LIFE PROCESSES AND LIVING THINGS KS2 HOW TO

Some zoos don’t give their animals enough food or a big enough habitat to live in. However, some zoos don’t treat their animals good at all. I think zoos are a great attraction for learning and entertainment. However, it is understandable that many people believe imprisoning animals for any reason is simply wrong. So, are zoos good for animals or not? Perhaps it all depends on how well individual zoos are managed, and the benefits of zoos can surely outweigh their harmful effects. Often, these animals are familiar with humans and have very little chance of escaping. Surplus animals are sold not only to other zoos but also to circuses or hunting ranches in the US or South Africa, where some people are willing to pay a lot of money for the chance to kill an animal in a fenced enclosure. However, opponents of zoos say that the vast majority of captive breeding programmes do not release animals back into the wild. Breeding programmes provide a safeguard: zoo-bred animals can be released into the wild to increase genetic diversity. In addition, as numbers of some wild species drop, there is an increased danger of populations becoming too genetically similar. A good zoo will enable these species to live and breed in a secure environment. In the wild, some of the rarest species have difficulty in finding mates and breeding, and they might also be threatened by poachers, loss of their habitat and predators. One of the most important modern functions of zoos is supporting international breeding programmes, particularly for endangered species.

LIFE PROCESSES AND LIVING THINGS KS2 HOW TO

Zoos also carry out important research into subjects like animal behaviour and how to treat illnesses.

Some zoos provide a safe environment for animals which have been mistreated in circuses, or pets which have been abandoned. On the other hand, by bringing people and animals together, zoos have the potential to educate the public about conservation issues and inspire people to protect animals and their habitats. These mammals may die decades earlier than their wild relatives, and some even try to commit suicide. Some zoos make animals behave unnaturally: for example, marine parks often force dolphins and whales to perform tricks.

Capturing animals in the wild also causes much suffering by splitting up families. This deprivation causes many zoo animals to become stressed or mentally ill. Even the best artificial environments can't come close to matching the space, diversity, and freedom that animals have in their natural habitats. But are they actually a good thing?Ĭritics of zoos would argue that animals often suffer physically and mentally by being enclosed. Zoos are hugely popular attractions for adults and children alike.

Life processes and living things ks2