Many people believe that zoos are more cruel and harmful rather than helpful. I personally agree with this idea and believe that zoos should be closed down, even though there is a debate about the benefits of both trends.
People who say that zoos are helpful often refer to the fact that some of them help endangered animals. Researchers might use zoos as zones for rare species, trying to avoid their extinction. In such zones, living conditions and specific food are provided for animals’ well-being and reproduction, so their population grows. Red pandas, as an example, were saved this way, in conjunction with rigid laws. However, I believe zoos are not able to provide animals such proper conditions all the time because of financial problems, so most of the species suffer from an environment which is unnatural for them and a lack of food. In such circumstances, animals often feel stressed, which can lead not only to health problems and exhaustion, but also to death.
Another common argument is that zoos are beneficial for our education about animals. Undoubtedly, watching wildlife and having an opportunity to feed such creatures is better than observing them from books. This way, children have opportunities to learn about species’ behavior with their own eyes, which is an unforgettable experience. Nevertheless, I believe that such situations cause stress for animals. Most of the zoo visitors behave noisily, especially if they are with children. In addition to being watched all the time, animals feel tense and worried, which is reflected in the change of their behavior, therefore it is harmful for them.
To conclude, having zoos might be beneficial in some situations, like helping animals to avoid extinction and letting children learn from their own observations, but I believe that if possible, it would be better to close the zoos down, so animals can live in their natural environment.