Henry's Hot Topic Research

Should a Zoo Exist?

My claim is zoos should be allowed to exist!

By Henry Storrs

I think that zoos should be allowed because zoos are educational, because animals play fun games and because zoo animals are happy in their enclosures. Zoos have tons of healthcare workers so their animals stay very healthy.

Zoos are educational for kids. I have heard a lot of my classmates saying that zoos are just for entertainment. “Zoos only want money for their company,” said Jaden. Rorie also said, “Zoos are bad because they lock up animals for people's entertainment.” This is wrong, the animals are not squeezed in a 7 by 7 box that is simply a thing from the past. Now they have a big area to run around and have fun with no poachers or predators. Animals are not for entertainment. Seeing a Sea Otter in person will make you want to help them. Bob Smith, an animal scientist, said, “Zoos are a huge part of a youngster's life” which is simply right. Zoos are places where people of all ages can go see animals up close and learn about monkeys, birds, fish and so much more. When I was 7 I went to the Bronx Zoo and I learned there was a whole new group of animals called Marsupials. This was something so big and interesting that I did not know about.

Animals get a lot of exercises because zookeepers keep them active. Zookeepers at the Bronx Zoo make their animals get up to get their food so they don’t just sit in one spot all day. To add on, animals are very social. For example, The Rock posted a picture of him with a Sea Lion. Which indicates they are happy. Someone may argue “I went to a zoo and animals were just sitting there” but I challenge this statement with the fact you cannot expect animals to jump around all day. In addition, the zookeepers train them to do tricks which brings me to my next point. “They are forced to do tricks” you might say but animals are happy to show off their skills. Say you are a dolphin and you jump out of the water and do a flip, and people start clapping you would feel good. This shows that animals are happy to do tricks for people.

Zoos have tons of healthcare workers so their animals are healthy. At the Australia Zoo, the Irwin family has hundreds of healthcare workers so their animals are safe. Over 90,000 animals have been saved at the Australia Zoo. People in my class also say “Zoos kill animals” zoos only kill if an animal is in pain and dying already so they don’t suffer, and they die peacefully in their sleep. On the TV show Crikey! it's the Irwin, the Irwins dedicate half the episode to showing them help animals. To add on zoos fight the battles other animals could not fight on their own the biggest one being extinction. Six species have been saved from extinction which might not seem like a lot but it is.

Zoos are educational and fun, not a place where animals are prisoners. Over 90,000 animals have been saved at the Australia Zoo. I hope you can see why zoos are good now. At first, I thought zoos were bad. Some people may argue “They steal animals” I would say. But now I know animals are born in captivity. Everything I thought was bad is good, and if you read about zoos you would be shocked. Zoos bring people of all ages together to see the earth's most amazing animals.