Do zoos return animals to the wild?

Reintroduction programs, by which animals raised or rehabilitated in AZA-accredited zoos or aquariums are released into their natural habitats, are powerful tools used for stabilizing, reestablishing, or increasing in-situ animal populations that have suffered significant declines.



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Zoos do a lot for conservation. There are dedicated species survival programs which have helped species come out from the brink of extinction, good examples of that being the black-footed ferrets, the red wolves, the Przewalski's wild horse, and the California condors.

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A Change In Behavior As an animal's brain changes, so too do their behaviors. The primary change is that animals lose their some of their natural behaviors including food-finding, avoiding predators, and rearing young, and replace them with stereotypic, destructive behaviors brought on by chronic stress and boredom.

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AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums have collaborated on breeding and reintroduction programs that have helped save at least nine species like California condors, black-footed ferrets, Przewalski's horse, golden lion tamarins, American red wolves, and more from the brink of extinction.

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Six Species Saved From Extinction by Zoos As of 2017, 1,000 animals had been restored to the wild, while thousands more were living in zoo environments. Przewalski's Horse: The only truly wild species left in the world, Przewalski's Horse is native to the grasslands of Central Asia.

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On average, captive animals (especially mammals) live longer than wild animals. This may be due to the fact that zoos provide refuge against diseases, competition with others of the same species and predators.

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Captivity suppresses the natural instincts of wild animals. Animals suffer permanent frustration because they have no freedom of choice and cannot behave as they would do in their natural environment. This leads to a tendency toward genetic, physical and behavioural degeneration.

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Animals at these unsafe, non accredited zoos are often at risk for overbreeding, which can lead to overcrowded zoo spaces, with animals being sold to other zoos and circuses without as much thought to each animal's best interests.

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Most big zoos have a fulltime staff of veterinarians and other health experts. They examine the animals and treat them in case they become ill. However, even in zoos, animals can get hurt. Small hospitals stand by if operations are necessary.

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5 animals that wouldn't exist without zoos
  • Chicken frog. The population has decreased with over 90% the last 10 years which makes it critically endangered. ...
  • Scimitar-horned oryx. Scimitar-horned oryx are extinct in the wild. ...
  • European bison. ...
  • Lesser White-fronted Goose. ...
  • Przewalskis wild horse.


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The report estimated the total economic output of AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums in 2018 to be $22.5 billion. On top of that, in 2013 zoos contributed to an estimated $2.4 billion in before/after visit spending by the public and $5.4 billion in personal earnings.

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8 Zoos Helping Animals Edge Out of Extinction
  • Phoenix Zoo: Arabian Oryx. ...
  • National Zoo: Golden Lion Tamarin. ...
  • Lincoln Park Zoo: Puerto Rican Parrot. ...
  • Columbus Zoo: Freshwater Mussels. ...
  • Cheyenne Mountain Zoo: Black-Footed Ferret. ...
  • San Diego Zoo: California Condor. ...
  • Toledo Zoo: Kihansi Spray Toad. ...
  • National Zoo: Przewalski Horse.


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More than 80 percent of mammals survive longer in zoos than in the wild. This was true even of carnivores, according to study co-author Marcus Clauss, professor of nutrition and biology of zoo and wild animals at the University of Zurich.

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Polar bears are the animals that do worst in captivity. Carnivores such as polar bears, tigers, cheetahs, and lions are especially poorly suited for life in a zoo, according to a new study. The more an animal roams in the wild, the researchers found, the worse it fares in captivity.

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MYTH 4: Animals in Zoos are happy. Animals in captivity across the globe have been documented displaying signs of anxiety and depression. In fact, psychological distress in zoo animals is so common that it has its own name: Zoochosis.

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