There is a controversy about whether animals should be kept in zoos or not. While some individuals argue that all the zoos are heartless and ought to be shut down, I hold the stance that keeping wild animals in the zoos is a good way to protect them.
On the one hand, there are some voices saying that the zoos are all merciless because animals in some zoos are under poor conditions. Albeit getting a huge profit from the tourism sector, some zoo owners along with zookeepers do not care about the animals. They even cut down the meal portions and do not offer any healthcare services to the animals. Recently, a zoo in China has been criticized for famishing the pandas over a long period. The tourists were furious when they had to spend 19 dollars for a ticket, and all they could see was pandas living in poorly maintained habitats and moving to eat dead grass instead of fresh bamboo or carrots.
On the other hand, I believe wild animals should be kept in zoos for some reasons. First, zoos are good artificial environments which provide animals with safe habitats for animals which have been mistreated in circuses, or pets which have been abandoned. Another important function of zoos is offering appropriate breeding programs, particularly for endangered or rare species as they may have difficulty in finding mates and breeding in nature. Also, some zoos such as San Diego Zoo in the US or Chester Zoo in the UK are considered as best zoos to educate every guest on not only their conservation programs but also on how individuals can take action.
In conclusion, zoos can be helpful in protecting the animals because the zoos offer safe environments, proper breeding programs to the animals, and they also provide conservative programs to the visitors.