What do you think about when you think of a zoo? Small cages? Bars like those in prisons? These images might be common in people's mind, which serve as arguments for the people who do not like zoos, as historically, traditional zoos kept animals with a very limited focus on conservation (protection of natural things) or education. However, a sort of evolution(改革;进化) has occurred.
Most zoos today, especially those in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), an international organization, whose members are leading zoos and aquariums, provide spacious and natural space for their animals and worked hard to keep them mentally and physically stimulated. More importantly, modern zoos not only take much better care of the animals they keep, but also engage with the protection of animals in the wild.
As the human population increases, our impact on the environment has been deadly harmful to wildlife and wild spaces. Things like climate change and severe habitat destruction are causing species to go extinct at unnatural rates. Some scientists estimate we are currently experiencing the sixth mass extinction(灭绝) in the history of life on earth. As a consoling(令人安慰的) part out of all griefs, many zoos serve as important safe-holds for endangered species populations, and in cases like that of the California Condor, captive breeding programs in AZA, which kept animals in zoos, proved to be important in bringing species back from extinction. Besides, AZA, including many zoos, also fund over 2,500 conservation projects, donating 160 million dollars every year to protecting species in the wild.
The conservation impact that zoos have goes even further than direct conservation action and financial support for fieldwork. In a time when people spend less and less time outdoors, Z0oS serve as a place to teach children and remind adults that wildlife and wild spaces still exist, and that our society holds the future of these species' survival in our hands.
_____________________________________________. While I am only 18, I have spent the last six years volunteering with wildlife conservation organizations. As a volunteer at the Santa Barbara Zoo, I stood outside of the Amur Leopard exhibit and educated guests about these critically endangered big cats. I saw the way that live animals can spark peoples' curiosity and inspire them to Hove and protect nature. Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to attend the AZA's Legislative Conference in Washington DC, where I got the opportunity to see how Zoos support conservation efforts in the wild. Cheetah Conservation Fund in Namibia is an organization dedicated(致力于) to saving the cheetah in the wild, but it relies heavily on support from zoos. Many zoos donate large amounts of money to CCF, but they also contribute to CCF's mission by connecting people across the United States with cheetahs, and the issues they face in the wild.
Zoos can be controversial institutions; however, both opponents of traditional Zoos and those who support modern zoos have more in common than one might think. Both groups are extremely motivated because they care so deeply about animals, their welfare, and their long-term survival on our planet. I encourage you to consider both sides of this issue and learn more about all of the conservation work zoos do, and the world-class care animals in AZA receive before determining where you stand on this issue.
