Why are zoos good for us?

“Zoos allow us to experience nature and are a great resource for understanding more about conservation, biodiversity and sustainability, as well as bringing many positive benefits to human mental health and well-being.”



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Zoos can be educational institutions, providing valuable information about animals from all over the world; they can also be conservation centers, helping to protect endangered species and promote breeding programs that increase the population of threatened animals; and zoos can be entertainment venues, offering a fun ...

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With the ongoing threat to wildlife environments and the many benefits that come with zoos, it's safe to say that they're essential to the long-term survival of many species. Not only can zoos help protect, breed, and reintroduce animals, but we can learn about them to help create a better world for them.

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How Do Zoos and Aquariums Aid In Animal Conservation?
  • Zoos and Aquariums Protect Endangered Species. AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums help reintroduce animals into the wild. ...
  • Repairing Ecosystems. ...
  • Rehabilitation. ...
  • Ecology. ...
  • Biodiversity.


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By being able to study animal behavior and explore the best methods for preserving threatened species, zoo research can provide the insight needed to save species and their habitats. Zoos offer threatened and endangered animals an environment safe from poachers and developers.

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Today, zoos are meant to entertain and educate the public but have a strong emphasis on scientific research and species conservation. There is a trend toward giving animals more space and recreating natural habitats. Zoos are usually regulated and inspected by the government.

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Zoos engage in research, preserve biodiversity (genetic and species) that may be threatened or at times even extinct in the wild, and they provide much needed funding for research and conservation projects across the world.

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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.

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Zoo animals with proper care and enrichment, for example, have similar hormone profiles, live longer, eat better, and are healthier than their wild counterparts. Why? Because life in the wild is hard. In captivity, it's easy.

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Zoos are a haven for captive breeding programs which can help prevent animal extinction and increase population sizes. In fact, they do more than just that. Zoos act like a long-term temple of sanctuary for animals.

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Zoos Care for Their Animals Animals can have a quality of life as high or higher than in the wild. They don't suffer from the stress and threat of predators, the pain of parasites, injury, or illness, and they won't suffer from starvation or drought.

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Had it not been for zoos, we would have never been able to see what some animals looked like. We enjoy their behavior and it also creates awareness about the extinction of the rare species. Similarly, zoos are a safe breeding ground for animals. They ensure the animal breeds so they never go extinct.

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Animals were kept in small display areas, with as many species as space would allow. Today, zoos are meant to entertain and educate the public but have a strong emphasis on scientific research and species conservation. There is a trend toward giving animals more space and recreating natural habitats.

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While interacting with the zoo environment, visitors form perceptions of their surroundings. Previous research argues that zoos can encourage empathy in visitors for the care of zoo animals and, in turn, their wild counterparts and the ecosystems where these animals live.

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Animal enrichment includes efforts taken by zoo staff to introduce daily mental stimulation for all animals in their care. This can happen with five types of enrichment that include: Cognitive activities. Social activities.

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In conclusion, wild animals have the opportunity to develop survival skills, greater genetic diversity, autonomy and independence, and the opportunity to interact with a diverse population of their own species while captive animals may not have the same opportunities and are dependent on human care.

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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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Many animals held in captivity begin to form abnormal symptoms referred to as “zoochosis”. These neurotic and atypical behaviors occur as a result of boredom, depression, frustration, a lack of mental and physical enrichment, and removal from their natural habitat and social structures.

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The Future of Zoos Looking to the future, zoos will continue to play an important role in educating the public about wildlife and their habitats. They will also continue to be a place where people can come to appreciate the beauty and wonder of animals.

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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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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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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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Some Interesting Zoo Facts
  • It has been estimated by WAZA that over 600 million people visit zoos each year. ...
  • It is estimated (by us) that there are more than 2,800 zoos & aquariums in the world.
  • Germany (1.2. ...
  • The USA has at least 355 zoos.


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