What percent of animals are born in zoos?

90% of all mammals, 74% of all birds added to U.S. zoo collections since 1985 were born in captivity. A number of wild populations of species were born in captivity and now live free: Bald Eagle, Golden Lion Tamarin, Andean condors, red wolves.



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Only 18% of captive animals are endangered. Extremely threatened species are not supposed to be bred in zoos. The so-called “surplus” animals in zoos are often killed, even if they are healthy. Breeding programs in zoos in Europe include only 200 animal species.

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This study reviewed 45 case studies, involving 17 carnivore species, and found that only 30% of captive animals released survived.

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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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Captive-breeding programs breed endangered species in zoos and other facilities to build a healthy population of the animals. Species-survival plans coordinate with zoos around the world to bring species together for breeding that ensures genetic diversity.

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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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According to the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA), there are over 10,000 zoos worldwide.

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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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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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Although 700 million people worldwide visit zoos and aquariums each year, many zoos have found their attendance numbers going down in recent years.

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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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Considering the questionable management practices and the poor or absent conservation and educational benefits, even in zoos considered to provide the best conditions, confining a wild animal to a lifetime of captivity in a zoo is, in our view, clearly unethical.

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Cherokee Bear Zoo and Santa's Land—two roadside zoos located on tribal land in western North Carolina—keep bears and other animals in grossly inhumane conditions. As if they were stuck in the 1950s, these facilities display often neurotic bears in desolate concrete pits or cramped cages.

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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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Dewitz said that generally speaking, zoo animals tend to live about twice as long as their counterparts in the wild, with the most common causes of death being conditions brought on by old age.

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Throughout the ensuing global outcry, questions were asked about how widespread the practice of killing healthy animals is in zoos. Opinions and reports ranged wildly, with disputed industry estimates reporting that between 3,000 and 5,000 healthy animals are killed across European zoos every year.

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