Animal Prisons or Havens? The Ethical Eligibility of Zoos and Aquariums
WORKS CITED
Gruen, Lori. “Dilemmas of captivity.” Ethics and Animals : An Introduction. Cambridge University Press, 2011, pp. 130
The book, written by philosopher Lori Green, serves as an introduction to animal ethics or studies. The section, Dilemmas of captivity, mentions that “[w]ild animals have varying degrees of difficulty existing in captivity” and “simply cannot thrive as captives (134). It aims to address the dilemma surrounding animal captivity, where many consider it wrong to support zoos and sanctuaries. However, releasing captive animals can make matters worse and cause their death. The section also questions whether or not animals in captivity are suffering and prohibited from having their freedom and dignity. This book will be extremely useful as a general source of information regarding animal captivity in zoos.
Bennett, Stephen. “Are Zoos and Aquariums Justifiable? A Utilitarian Evaluation of Two Prominent Arguments.” Journal of Animal Ethics, vol. 9 no. 2, 2019, p. 177-183, https://muse-jhu-edu.ezproxy.capilanou.ca/article/733441/pdf.
This academic journal, written by Stephen Bennett, claims to cover animal captivity from ‘a utilitarian perspective’. It concludes that zoos and aquariums are difficult to justify due to numerous problems surrounding animal ethics. It also states that animal captivity is ‘not always unjustifiable’, but the continuation of zoos and aquariums in order to educate masses of animal species and conservation is not enough to justify them. This journal tackles the same topic of my research paper, but from another person’s perspective, making it useful for comparing my attempt at addressing animal captivity.
Ganzert, Robin. “How zoos and aquariums can help save 1 million species from extinction.” USA Today, 11 May 2019, https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2019/05/11/zoos-aquariums-can-help-save-one-million-species-extinction-column/1152477001/.
This publication was written by Robin Ganzert and advocates animal captivity as something that can save species from extinction. The writer’s opinion appears to be motivated by climate change, with Ganzert claiming that species are threatened by pollution and habitat destruction. His opinion is that zoos and aquariums should be the centre for wildlife conservation, which is a view opposed by the majority of the U.S. population. This publication potentially serves as an introductory argument, which can be explained further using other sources.
Riberio, Celina. “From cage to conservation: the reinvention of Australian zoos.” The Guardian, 18 Nov 2019, https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/nov/19/from-cage-to-conservation-the-reinvention-of-australian-zoos.
Celina Riberio’s article in The Guardian covers Australian zoos and their primary focus on animal welfare other than entertainment. It claims that according to ‘many conservations and wildlife groups’, zoos are big game changers in wildlife conservation. However, it generally states that only zoos that are accommodating to animals can contribute to a positive impact. This publication can serve as a support to my suggestion for solving the issue surrounding animal ethics in captivity.
Blackfish. Directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, Magnolia Pictures, 2013
A documentary film that focuses on the life of a (now dead) captive orca named Tilikum. It covers the questioned mistreatment of captive orcas in SeaWorld, which the documentary connects to cases of orca attacks on humans. It also implies that SeaWorld is lying about the welfare of their orcas to the public. This film will be useful as an example of an opposing view of animal captivity.
Planet Zoo. Frontier Developments, 2019, https://www.planetzoogame.com/en-GB.
A zoo management game that utilizes a complex AI system to simulate animals as realistically as possible. More attention is given to the animals than zoo guests, with the game website mentioning that “animal welfare and conservation comes first” in zoo management. The game’s Career mode has the player working with fictional characters that either prioritize animal welfare or economic profit in zoos. This source can be used as an anecdote to introduce my reasons for researching the moral justification of zoos and aquariums, or as minor support to a positive view of animal captivity.
Poletis, Corraine. “It’s Official, 2020 Will Be A New Era Of Whale Shows For SeaWorld Orlando.” Narcity, 30 Nov. 2019, https://www.narcity.com/news/us/fl/orlando/seaworld-orlando-whale-shows-will-be-revamped-in-2020.
An article announcing SeaWorld Orlando’s plans to reintroduce Orca shows to the park in 2020. The author does not seem to show any opinions regarding the matter, but mentions that SeaWorld is aiming to stray away from pure entertainment and provide an educational experience to its visitors. The source can be used as an example to support the discussion of animal ethics in captivity within the essay.