wildlife Sanctuary? “a place where birds or animals can live and be protected, especially from being hunted or dangerous conditions”

Definitions from the Cambridge English Dictionary

The “Conservation Con”

One of the arguments for zoos is that they help to conserve species which may otherwise go extinct. Others argue that this is the ‘conservation con’, which is explained by freedomforanimals.org.uk

“Zoos in the UK hold tens of thousands of animals captive. One of the main ways they justify this captivity is to say that they need to protect animals who are endangered in the wild. (…)

By focusing on zoos in Wales, we carried out research which unearthed that just 9% of animals held captive are endangered and 17% are threatened in the wild. This means the vast majority of animals kept in zoos are not threatened in the wild, so why are they held captive?”

They go on to say…

“Whilst we do not believe keeping endangered species in zoos actually contributes to conservation, we really would expect zoos that claim to focus on this issue to not be holding so many animals captive who are not of conservation concern. It is time zoos were honest with the public and stopped using conservation claims as a veil for animal exploitation.”

‘Conservation’ is frequently used in defence of trophy hunting as well.

“Should We Close Our Zoos?”

Back in 2016, there was an episode of Horizon (a BBC 2 documentary series focussed on science and philosophy), called “Should We Close Our Zoos?” Although the episode is not available to watch in full on the BBC website, you can watch some clips from the programme. In one of these short clips there are some disturbing facts and figures (which have hopefully improved since it aired).

• Between 3000 – 5000 healthy animals are culled by European zoos each year.
• Elephants in zoos live only half as long as wild elephants.
• Less than 10% of  zoo species are endangered in the wild.
• Around 400 pandas have been bred in captivity, just 5 have been released and only 3 survive.

Should We close Our Zoos? – 5 minute clip from the Horizon documentary.

So, Should Zoos Still Exist?

I don’t think that zoos should need to exist. For those that do rehabilitate wildlife and protect endangered species I think there is an argument for them. However it would be far better if they were to become wildlife sanctuaries and they stopped buying and selling animals. What we should be doing is protecting the habitats of wild animals and ensuring their survival in the wild. Until people around the world care more about life than money I’m afraid there’s little chance of certain species surviving without a helping hand from zoos.

That’s not to say that I think all existing zoos should still exist or that most of them are adequate. I believe there are many zoos that should be shut down immediately. As far as I’m concerned the majority of ‘good zoos’ still need to make massive improvements to their facilities. In my opinion, a zoos major function should not be to make money for its owner. The profits from ticket prices should go toward increasing animal welfare standards and increasing enclosure sizes. Most importantly the money should go toward protecting the natural habitats of wild animals.

I hope that in the not too distant future we see the end of zoos. Sadly I don’t feel like it’ll happen in my lifetime… We have too many people in power around the world for whom animal welfare and conservation is of little concern.

Even some wildlife charities are not what they seem .

The pictures below make me very sad, tweet posted during lockdown…

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This post has 80 comments.

Who is the author of this piece? I need to citate this souce for some school work and so this would be useful.

Hi my names Kate, but I’d prefer you link to this page as the citation

i agree with you so much, the pictures made me cry and do you know if zoos are going to shut down

Same doing a essay about it

Yes of course, We were asked to reference an author as well as the website. However if you’re uncomfortable with that, I’ll stick to just the page 🙂

I’ve always had a strong stance against zoos as well. Thank you so much for writing this piece. It’s nice to know that there are people who are passionate about these issues too.

That’s really good, some very vaild points made!

yah totally

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great job!!!!!!

love the article kate

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1) I think zoos should be allowed, because it helps injured animals

Very much so.

zoos should be allowed they help some animals who are hurt :/

they shall not exist PERIOD

Periods can have a sentence after them so I propose the idea that zoos shall exist because of many different reasons. Above all, they prevent the extinction of an animal species.

In making a case for or against zoos, both sides argue that they’re saving animals. Whether or not zoos benefit the animal community, they certainly do make money. As long as there is demand for them, zoos will continue to exist. Since zoos are likely an inevitability, the best way to move forward is to ensure that zoo conditions are the best possible for the animals that live in captivity and that individuals who violate animal care health and safety sanctions are not only duly punished, but denied any future access to animals.

I like zoo’s but now i see the pro’s and con’s.

ZOOS are important! There protecting endangered animals. Giving them a place to live, a place to be safe in. they don’t have to FIGHT to survive. they are given food to

Yes you said they don’t have to fight to survive-but guess what if the animal forget how to hunt and gather food when they release them back in the wild they will not remember how to hunt and SURVIVE because the zoo people just fed them everyday and they were used to that. Also It has been proven by researchers that some animals become violent in a zoo or aquarium because they are bothered by all the noise people make or they don’t have enough space to move around-like in the wild where they are free to move around wherever they want. I also believe there was a orca like 6-7 years ago that actually KILLED (literally bit the woman’s pony tail and was dragging her underwater to drown her)because it didn’t have enough space to move around.

That’s why they don’t

Release them

Animals that are going to get released, do have to fight for their food.

Zoos release some animals, but the animals they do release, they made them hunt for themselves.

Im doing a balanced argument writing exam to see which level of class I’ll be in during high-school. And this helped so much!

Looks good but i would check some of your grammar. It’s “zoos” not “zoo’s”, zoo’s implies something belongs to the zoo. Good points, and well written :]

If you are considering a visit to the zoo, decide whether you are willing to empathise with the animals afterwards by going home, locking the front door, and not leaving the house for the next 10 years. If you are uneasy with the thought of doing that, you might like to reconsider a visit to the zoo.

i wrote this and i am 11 Do you think zoos should exist? You don’t, well I hope this changes your mind. Because first of all zoo’s help inform people how to help save animals. Secondly, zoo’s help animal species grow and repopulate. Thirdly if animals are in zoos they cant get hurt if they are in the wild they can die of climate change, pouching and litter. Just like everything else, zoos have their pros and cons. I think that it’s important for people to realise that from a conservation point of view zoos are critical for certain species especially those that are captive bred. Many animals cannot and will not be able to live in the wild depending on circumstances. At the same time, zoos can be the only place where humans can protect them against poachers and the like. We have to make the difference between conservation zoos and the places where animals are stocked for their body parts.We can stop this masamune right here and right now but people won’t stop littering and poaching. You know how it always says save the manatees and stuff well have you ever heard save the white rhinos before. I don’t think so. So jone in and help not just the manatees but every animal. Some people question whether zoos are a good thing or a bad thing. Believe that zoos are good because they help animals and educate people.

First of all zoo’s help inform the public on how to help animals thrive in the wild. By studying animals so we can help them. Because it takes over a few years for a zoologist to find out their behavior and what they eat and stuff like that. If they were moving all the time it would take forever. Like if I was studying a cheta it is going to take probably a few years to know everything about them if they are in the wild. But if they were in a zoo then they would be able to study them better. By bringing people and animals together, zoos educate the public and foster an appreciation of the other species. The last female white rhino went extinct a few months ago in the san diego zoo. I got to see it when I was little but no one else ever saw a little baby white rhino which is sad but it lived longer in a zoo then it would in the wild. So yeah i was lucky to even see one.

Next up, zoo’s also help animals repopulate. Zoos save endangered species. By bringing them into a safe environment. Where they are protected from poachers, habitat loss, starvation, and predators . I watched a video on if zoos should exist i think yes in it it said who wants to go see animals locked up in cages i thought gosh yay animals hate there cages with food, toys and a habitat built just for them they hate it ( said sarcastically ) take the california condor for example in 1982 there was alone 22 of them left but thanks to Now there are hundreds of these huge birds in the Californian skies. Thanks to the dedicated conservation efforts of San Diego Wild Animal Park and the Los Angeles Zoo. Well over three hundred of them. We can also thank zoos for bissen, black foot wesile, golden footed monkey last but certainly not least red foxes.

Thirdly if animals are in zoos they cant get hurt if they are in the wild they can die of climate change, pouching and litter. These are a few animals that are almost extinct but there are a few in zoos The Arabian Oryx was hunted to extinction in the wild. However, from just a handful of animals in captivity the species was brought back from the brink thanks to the conservation efforts of Phoenix zoo and others.Through this incredible work, there are now over 1,000 of these magnificent animals back in the wild and thousands more looked after by zoos worldwide. Przewalski’s horse is the only truly wild horse species left in the world. It comes from the grasslands of Central Asia, but was once declared completely extinct in the wild. But Paderewski’s Horse has made an incredible comeback. Zoos have been working together to create a stable population across the world and now the horse is now returning to their natural habitat. That is just two of a ton of animals that alone exist in zoos. There are 39 animal species currently listed by the IUCN as Extinct in the Wild. These are species that would have vanished totally were it not for captive populations around the world, many of which reside in zoos or, for plants, botanic gardens So enough of that. Im going to talk about why zoos are critical to conservation. For species whose survival in the wild looks in doubt, zoos often set up ‘insurance’ populations, captive groups of animals that could in a worst-case scenario assist in reintroduction to the wild should the original population become extinct. The Zoological Society of London, as an example, participates in more than 160 of these programmed. Re introductions. It is often argued that zoos are bad because so few reintroductions actually happen. I would argue that it’s not the zoos that are at fault – a reintroduction can’t occur if the reason a species was driven to extinction in the first place hasn’t been resolved. In 2014, 700 million people visited zoos worldwide. Not all zoos are good at engagement, and indeed not all zoos are good full stop. However, surely that number of visits created some sort of connection with the natural world that might not have occurred otherwise. Zoos are a living museum. What we learn about wild animals in captivity can help us manage and conserve them in the wild – from animal behaviour, to reproductive rates, to dietary requirements. Zoos raise money for conservation efforts. It’s difficult to engage people with conservation taking place half a world away. But by enabling people to experience wildlife first hand, we can increase participation in international conservation activities. They remind us that we can succeed. Conservation is full of bad news stories, yet on many occasions I have stood peering through glass at a species that shouldn’t exis

i think zoos should not exist :]

i disagree with you

Hmmm I just did some reading and zoo animals actually suffer from depression and stress because their habitats aren’t natural. Also what do you think about the polar bears that have to live in warm conditions when God made them to live in COLD conditions. I think you have some good points, but i still don’t think that the animals should be on display for our entertainment. I think that they should only be in a zoo if they are injured, not just for display.

AND THAT’S SOME FACTS

I would like if there something to do, nobody talks about this anywhere. Sanctuarys is one thing, help animals and not show to the people. If someone want to see and animal just turn on the TV, if there is anything to pay to see an animal, that’s just making profit from the animal. If it is to help and rescue the animal, then there must be NO PEOPLE, NOTHING TO SEE OR PAY, only the workers or helpers. For the one who likes animals, just go and be a veterinarian

This really helped with this unit i was doing on in school, my group was about zoos and if we should ban them or leave them as is. This article really helped with gathering evidence for being against zoos. Have a good day ^^!

I think zoos should exists because people get to see animals up close and in person

I agree but for different reasons.

animals need to be free and not in a cage for their whole life

like bruh get this in your brain

That is a con however, zoos make a habitat super big and it is just like in the wild.

Enjoyed this as I have recently published a book called ‘The Second Level of Extinction’ where modern zoos are exposed as charlatans and fraudsters who make absolutely no contribution to the conservation of wild animals or environment but then as charities claiming to do so rake in millions of dollars from gullible people. It is available on Amazon and elsewhere. Author is AP Wolf.

yes zoos are fun and exciting but the animals shouldn’t be displayed for our entertainment zoos should be helping endangered animals and animals that are in risk of dying if staying in the wild and when they are grown enough to take care of themselves you could then send them back into the wild

Zoos’ are not made for our entertainment. They are made for animals. They just let us come for teaching us about the animals.

I think that zoos should stay open.

If zoos etc did not exist, our children’s children will never, ever see some wild animals. Some species are not safe in their natural environment. There are rogue zoos, these are the ones that should not be supported. However there are, fortunately more zoos that are more responsible and maintain a healthy wild animal population.

I believe zoos should close. It is bad to keep animals cooped up in small spaces, let alone alien environments. The quotidan stress and boredom the animals receive is unfathomable. So, I feel it is essential for us to eliminate zoos (by that, I mean the bad zoos).

there should not be anymore zoos

so zoos should not exist

If zoos etc did not exist, our children’s children will never, ever see some wild animals. Some species are not safe in their natural environment. There are rogue zoos, these are the ones that should not be supported. However there are, fortunately more zoos that are more responsible and maintain a healthy wild animal population.

That was worded amazingly! Thank you so much. I am looking for reasons for zoos to stay for research.

just imagine being stuck in a cage watched and wiped

I think they should keep zoos for the hurt animals

zoo’s shouldn’t exsist

sorry miss clicked zoos shouldn’t exist because they hold animals against free will

If animals had the option they would most likely choose zoos.

where i live our zoos a amazing and the enclosures are huge and none of the animals look at all depressed tbh all of them look happy and none of them looked over feed

I think they should keep the zoo for the endangered animals,the Abandon Yong,and the injured to save more animals. The zoos are not hurting the animals one zoo saves almost 200 animals per year well have more animal on this plaint

I am with you!

Zoos do not WHIP animals!!!!

I am finding research for a topic in school and I found great reasons from you guys! Thank you so much!

I think zoos should exist but they also have wrongdoings. I think they should exist because they can protect animals and if an animal population is going down they can breed animals there is a lot that zoos do good but there are also things they don’t do good, they sometimes use animals just for the public and the money. They also just capture the animals even if they are perfectly healthy. The animals can also forget how to function on their own. So my opinion it’s a 50/50.

I did a topic in school about this topic and I will share it with you guys. DO NOT COPY MY WORK!!!! Many people argue about whether or not there should be zoos. After conducting research, it is obvious that we should have zoos. Zoos help animals in many different ways. In the text, it says, “Zoos save species from extinction and other dangers.”(procon.org) Since zoos save animals from extinction, they can likely help animals repopulate. Zoos take in animals that are hurt and can’t fend for themselves. The animals’ Zoos do release, are still wild. Zoos just monitor animals that they are going to release. They make them hunt for themselves. In conclusion, Zoos help animals survive so they should exist. People think zoos should exist however, zoos help animals in many different ways. One of those ways is animals in zoos produce helpful scientific research. In the text, it states, “Zoos produce helpful scientific research”(procon.org) This means by having animals in zoos, we can look at them and notice how they act to different things. Additionally, “nine species like California condors, black-footed ferrets, Przewalski’s horse, golden lion tamarins, American red wolves, and more from the brink of extinction.”This shows that zoos save animals from extinction and reintroduced them to the environment. Clearly, zoos are more helpful than harmful. Therefore zoos should exist. It is argued zoos don’t educate the public enough to prove there should be animals in captivity. For example, people say no one learns anything at a zoo. Expert Claim, “Zoos don’t educate the public enough to justify keeping animals captive.”(procon.org) Zoos don’t educate people if people don’t read or see what the zoos have to give them.However, If people listen to what the tour guide has to say or read what a sign says people learn a lot.Studies show, “Zoos and aquariums do teach the public about the delicate balance between animal species and their habitats, a new international study shows. More than 6,000 visitors to over 30 zoos and aquariums across the world took part in this landmark study. Participants filled out pre- and post-visit surveys to evaluate their biodiversity understanding and knowledge of how to help protect biodiversity. The study found there was an increase from pre-visit (69.8%) to post-visit (75.1%) in respondents demonstrating some positive evidence of biodiversity understanding.”(Sciencedaily.com) Going to zoos actually benefits animals and humans. Humans get to see animals and learn about the animals. Animals get to have lots of visitors and have a nice safe home. While some may argue that zoos do not provide education to people, zoos give you the opportunity of a lifetime to see amazing animals and learn all about them.

Kate, although Maurice’s death was injustice, it was in Europe, not America!

Are you referring to Marius when you say Maurice? If so I clearly state that was in Copenhagen in Denmark, The Guardian link underneath links to an article talking about Marius.

Some zoos are beneficial, while others are only to make money and entertain. Many zoos take exotic species from the wild simply to attract visitors, but others breed endangered animals whose habitat is disappearing. So some zoos should stay, but others need to go.

You have a point there

Zoos are not needed When the school announces that they are planning a field trip, most of the students would think about a one word, zoo. Likewise, zoo has been a famous choice for children or students to visit whether it is a school field trip or not. Zoo has a lot of species of animals such as penguins and bears. Not only do people watch animals performing tricks but they can take a closer look on animals. These actions can eventually increase the people’s interest on animals and may be interested in learning about that. Moreover, zoos can save endangered species such as polar bear by providing them with an artificial habitat and food. However, nowadays, most of the people view zoo as a prison for animals. Zoos have limited freedom and made animals perform tricks in order to earn more money. Such, in personal opinion, zoos are not needed. As mentioned in the first paragraph, zoos can be viewed as an animal’s prison. Many people make animals to perform tricks even if that is not what the zoos should actually do. During the process of how animals learned the tricks to perform to the audience in order for the zoo to earn more money, they would be very likely to suffer and receive a lot of pain. Animals are not actors or performers on stage to be watched or to entertain the audience. There are a lot of occasions around the world that involve animals such as gorillas or bears to draw paintings that may be used to attract more consumers. Moreover, animals have the primary object for experiments. These experiments may include experiments for cosmetics or products used when cleaning one’s body, and a perfume. Likewise, just as the name “prison of the animals” state, animals would have no freedom while being in the zoo. In addition, animals would not be able to choose foods that they want to eat. They will be only eating foods that their keeper would give them to. These are some cases that may happen when animals lose their freedom. Additionally, just like a prison for people, animals would be assigned to a habitat which would be about 1,000 times smaller than the natural habitat that they actually live in. Such, captivity may be the worst that the animals have actually faced. Not only does the small area of the habitat may bother them, the attention and the intervention of the people, may bother them as well. Most of the viewer especially children would be most likely to knock on the glass or the wall which separate the people from the animal. Also, the sound of people running and screaming at a strange animal, can also be one of the biggest worries for the animal. The daily stress would lead to strange behavior known as the zoochosis. This behavior would include pacing, swaying, and other conditions. These behaviors are only apparent to animals which are located inside the zoo but never in animals living in the wild. This would eventually decrease the lifespan of some animals. Additionally, zoo is made by human and can differ greatly from the animal’s natural habitat. The factors that contribute to this difference may include the size of the zoo, and how the foods are provided. Most of the zoo’s size is considerably smaller than the natural habitat. This can decrease an animal’s freedom. Furthermore, from the current status, one may realize that the foods are provided as nonliving to the animals. This can mean that the animals do not have the need to hunt for food but rather just consume it. These factors combined can have the animals to lose their natural ability or instinct. For example, many of the animals freed from the zoo and out to the wild would have to have more time and effort to hunt and adapt to the natural surroundings. Thus, animals kept in zoos would naturally not survive in the wild with other of its species. Also, from the fact that the size of the artificial habitat is about 1,000 times smaller than the actual natural habitat, most predatory animals such as cheetah or a tiger would lose their natural instinct or ability to run or be aware of danger that might lurk in the nature when it is freed. Together, animals from the zoo, would be most likely to lose their natural instinct or not be able to survive in the wilderness even if they are freed from the zoo, “the prison of the animals”. Zoos are not needed because it can be a prison for animals and the fact that zoos are made by humans. Many zoos exist primary to help the endangered species. However, since zoos are an artificial place, it cannot help the animals directly. Some of the animals that are freed may have trouble adapting to the wild, and animals still in the zoo may suffer a lot due to people’s attention, limitation of freedom, and other factors. In conclusions, zoos are not needed for people but it is still necessary in order for the caring of diseased animals, and many others.

they do not WHIP the animals😡💢

I believe that we should dedicate time, resources and federal lands for ALF for our Animals all kinds. Assisted living facilities , to protect and serve . Equality . Humanitarian efforts.

I think that there are pro and cons to zoos and I can see everyones point of view.

I have a frog and a leopard gecko and they live in plenty of space and are happy they also bring me a lot of joy.

Thank you for reminding us of the power of human connection and empathy.

NO ZOOS FOR LIFE✊

Good ZOOS need to stay and bad Zoos need to leave

Zoos have to exist because imagine if zoos didn’t exist wild animals would go extinct because animals are getting injured and dying or they can’t find food because they’re injured. That is why zoos exist to save animals. To save animals from going extinct. To feed animals when they’re hungry to make sure that they are never hungry. they might not have a lot of room but at least they have a place where they are never hungry never tired and not always having to be on the look out for predators. So thank God that they’re zoos around here I like that better than having animals going extinct wouldn’t you? or would you rather animals go extinct?

Comments are closed.

Are Zoos Ethical? Arguments for and Against Keeping Animals in Zoos

Zoos, if done right, could be a good thing for the animals and the public—yet many so-called zoos get it terribly wrong.

• University of Southern California

• Ohio Wesleyan University
• Brandeis University
• Northeastern University
• Animal Rights
• Endangered Species

A Brief History of Zoos

Arguments for zoos, arguments against zoos, the last word on zoos.

A zoo is a place where captive animals are put on display for humans to see. While early zoos (shortened from zoological parks) concentrated on displaying as many unusual creatures as possible—often in small, cramped conditions—the focus of most modern zoos is conservation and education. While zoo advocates and conservationists argue that zoos save endangered species and educate the public, many  animal rights activists believe the cost of confining animals outweighs the benefits, and that the violation of the rights of individual animals—even in efforts to fend off extinction—cannot be justified. Let's dive into whether zoos are ethical and if they truly encourage education and conservation.

Humans have kept wild animals for thousands of years. The first efforts to keep wild animals for non-utilitarian uses began about 2,500 BCE, when rulers in Mesopotamia, Egypt kept collections in enclosed pens.  Modern zoos began to evolve during the 18th century and the Age of Enlightenment when scientific interest in zoology and the study of animal behavior and anatomy came to the fore.

Early zoos were a dismal affair. Animals were kept in small enclosures with little if any, greenery. With a scant understanding of what the various animals needed, many perished relatively quickly. In accredited zoos in the United States and globally, things are better. Primates have gone from barren cages with little furniture to naturalistic and sometimes semi-free-ranging designs. But is it enough?

• By bringing people and animals together, zoos educate the public and foster an appreciation of other species.
• Zoos save endangered species by bringing them into a safe environment for protection from poachers , habitat loss, starvation, and predators.
• Many zoos have breeding programs for endangered species . In the wild, these individuals might have trouble finding mates and breeding, and species could become extinct.
• Some zoos have conservation programs around the world that use the zoo's expertise and funding to help protect wildlife against poaching and other threats.
• Reputable zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums are held to high standards for the treatment of their resident animals. According to AZA, its accreditation guarantees the organization has undergone strict evaluation by recognized experts to ensure the highest standards of "animal management and care, including living environments, social groupings, health, and nutrition."
• A good zoo provides an enriched habitat where the animals are never bored, are well cared for, and have plenty of space.
• Seeing an animal in person is a much more personal and memorable experience than seeing that animal in a nature documentary. People are more likely to foster an empathetic attitude toward animals.
• Some zoos help rehabilitate wildlife and take in exotic pets that people no longer want or can no longer care for.
• Both accredited and unaccredited animal exhibitors are regulated by the federal Animal Welfare Act, which establishes standards for animal care.
• From an animal rights standpoint, humans do not have a right to breed, capture, and confine other animals— even if those species are endangered . Being a member of an endangered species doesn't mean the individual animals should be afforded fewer rights.
• Animals in captivity suffer from boredom, stress, and confinement. No pen—no matter how humane—or drive-through safari can compare to the freedom of the wild .
• Intergenerational bonds are broken when individuals are sold or traded to other zoos.
• Baby animals bring in visitors and money, but this incentive to breed new babies leads to overpopulation. Surplus animals are sold to other zoos, circuses , and hunting facilities . Some zoos simply kill their surplus animals outright.
• Some captive breeding programs do not release animals back into the wild . The offspring may be forever part of the chain of zoos, circuses, and petting zoos .
• Removing individual specimens from the wild further endangers the wild population because the remaining individuals will be less genetically diverse and may have greater difficulty finding mates. Maintaining species diversity within captive breeding facilities is also challenging. 
• If people want to see wild animals in real life, they can observe wildlife in the wild or visit a sanctuary . (A true sanctuary does not buy, sell, or breed animals, but instead takes in unwanted exotic pets, surplus animals from zoos, or injured wildlife that can no longer survive in the wild.)
• The federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA) establishes minimal standards for cage size, shelter, healthcare, ventilation, fencing, food, and water. For example, enclosures must provide "sufficient space to allow each animal to make normal postural and social adjustments with adequate freedom of movement. Inadequate space may be indicated by evidence of malnutrition, poor condition, debility, stress, or abnormal behavior patterns." Violations often result in a slap on the wrist and the exhibitor is given a deadline to correct the violation. Even a long history of inadequate care and AWA violations, such as the history of Tony the Truck Stop Tiger, does not necessarily ensure abused animals will be freed.
• Animals sometimes escape their enclosures, endangering themselves as well as people. Likewise, people ignore warnings or accidentally get too close to animals, leading to horrific outcomes. For example, Harambe, a 17-year-old western lowland gorilla , was shot in 2016 when a toddler accidentally fell into his enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo . While the child survived and was not badly injured, the gorilla was killed outright.
• Petting zoos have been linked with numerous incidents of diseases including E. coli infection, cryptosporidiosis, salmonellosis, and dermatomycosis (ringworm).

In making a case for or against zoos and whether zoos are ethical, both sides argue that they're saving animals. Whether or not zoos benefit the animal community, they do make money. As long as demand remains, zoos will continue to exist.

Since zoos are likely inevitable, the best way to move forward is to ensure zoo conditions are the best possible for the animals that live in captivity and that individuals who violate animal care health and safety sanctions are not only duly punished but denied any future access to animals.

One day we may look back at zoos and marvel at their barbarity. Or, one day we may look back at zoos and be grateful for the species they saved from extinction. Of these two scenarios, only time will tell.

Hosey, Geoff, et al. Zoo Animals: Behaviour, Management, and Welfare . Oxford University Press. 2013.

Hosey, G. (2023). The History of Primates in Zoos . In: Robinson, L.M., Weiss, A. (eds) Nonhuman Primate Welfare. Springer, Cham.

“ Species Survival Plan Programs .” Association of Zoos & Aquariums.

“ Accreditation Basics .” Association of Zoos & Aquariums .

“ Animal Welfare Act and Animal Welfare Regulations .” U.S. Department of Agriculture .

Meagher, Rebecca K., Georgia J. Mason. “ Environmental Enrichment Reduces Signs of Boredom in Caged Mink .” PLoS ONE , vol. 7, 2012, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0049180

Kleiman, Devra G., et al. Wild Mammals In Captivity: Principles And Techniques For Zoo Management, Second Edition . University of Chicago Press. 2010.

Gunasekera, Crystal Allen. “ The Ethics of Killing “Surplus” Zoo Animals .” Journal of Animal Ethics , vol. 8, 2018, doi:10.5406/janimalethics.8.1.0093

Brichieri-Colombi, Typhenn A., et al. “ Limited Contributions of Released Animals from Zoos to North American Conservation Translocations .” Conservation Biology , vol. 33, 2019, pp. 33-39., doi:10.1111/cobi.13160

Krasnec, Michelle O., et al. “ Mating Systems in Sexual Animals .” Nature Education Knowledge, vol. 3, no. 10, 2012, p. 72.

“ 9 CFR § 3.128 - Space Requirements .” Cornell University Legal Information Institute .

“ Animal Welfare Act Enforcement .” U.S. Department of Agriculture .

Conrad, Cheyenne C. Conrad et al. " Farm Fairs and Petting Zoos: A Review of Animal Contact as a Source of Zoonotic Enteric Disease ." Foodborne Pathogens and Disease, vol. 14, 2017, pp. 59-73., doi:10.1089/fpd.2016.2185

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"zoos and animal welfare" argumentative/persuasive writing.

"Zoos and Animal Welfare" Argumentative/Persuasive Writing

Grade levels, course, subject.

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Apply the appropriate models to show interactions among organisms in an environment.

CHANGE AND CONSTANCY

Explain mechanisms organisms use to adapt to their environment.

Describe how selective breeding and biotechnology can alter the genetic composition of organisms.

Compare and contrast observable patterns in the physical characteristics across families, strains and species.

Explain why the extinction of a species may occur when the environment changes.

Explain that mutations can alter a gene and are the original source of new variations in a population.

• Big Ideas Purpose, topic and audience guide types of writing
• Concepts Focus, content, organization, style, and conventions work together to impact writing quality Persuasive writing attempts to influence the audience by presenting an issue and stating and supporting a position. Various types of writing are distinguished by their characteristics
• Competencies Persuasive Writing: Develop substantial, relevant and illustrative content that demonstrates a clear understanding of the purpose (content). Persuasive Writing: Employ a thoroughly elaborated argument that includes a clear position consistently supported with precise and relevant evidence where rhetorical persuasive strategies are evident (content). Persuasive Writing: Employ effective organizational strategies and structures, such as logical order and transitions, which develop a controlling idea (organization). Persuasive Writing: Use proper conventions to compose in the standard form of the English language (conventions). Persuasive Writing: Write with a sharp, distinct controlling point made about a single topic with evident awareness of task and audience (focus). Persuasive Writing: Write with precise control of language, stylistic techniques, and sentence structures that create a consistent and effective tone (style). Write persuasive pieces, specific to a purpose and audience, which have a clearly stated position or opinion, with convincing and properly cited evidence that anticipates and counters reader concerns and arguments. Write to influence the audience by:• stating and supporting a position with detailed evidence, examples, and reasons. • using persuasive techniques (e.g.: emotional appeal, statistics, description, anecdote, example, expert opinion) to strengthen the argument. • employing a distinct structure to organize the argument and the opposing viewpoints. • acknowledging and refuting opposing arguments. • evaluating sources for validity, perspective, bias, and relationship to topic.• documenting sources of information responsibly and ethically. • using sources to achieve a balanced and authoritative argument. • supporting judgments with relevant evidence and detail. Write to influence the audience by:• stating and supporting a position with detailed evidence, examples, and reasons. • using persuasive techniques (e.g.: emotional appeal, statistics, description, anecdote, example, expert opinion, analogies and illustrations) to strengthen the argument. • employing a distinct structure to organize the argument and the opposing viewpoints. • acknowledging and refuting opposing arguments. • evaluating primary and secondary sources for validity, perspective, bias, and relationship to topic. • documenting sources of information responsibly and ethically. • using sources to achieve a balanced and authoritative argument. • supporting judgments with relevant evidence and detail. • presenting the position in either a deductive or an inductive framework. Focus, content, organization, style, and conventions work together to impact writing quality

Description

The Literacy Design Collaborative teaching task provides a blueprint for seamlessly integrating literacy and content standards in a rigorous, authentic classroom experience. After determining the discipline, course, and grade level, educators use teaching tasks built around predefined template prompts. The teaching task requires students to read, analyze and comprehend written materials and then write cogent arguments, explanations or narratives in the subjects they are studying.

Students will examine the zoo as a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures and displayed to the public. In many cases, animals may also be bred to produce offspring. Although enjoyed by many, some feel zoo conditions are detrimental to the health of animals. Students will explain and support their opinion as to whether or not animals should be kept in zoos.

In this extended writing task, students will read, analyze, and gather relevant information from text(s) and write an argumentative essay. Students will…

• Apply knowledge of the distribution and management of natural resources to a current issue
• Apply knowledge of the relationship between an environment and extinction to a current issue
• Read, analyze and gather relevant information from multiple texts
• Write an evidence-based argumentative essay, and address competing views

enclosure - something that "closes" a space

welfare - a condition of being or doing well

conservation - protection from extinction

zoochosis  - obsessive, repetitve behavior associated with animals kept in prolonged captivity

extinction - dying out or termination of a species. Occurs when a species can no longer reproduce at replacement levels

endangered species - a species existing in such small numbers that it is in danger of becoming extinct

500 minutes/10 periods

"Animal Ark or Sinking Ship?" BornFree.org . Born Free Foundation, July 2007. Web. Apr. 2011. < http://www.bornfree.org.uk/fileadmin/user_upload/files/zoo_check/ publications/Animal_Ark_or_sinking_ship.pdf >.

Dixon, Thomas. "Zoos: Debatabase - Debate Topics and Debate Motions." IDEA: International Debate Education Association - Debate Resources & Debate Tools. 06 Apr. 2009. Web. 28 Jan. 2011. < http://www.idebate.org/debatabase/topic_details.php?topicID=1 >.

Horton, Jennifer. "Are Zoos Good or Bad." HowStuffWorks.com . 15 Sept. 2008. Web. Apr. 2011. < http://animals.howstuffworks.com/animal-facts/zoos-good-or-bad.htm >.

Lin, Doris. "Should Zoos Keep Endangered Species?" About.com . The New York Times Company. Web. Apr. 2011. < http://animalrights.about.com/od/wildlife/a/EndangeredZoos.htm >.

Van Tuyl, Christine.  Zoos and Animal Welfare . Detroit: Greenhaven, 2008. Print.

Related Materials & Resources

Suggested instructional strategies.

Instructional Procedures

Teacher Preparation Prior to launching the teaching task in the classroom, a teacher should consider the following questions:

How much support will students need to successfully complete the task?

What parts of the process can be completed independently (during or outside of class)? What parts of the process represent new learning or substantial challenge and warrant direct instruction or guided practice during class?

What content and vocabulary instruction and activities will be provided so that students are able to successfully complete the task?

How will reading be scaffolded for my students? (Read together? Read in groups? Read independently?)

What note-taking method will students use, and does that method align with the writing task?

How will students make the transition from the reading to the writing? (outline, graphic organizer, etc.)

What writing instruction is needed to help students write their thesis statements, organize their notes, embed quotes, and cite evidence?

How will students receive feedback at various stages of the writing process to make sure they are answering the prompt, their papers are focused, their ideas are fully developed with details, examples, etc.?

Daily Plan The daily plan is flexible based on students' prior knowledge, experience and skills in reading, research and writing as well as their ability to apply subject area knowledge to a new scenario. The amount of time, in class instruction, and scaffolds needed can be increased or decreased to provide the appropriate level of challenge and support for students.

Teaching Task 2 (Argumentative/Analysis L1, L2): Should animals be kept in zoos? After reading informational texts, write an essay that addresses the question and support your position wiht evidence from the text(s). L2  Be sure to acknowledge competing views.

Task Engagement and Analysis The teacher introduces the teaching task to students by linking the task to the class content that has been taught previously and to existing knowledge, skills, and interests. The teacher asks students to read the teaching task and make notes or discuss with peers things they already know about this issue or topic.

The teacher helps the students to understand the expectations of the teaching task by asking students what they think a good response to the task might include and creating a classroom list. The teacher may share examples of the type of texts the students will produce (either actual student samples or commercially published texts). Sharing the rubric with students will clarify the expectations. (Clicking on each performance level of the rubric will enable teacher access to annotated student writing for that level.)

The teacher explains the timetable and supports available for completing the task.

Text Selection The teacher has either preselected the texts or will provide access to research sources for students to select texts. The teacher asks students to begin to record information about the sources (e.g., using notebooks, note cards, technology). The teacher may need to provide models or instruction on creating a bibliography or works cited. The students should identify author, title, publisher, date, and any other needed information (e.g., volume, editor) A discussion about the credibility or merit of sources may be needed.

Preview texts The teacher can provide students with all of the texts or offer students a list of acceptable sources from which to choose. The teacher briefly highlights each text with a summary to assist students in making appropriate text selections. The teacher asks the students to skim through each text to identify the genre, purpose, and text structure. A teacher think-aloud explaining rationale for making certain text selections may be beneficial to students.

Note-taking The teacher provides or suggests that a note-taking method be used that is consistent with the expectations for the task and the type of writing (e.g., argumentative-pro/con t-chart). Students should be encouraged to refer to the teaching task so that their notes are relevant to the prompt. Students should be encouraged to include both textual information and their own connections and implications. Students should continue to add to their bibliography or works cited.

Teachers may need to teach or reinforce practices to promote academic integrity and to help students avoid plagiarism. The ability to use and credit sources appropriately shows respect for the work of others and adds credibility to a student's argument and/or research.

Reading and Research The teacher assigns the reading, research and note-taking to students and provides instruction to support analysis and synthesis of texts. The teacher may ask students to reflect orally or in writing on key questions including:

Which parts of the text provide evidence that relates to the prompt?

What historical or current examples did you notice that relate to the prompt?

What is the text explicitly saying? What gaps or unanswered questions do you see?

What competing arguments have you encountered or thought of based on the text (argumentative)?

How do you know your sources are credible?

Depending upon the needs of students in the classroom, additional scaffolds may be necessary (e.g., whole-group reading and teacher modeling of note-taking, paired in-class reading, talking to the text, small group discussion). The teacher may either provide students with print source options or make electronic texts available to them through the use of Web 2.0 tools (e.g., Wikis, Nings) or online library databases (e.g., EBSCO, ProQuest).

Transition to Writing The teacher uses discussion based strategies such as the Paideia/Socratic seminar or small group discussions to help students make connections between their research and notes and the teaching task.

Developing a Thesis or Claim Students write an opening paragraph that includes a controlling idea and sequences the key points that will be made throughout the writing assignment. The teacher may provide models of opening paragraphs and analyze them with the class. Students may provide feedback to each other on their opening paragraphs. Students should compare their opening paragraph to the teaching task and assess whether the paragraph fully address the main points of the prompt (e.g., define and explain, compare, take a position, etc.)

Organizing Notes/Planning Students organize their notes into a graphic organizer or outline that establish a logical structure for the assignment. An outline begins with the thesis or claim, sequences key points and includes supporting evidence from texts.

Development of rough drafts Students begin writing their rough drafts. The teacher frequently checks in with students to answer questions, offer feedback, and provide writing instruction as needed. Through planning, the teacher embeds opportunities for students to receive feedback on their writing prior to the submission of the final draft either through peer conferencing, teacher conferencing, or written teacher feedback. Students revise their drafts based on the feedback they receive. The amount of time needed for the development of rough draft varies and may include time during and outside of class.

Completion of Final Draft Students either self or peer-edit their papers for conventional errors and complete the final draft.

Assessment and Reflection The teacher uses the LDC rubric to assess the students' writing and provide feedback to help students improve their performance. Patterns in student performance guide further instruction.

Analytic Scoring The rubric is structured to facilitate analytic scoring - the awarding of separate scores by readers for each of the seven scoring elements. Scorers should keep in mind that the description of work quality within any particular "cell" of the rubric may still address more than one idea, and therefore may not match a particular essay perfectly. The scorer must identify the descriptor that is the best match to a paper based on the preponderance of evidence. If the decision is truly a "coin toss," the scorer should feel free to use the "in-between" or "half" scores. A variation of analytic scoring might be used in a situation in which the emphasis of instruction at a particular time might be on a subset of the seven scoring elements. For example, if instruction is focused on development and organization, then a teacher might simply award scores for those two scoring elements.

Holistic Scoring Holistic scoring is assigning a single, overall score to a paper. Analytic and holistic scoring rubrics look much the same. The holistic scorer's job is to pick the single score (1, 2, 3, 4) that corresponds to the set of descriptors for scoring elements that best matches a paper. Again, in-between or half scores can be used. Ideally, holistic scorers are thinking about all the scoring elements as they read papers, but over time they find that they can assign holistic scores very rapidly, yet still fairly accurately. This is one of the advantages of holistic scoring. However, analytic information is not generated by this method.

Score Recording and Feedback It would be good practice for teachers to share the rubrics with students and discuss "criteria for success" relative to the scoring elements. However, it is not intended that a clean scoring rubric would be attached to every paper that is scored in all situations. It might be more appropriate to attach score slips that list the scoring element names with blank spaces after them for the recording of scores (and a space for a total score, too, perhaps). A customized rubber stamp could accomplish the same. Analytic scores do provide useful information to the students since they reference descriptors in the rubric. However, nothing beats descriptive comments that are best written in the margins of the papers where they are most appropriate.

Cut Scores for Proficiency Levels Scorers can readily compute a total score (the sum of the seven element scores) or an average score (that sum divided by 7). If translating scores to performance levels is desired, then the structure of the rubrics lends itself to the use of the following cut scores:

LDC Scores and Grades LDC scores could be translated to grades contributing to students' course grades. How this would be done is an individual teacher's decision. Teachers could establish their own cut scores for letter grades or just re-label the four performance levels as A, B, C, D. They could come up with their own way to convert LDC scores to numerical grades consistent with whatever numerical scale they use for other class work.

Click on each performance level below (Not Yet, Approaches Expectations, Meets Expectations, Advanced) to view annotated student samples.

Sean Houseknecht, Alex Shubert, Monica Cressman - Elizabethtown Area School District

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Are Zoos Good or Bad for Animals?

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Zoos are great, right? You get to be up close and personal with some amazing animals that you’d pretty much never get to see in the wild. Clearly, zoos are a win for people. But when it comes to the animals, zoos might cause more harm than good. Should zoos exist?

TEACHERS: Guide your students to practice civil discourse about current topics and get practice writing CER (claim, evidence, reasoning) responses. Explore lesson supports.

How did zoos become a thing? Humans have been capturing and displaying exotic animals for thousands of years. The earliest known collections date back to 3500 BCE in Egypt, where rulers kept hippos, elephants, baboons, and different species of large cats. Now back then, that didn’t mean that your average Egyptian could go check any of that awesomeness out. These early zoos were really just a way for kings to flex on other kings. Modern zoos, where the public can come and watch animals exhibiting their natural behavior, didn’t really become a thing until the early 1800s. The longest continuously operating zoo in the world is the Vienna Zoo, which has been going strong for more than 260 years.

What are the arguments in favor of having zoos? Zoos may be great entertainment, but their big goal is to educate the public about wildlife and what we can do to protect them. Zoo animals are sort of like ambassadors for their counterparts in the wild. Zoos also contribute to scientific research. “Zoo” is short for zoological park, and zoology is the scientific study of animal biology and behavior. In addition, zoos work really hard to save animals that are threatened in the wild. Zoos can take at-risk animals, breed them in captivity, and then reintroduce them back into the wild.

What are the arguments for NOT having zoos? Zoos have their problems. Not all zoos are created equal. Some are clean and well staffed, others aren’t. There are some in the richest cities in the world, and there are some in conflict zones. What this means is that not all zoos have the resources to properly care for the animals they house. And for many critics, no amount of education or research justifies keeping animals captive. That captivity can be REALLY bad for both physical AND psychological health. And while zoos have been really helpful is saving endangered animals, it doesn’t work out for certain species. For example, most large carnivores like lions and tigers that are bred in captivity die when released into the wild. It turns out that they haven’t developed the natural behaviors they need when they’re out on their own and have to fend for themselves.

SOURCES: Do we need zoos? (The Atlantic) https://www.theatlantic.com/news/archive/2016/06/harambe-zoo/485084/

Why zoos are good (The Guardian) https://www.theguardian.com/science/lost-worlds/2014/aug/19/why-zoos-are-good

The case for the end of the modern zoo (New York Magazine) http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2014/07/case-for-the-end-of-the-modern-zoo.html?gtm=bottom

Zoos and their discontents (New York Times Magazine) https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/06/magazine/zoo-animals-and-their-discontents.html

Stress and lack of exercise are killing elephants, zoos warned (The Guardian) https://www.theguardian.com/science/2008/dec/12/elephants-animal-welfa re

Most Captive-Born Predators Die If Released (National Geographic) https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2008/01/predators-captivity-habitat-animals/

Captive Breeding Success Stories (PBS) https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/the-loneliest-animals-captive-breeding-success-stories/4920/

Quantifying the contribution of zoos and aquariums to peer-reviewed scientific research (Facets Journal) https://www.facetsjournal.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/facets-2017-0083

Evaluating the contribution of zoos and aquariums (Conservation Biology) https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/sociology/staff/jensen/ericjensen/moss_jensen_and_gusset_2015-evaluating_the_contribution_of_zoos_and_aquariums_to_aichi_biodiversity_target_1_final_published_version.pdf

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STUDENT ESSAY: ZOOS DO MORE HARM

‘Zoos do more harm than good’ by Thienh Thinh, Victoria Secondary School (Essays in this site must not to be copied)

Midnight, a baby tiger hid in the deep forest to escape from poachers. Its mother lay dead, killed savagely by poachers. Terrified and bewildered, anger and fear showed on his eyes. Fortunately, National Zoo Forces arrived and within six months, the lucky tiger was thriving in his new home – the Vietnamese Zoo. Undoubtedly, most zoos have harmful effects on wild animals but life is not always bad. As with this tiger, some zoos can bring good.

Certainly, zoos have their own reasons for keeping animals. One reason is to protect animals from dwindling and extinction. Since some rare animals have been keenly hunted in recent years, the longer they are kept in zoos, the more they will flourish. Besides, several animals have forgotten either how to survive in wild or how to breed as they have lived in zoos for generations. Especially the panda in China, which through breeding in captivity, have flourished and are no longer an endangered species.

Some also say that zoos are good for education. Modern zoos have put efforts to keep animals living in the best conditions. They even provide animals their natural habitats where animals can happily roam around. A clear example for this is the modern Singapore Zoo, which has just won a regional prize for the use of natural enclosures. But there are not many such kinds of zoos. In many countries, even in Singapore Zoo, people still treat animals in cruel ways. They consider animals as one of their profit making tools through various shows, acts or performances. Audiences entertain themselves through watching these poor animals do tricks like in circuses. What a shame! Such behaviors are inhuman and make the animal suffer cruelty and illness.

In my opinion, many zoos are like an oppressive prison. There, animals are kept in small cages which are very uncomfortable. Hence, gradually, they lose their sharp natural instincts. Moreover, many zoos are founded with small budget so the condition is very bad. The cages are always dirty, the animals sickly and poorly fed. Therefore, animals that live in these zoos suffer from many different kinds of disease and die earlier than others in the wild.

In conclusion, animals urgently need to be protected. There is no point just debating but not taking action. So, for the sake of all animals living in captivity, we should build more quality open zoos and enforce more heavy fines for making zoo animals perform. It is through these measures that our next generation will value wild animals.

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Home > Environmental Studies > Student Theses 2001-2013 > 22

Student Theses 2001-2013

The role of modern zoos in wildlife conservation: from the wcs to the wild.

John Scott , Fordham University Follow

Date of Award

Edward Van Buren

The reality of the modern world is that humanity is increasing its population rapidly, and demanding more resources than the earth can provide. Humans are utilizing resources like water and fossil fuels, and are in turn polluting and causing a shift in the global climate. Most importantly, humans are taking previously untouched land and utilizing it for living space or agriculture. Therefore there is very little “wild” left after human consumption, and this rapid consumption is adversely affecting all other animal species on this planet. With little food of their own or territory to roam, many species begin their dramatic decline towards extinction and their total disappearance from this planet. Almost simultaneously with the decline of the animal kingdom arose the existence of the zoo. Zoological parks did not start off with conservation being a primary focus, however as they evolved, the focus shifted from exhibition to preservation. The modern zoo has conservation as one of its main priorities, which also include education, entertainment and research – a focus that is more comprehensive and serves to guide the actions of the modern zoo. Their work is multi-faceted and includes elements of conservation biology, history and ethics – all which are present in this thesis. While their intentions are good, the modern zoo draws a great deal of criticism from many sources who claim their efforts only serve to imprison wildlife for humanity’s benefit. This argument implies only a superficial knowledge of the work that zoos do, and therefore is illogical. The work that organizations, like the Wildlife Conservation Society – headquartered at the Bronx Zoo - do is invaluable in the fight against species decline and extinction. Therefore the modern zoo serves as a vessel both for the conservation of the animal kingdom, but also to inspire and foster a new generation committed to the preservation of all species.

Recommended Citation

Scott, John, "The Role of Modern Zoos in Wildlife Conservation: From the WCS to the Wild" (2012). Student Theses 2001-2013 . 22. https://research.library.fordham.edu/environ_theses/22

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Home — Essay Samples — Environment — Zoo — My Opinion and Discussion of the Reasons For and Against Zoos

My Opinion and Discussion of The Reasons for and Against Zoos

• Categories: Animal Welfare Zoo

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Words: 792 |

Published: Apr 8, 2022

Words: 792 | Pages: 2 | 4 min read

Table of contents

Positive arguments for zoos, what can be said against zoos, a good hook examples for essay about zoos.

• A Thought-Provoking Quote: Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” As I explore the controversial topic of zoos, I can’t help but wonder if these institutions align with our dreams for a compassionate and ethical future.
• A Personal Encounter: Staring into the eyes of a caged tiger at a local zoo, I felt a mix of wonder and sadness. Join me as I reflect on this encounter and delve into the complex debate surrounding the existence of zoos.
• An Ethical Dilemma: As we grapple with the question of whether zoos serve a noble purpose or perpetuate cruelty, we must confront an ethical crossroads. Is it time to reassess our stance on these institutions?
• A Historical Perspective: Zoos have a long and storied history, evolving from menageries of the past to modern conservation-focused facilities. Let’s journey through time to understand the reasons for and against zoos in today’s world.
• An Expert Opinion: Renowned wildlife biologist Jane Goodall once said, “The least I can do is speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves.” Join me as I explore whether zoos truly speak for the animals they house or if there are better alternatives for conservation and education.

Works Cited

• Bloom, H. (Ed.). (2010). Henry V. Infobase Publishing.
• Dobson, M. (Ed.). (2008). The Oxford Companion to Shakespeare. Oxford University Press.
• Hattaway, M. (2000). Shakespeare in Performance: Henry V. Manchester University Press.
• McEachern, C. (2013). Shakespeare’s Henry V. Bloomsbury Arden Shakespeare.
• Shakespeare, W. (2016). Henry V. Wordsworth Editions.
• Smith, E. (2010). The faith of a warrior-king: A study of King Henry V’s Christian beliefs. The Journal of Religion and Popular Culture, 22(1), 49-61.
• Tillyard, E. M. W. (2014). Shakespeare’s History Plays. Literary Licensing, LLC.
• Weiss, A. (2018). The morality of war in Henry V. The Explicator, 76(2), 79-83.
• Wilson, R. (2010). Henry V: A guide to the play. Greenwood Press.
• Wright, L. (2005). Shakespeare’s Henry V: An analysis. The Explicator, 63(4), 211-213.

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• How to Write a Thesis Statement | 4 Steps & Examples

How to Write a Thesis Statement | 4 Steps & Examples

Published on January 11, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on August 15, 2023 by Eoghan Ryan.

A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . It usually comes near the end of your introduction .

Your thesis will look a bit different depending on the type of essay you’re writing. But the thesis statement should always clearly state the main idea you want to get across. Everything else in your essay should relate back to this idea.

You can write your thesis statement by following four simple steps:

• Start with a question
• Write your initial answer
• Develop your answer
• Refine your thesis statement

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Table of contents

What is a thesis statement, placement of the thesis statement, step 1: start with a question, step 2: write your initial answer, step 3: develop your answer, step 4: refine your thesis statement, types of thesis statements, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about thesis statements.

A thesis statement summarizes the central points of your essay. It is a signpost telling the reader what the essay will argue and why.

The best thesis statements are:

• Concise: A good thesis statement is short and sweet—don’t use more words than necessary. State your point clearly and directly in one or two sentences.
• Contentious: Your thesis shouldn’t be a simple statement of fact that everyone already knows. A good thesis statement is a claim that requires further evidence or analysis to back it up.
• Coherent: Everything mentioned in your thesis statement must be supported and explained in the rest of your paper.

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

The thesis statement generally appears at the end of your essay introduction or research paper introduction .

The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education. The use of the internet in academic contexts and among young people more generally is hotly debated. For many who did not grow up with this technology, its effects seem alarming and potentially harmful. This concern, while understandable, is misguided. The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its many benefits for education: the internet facilitates easier access to information, exposure to different perspectives, and a flexible learning environment for both students and teachers.

You should come up with an initial thesis, sometimes called a working thesis , early in the writing process . As soon as you’ve decided on your essay topic , you need to work out what you want to say about it—a clear thesis will give your essay direction and structure.

You might already have a question in your assignment, but if not, try to come up with your own. What would you like to find out or decide about your topic?

For example, you might ask:

After some initial research, you can formulate a tentative answer to this question. At this stage it can be simple, and it should guide the research process and writing process .

Now you need to consider why this is your answer and how you will convince your reader to agree with you. As you read more about your topic and begin writing, your answer should get more detailed.

In your essay about the internet and education, the thesis states your position and sketches out the key arguments you’ll use to support it.

The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its many benefits for education because it facilitates easier access to information.

In your essay about braille, the thesis statement summarizes the key historical development that you’ll explain.

The invention of braille in the 19th century transformed the lives of blind people, allowing them to participate more actively in public life.

A strong thesis statement should tell the reader:

• Why you hold this position
• What they’ll learn from your essay
• The key points of your argument or narrative

The final thesis statement doesn’t just state your position, but summarizes your overall argument or the entire topic you’re going to explain. To strengthen a weak thesis statement, it can help to consider the broader context of your topic.

These examples are more specific and show that you’ll explore your topic in depth.

Your thesis statement should match the goals of your essay, which vary depending on the type of essay you’re writing:

• In an argumentative essay , your thesis statement should take a strong position. Your aim in the essay is to convince your reader of this thesis based on evidence and logical reasoning.
• In an expository essay , you’ll aim to explain the facts of a topic or process. Your thesis statement doesn’t have to include a strong opinion in this case, but it should clearly state the central point you want to make, and mention the key elements you’ll explain.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.

The thesis statement is essential in any academic essay or research paper for two main reasons:

• It gives your writing direction and focus.
• It gives the reader a concise summary of your main point.

Without a clear thesis statement, an essay can end up rambling and unfocused, leaving your reader unsure of exactly what you want to say.

Follow these four steps to come up with a thesis statement :

• Ask a question about your topic .
• Write your initial answer.
• Develop your answer by including reasons.
• Refine your answer, adding more detail and nuance.

The thesis statement should be placed at the end of your essay introduction .

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80 Zoo Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best zoo topic ideas & essay examples, 🎓 good research topics about zoo, ⭐ simple & easy zoo essay titles, ❓ research questions about zoo.

• Zoos: Advantages and Disadvantages The expediency of zoos and similar institutions is controversial since no artificially created conditions correspond to the natural range of animals’ origin.
• Zoos for Conservation of Endangered Species However, at the moment, they could be considered important scientific and research centers that investigate the current situation related to species and create conditions needed for their survival and further preservation.
• Negotiating About Pandas for San Diego Zoo The popularity of the San Diego Zoo as one of the top zoos in the country and the idea that the borrowing of pandas will be a significant tourist attraction could be highlighted by Myers.
• Zoos: Cruel or Educational? The reality is that there is ambivalence whether zoos protect animals from the adversity of the wild or they violate the rights of animals to enjoy their freedom in the wild.
• The Effectiveness of Sustainable Practices, Plans, Programs and Initiatives Implemented by Australian Zoo The recommendations are going to be made about the additional initiatives which may be implemented in the industry paying attention to the failure to apply to one of the concepts in the sustainable development triangle.
• Negotiating: Pandas in San Diego Zoo Case It is not the possible revenues of the zoo that need to be mentioned, but rather the revenues that the counterparty will have, as well as the influence of pandas on the promotion of support […]
• The Harm That Zoos Do to Animals The first argument against zoos to discuss is the lack of interesting activities, joy, and ways to get rid of stress that animals can access in the wild.
• The Future for Zoos and Aquariums Bibliography If the rights and welfare of animals in zoos and aquariums are properly observed, the world association of zoos and aquariums will have no issues with these zoo fields.
• The Analysis of Siamangs’ Behavior in a Zoo Setting The results of the research disprove the hypothesis as it was assumed that siamangs would be less active in the zoo due to visitor’s attention and limited territory. Therefore, it is possible to note that […]
• The Australia Zoo Rescue Unit Project Being a rescue unit, the project is meant to provide the services of rescuing the ill and injured wildlife animals by offering them with veterinary services free of charge in all zoos of Australian territory.
• Animal Behavior in San Diego Zoo Based on the numerous remarks of scholars that claim that the animals are less active in the artificially created conditions in zoos, the hypothesis of the current write-up is as follows: Pandas tend to be […]
• Zoo Park’s Redundancy Management and Legal Issues Lastly, I have advised the management of the best ways to address the situation leading to the accident in the zoo park’s restaurant.
• The Role of Zoos in Endangered Species Protection Adopting the endangered species requires the zoos to have sufficient funds to meet the needs of the animals and to maintain the facilities.
• Setting Up a Safari Zoo in the UAE The paper below focuses on the barriers to setting up a safari zoo in the UAE. Through this, the study will identify the animals that are more likely to be comfortable in the zoo.
• Endangered Animals and Zoo: How Zoos and Aquariums Protect Endangered Species
• Tourists Tours: The Bronx Zoo and the Botanical Garden
• Comparing the Behavior: Zoo Animals Versus Wild Animals
• Zoo Attendance: The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden
• Let the Zoo Elephants Go: Movement for Retire Animals to Sanctuaries
• Operations Management: London Zoo and New Walk Tourism
• Appraising Employees at the San Diego Zoo
• Early Learning and Development: A Playground at the Zoo
• Tours in the Zoo Influence the Success of Extracurricular Educational Programs
• Social Enterprise: Zoos and Aquariums
• Hotel and Outdoor Petting Zoo
• Operations Management London Zoo and Nottingham Castle
• Planning and Building Housing for the Zoo
• The Future of Zoos and Animals in Them: Challenges Force Zoos to Change in Big Ways
• Animals and Statues Around the Zoo: Art Project
• Bronx Zoo Teen Summer Camp
• Akron Zoo Events Attendance Annual
• Tourist Management Strategies: Australia Zoo
• Bristol Zoo Business Objectives
• Cameron Park Zoo: The Perfect Place to Relax and Enjoy the Beautiful Day Outdoor
• The Zoo and Its Benefits: Conservation, Education and Research Programs
• Metropol Zoo Strategic Marketing Management
• Anthropology Zoo Observations
• Air-Cooling and Heating System for Tiger in Zoo Using Earth Tube Heat Exchanger
• Anthropology: Primate Behavioral Observation at San Antonio Zoo
• High-Tech and Tactile: Cognitive Enrichment for Zoo-Housed Gorillas
• Taronga Zoo Marketing Research
• The Morphology and Behavior of Zoo Animals: Gorillas, White-Handed Gibbon, and Golden Lion Tamarin
• Marketing Strategy for Zoo and Marine Park
• The Modern Zoo: Saving Species From Extinction
• Promotional Collateral for the Oakland Zoo
• SWOT Analysis and Marketing Mix for Zoo and Aquarium
• Animals and the Zoo: Zoo Animals and Their Wild Counterparts
• Captive Tiger Management Activity in Zoo
• The Competitive Environmental Forces of the San Antonio Zoo
• Analyzing the Marketing Strategy of Singapore Zoo Tourism
• Zoo: Project Planning and Behavioral Issues
• Zoo and Cruel Towards Animal
• Nightmare Zoo: The Surabaya Zoo of Indonesia
• Growth Strategies for John Ball Zoo Society
• Should Animals Be Kept in a Zoo?
• Which Is the World’s Largest Zoo and What Is Its Area?
• Where Is Largest Zoo in India?
• What Does a Zoo Do With an Animals Remains Once It Dies?
• When Is the Weekly off for Delhi Zoo?
• When Is the Best Time of Day to Visit the Zoo?
• Is It Ethical to Release Live Prey Into the Enclosure of a Carnivorous Zoo Animal?
• What Is the Difference Between a Zoo and a Wildlife Sanctuary?
• What Kind of Toys Do Large Predators Get at the Zoo?
• What Is It Like to Work at a Zoo?
• How Do People Perceive Zoo Animals?
• What Zoo Animal Is Most Likely to Become Depressed?
• What Factors Influence Stereotyped Behavior of Primates in a Zoo?
• How Should the Well‐Being of Zoo Elephants Be Objectively Investigated?
• What Is the Value of Zoo Experiences for Connecting People With Nature?
• What Is the Frozen Zoo Concept?
• How Old Is the Oldest Zoo?
• What Effect Do Visitors Have on Zoo Animals?
• What Is the Main Purpose of Zoo?
• Where Did the Word Zoo Come From?
• What Is the First Zoo in Asia?
• Which Is the Oldest Zoo in India?
• What Is the Most Visited Zoo in the World?
• Which Zoo Has the Most Animals?
• Why Is San Diego Zoo So Famous?
• Deforestation Research Ideas
• Animal Testing Topics
• Dog Essay Ideas
• Animal Welfare Ideas
• Cloning Questions
• Archaeology Research Ideas
• Environmental Protection Titles
• Hunting Questions
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

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Developing Strong Thesis Statements

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The thesis statement or main claim must be debatable

An argumentative or persuasive piece of writing must begin with a debatable thesis or claim. In other words, the thesis must be something that people could reasonably have differing opinions on. If your thesis is something that is generally agreed upon or accepted as fact then there is no reason to try to persuade people.

Example of a non-debatable thesis statement:

This thesis statement is not debatable. First, the word pollution implies that something is bad or negative in some way. Furthermore, all studies agree that pollution is a problem; they simply disagree on the impact it will have or the scope of the problem. No one could reasonably argue that pollution is unambiguously good.

Example of a debatable thesis statement:

This is an example of a debatable thesis because reasonable people could disagree with it. Some people might think that this is how we should spend the nation's money. Others might feel that we should be spending more money on education. Still others could argue that corporations, not the government, should be paying to limit pollution.

Another example of a debatable thesis statement:

In this example there is also room for disagreement between rational individuals. Some citizens might think focusing on recycling programs rather than private automobiles is the most effective strategy.

The thesis needs to be narrow

Although the scope of your paper might seem overwhelming at the start, generally the narrower the thesis the more effective your argument will be. Your thesis or claim must be supported by evidence. The broader your claim is, the more evidence you will need to convince readers that your position is right.

Example of a thesis that is too broad:

There are several reasons this statement is too broad to argue. First, what is included in the category "drugs"? Is the author talking about illegal drug use, recreational drug use (which might include alcohol and cigarettes), or all uses of medication in general? Second, in what ways are drugs detrimental? Is drug use causing deaths (and is the author equating deaths from overdoses and deaths from drug related violence)? Is drug use changing the moral climate or causing the economy to decline? Finally, what does the author mean by "society"? Is the author referring only to America or to the global population? Does the author make any distinction between the effects on children and adults? There are just too many questions that the claim leaves open. The author could not cover all of the topics listed above, yet the generality of the claim leaves all of these possibilities open to debate.

Example of a narrow or focused thesis:

In this example the topic of drugs has been narrowed down to illegal drugs and the detriment has been narrowed down to gang violence. This is a much more manageable topic.

We could narrow each debatable thesis from the previous examples in the following way:

Narrowed debatable thesis 1:

This thesis narrows the scope of the argument by specifying not just the amount of money used but also how the money could actually help to control pollution.

Narrowed debatable thesis 2:

This thesis narrows the scope of the argument by specifying not just what the focus of a national anti-pollution campaign should be but also why this is the appropriate focus.

Qualifiers such as " typically ," " generally ," " usually ," or " on average " also help to limit the scope of your claim by allowing for the almost inevitable exception to the rule.

Types of claims

Claims typically fall into one of four categories. Thinking about how you want to approach your topic, or, in other words, what type of claim you want to make, is one way to focus your thesis on one particular aspect of your broader topic.

Claims of fact or definition: These claims argue about what the definition of something is or whether something is a settled fact. Example:

Claims of cause and effect: These claims argue that one person, thing, or event caused another thing or event to occur. Example:

Claims about value: These are claims made of what something is worth, whether we value it or not, how we would rate or categorize something. Example:

Claims about solutions or policies: These are claims that argue for or against a certain solution or policy approach to a problem. Example:

Which type of claim is right for your argument? Which type of thesis or claim you use for your argument will depend on your position and knowledge of the topic, your audience, and the context of your paper. You might want to think about where you imagine your audience to be on this topic and pinpoint where you think the biggest difference in viewpoints might be. Even if you start with one type of claim you probably will be using several within the paper. Regardless of the type of claim you choose to utilize it is key to identify the controversy or debate you are addressing and to define your position early on in the paper.

A good thesis statement for zoo's are bad for animals because?

Zoos are bad for animals because they cage creatures that are wild and often mistreat them. Furthermore, zoos often break animals spirit's and cause them to live shorter lives than the normally would in the wild.

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