Do Zoos Benefit Primates or Do They Benefit Ourselves?

By Kaitlin Kelsch
Why Zoos are an Ethical Dilemma
Zoos have been around for a long time. In fact, the origins of zoos can be traced as far
back to Ancient Egypt, 3,000 years ago. However, as long as zoos have existed, zoos have not
always had the interests of their animals at heart. In the 1800s, especially, when the zoos of
European capitals competed with each other to see who had the biggest assortment of creatures,
the habitats of these zoos were small, deplorable and downright sad. Animals were seen as
property and humans did not appreciate the wonderful attributes of the beings they housed
(Parker [date unknown]).
It wasnt until after World War II that zoos began to take on the role of educating the
public about conserving wild populations (Parker [date unknown]). With this new approach of
conservation came many more laws and regulations that protect the rights of zoo animals. The
Convention of International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (or CITES,
for short), protects animals internationally, and The Animal Welfare Act and the Endangered
Species Act protect animals at a federal level. There are also government agencies such as the
Animal Plan and Health Inspection Service (APHIS), serving under the USDA, which conduct
regular inspections of the conditions animals are exposed to (Grech 2014).
However, these acts and laws have limitations. Some animals dont apply to these acts
(there are different reasons for each act) and some of these acts only advocate for the bare
minimum of care for animals, such as the Animal Welfare Act. Also, considering that APHIS
has only 104 inspectors for the United States 2,000 animal facilities, the resources and
manpower of these inspection agencies may be stretched quite thin (Grech 2014).

The best regulations for zoos come from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, which
accredits numerous zoos and aquariums across the United States.

Accreditation by the

Association of Zoos and Aquariums is greatly prized in the zoo community and according to
their Code of Professional Ethics, their standards are set rather high (Grech 2004).
As imperfect as these regulations are, failure to uphold these standards may result in
disastrous consequences for the animals kept in zoos. Take the Las Vegas Zoo, for example. In
addition to inadequate protection from Las Vegass blazing heat, many of the animals in the zoo
died by over-feeding and unsanitary food preparation areas. A lion died after he ate a rubber ball
and even the zoos own employees, believe it or not, had lodged several complaints against it.
Although the zoo was given multiple chances to fix the problems, in September of 2013, the
employees had had enough and walked off the job. The zoo has remained closed ever since.
Four Barbary Macaques and a chimpanzee named Terry were among the animals that were
treated by veterinarians and sent to sanctuaries (Truit 2013).
Given all of the grievous errors the Las Vegas Zoo made, we need to make sure that other
zoos dont repeat its mistakes, not just for the betterment of all zoo animals, but, in a biological
anthropological context, for the betterment of primates, as well. Even though humans and other
primates have unique characteristics that set them apart, there is a lot more that we have in
common than you may think (such as a common evolutionary history, for instance). Because of
this, primates are very valuable to unlocking the biological secrets of humans.
I am of the opinion that the primates in zoos today live in much more suitable conditions
than they did in 1800 Europe. I believe that a better knowledge of the needs of primates and a
better appreciation of their strengths and qualities has motivated us to treat them with much more
respect than was previously awarded. What do the facts of the situation say, though? An
evaluation of the current conditions of zoos should help us gain the insight we need to make a

decision:

is the modern-day zoo an urban haven for primates or a place where they are

imprisoned?
Has Paradise Been Found?
While those who are advocates for zoos admit that not every zoo is going to have the
animals and primates interests in mind (refer back to the Las Vegas Zoo example), those zoos
that do look out for the welfare of their primates provide an interactive experience for their
visitors (Hewitt 2011), in which they get to see and hear the creatures for themselves (Hone
2012). In short, zoos bring primates to people who may never get to observe these animals in the
wild.
A good zoo cant perfectly recreate a habitat, but a good zoo will try to recreate the
[primates] natural habitats [so they] are as close as possible [to the wild], (Hewitt 2011)
including giving them adequate space to exercise. Also, the primates in zoos wont experience
the pressures of the wild, such as predatorsillness[and] starvation (Hone 2012).
Finally, good zoos inspire people to protect the primates counterparts in the wild. The
zoos may study their primates in order to understand their behavior and biology better and thus,
this information can be applied to the wild populations (Hone 2012).
Overall, those who have a stake or connection to zoos, such as zoo owners, zoo keepers,
government agencies, city officials, scientists, and even ordinary citizens, insist that zoos are
held to high standards, ensuring the safety of the animals and primates they house. The AZA
reports that their accredited zoos spend $160 million a year on conservation projects and that
there are 181 million visitors to their zoos annually (Zoo and Aquarium Statistics2014).
However, there is an important logical fallacy in this argument: an appeal to authority.
Just because zookeepers are assumed to know what their primates need because of their neardaily contact with them does not mean that they fully know if their primates are healthy.

Mistakes can be made. Therefore, it would probably be wise not to rely on the zookeepers word
alone.
In addition, since these statistics come directly from the AZA and they have a reputation
to uphold that they care for the animals, these statistics could be spun in a way that makes it
seem that these zoos are high quality. A large amount of visitors can imply, for example, that the
zoos are very popular, either because of their excellence or their marketing.
But despite these things, it seems logical to assume that at least some of the zookeepers
are knowledgeable and that they chose to be zookeepers because they are passionate about
animals and primates. I have been to zoos before and from what I have seen, the primates look
as if they are healthy and not mistreated. However, Im not a veterinary expert. In addition,
each of the primates habitats seems to emulate their native environments and I have seen many
signs posted near the exhibits that are meant to inform the visitors about the animals and
conservation programs.
All is not as it seems
Meanwhile, those who are strongly against zoos believe that the imprisonment and
control of [primates] is inherently bad and that the endsdo not justify the means (Hewitt
2011). Zoos teach that confining primates for our own entertainment is okay (Lin 2014) and
while some people come to be inspired by zoos, most people only spend a few seconds at each
display, hoping that the primates do something exciting (Carr 2014). Those who dont stop to
think about what they are seeing dont get the time to appreciate them (Carr 2014). Also,
the amount that a zoo inspires a passion for primates depends very much on who the visitor is
(Hewitt 2011).
Furthermore, they argue, zoos do not adequately protect the well-being of their primates.
[The primates] are unable to thrive in small enclosures (Carr 2014). [The primates] can

become bored and lonely, developing a condition called Zoochosis (Carr 2014). Thus,
because the animals mental health may be affected, the behavior of zoo primates may not
accurately represent the behavior of primates in the wild. Jeremy Goss, author of Zoos: Good or
bad, remarks that he has observed both zoo and wild animals and concludes that it is as if he is
looking at two separate species.
Finally, removing animals from the wild further endangers the wild population because in
addition to the obvious fact that the wild populations are lowered, the remaining animals will be
less genetically diverse (Lin 2014). Also, the vast majority of captive breeding programs do
not release animals back into the wild (Lin 2014). Oftentimes, zoo primates are sold and traded
to other zoos, sometimes even to circuses, traders, and the exotic pet trade (Lin 2014). Not only
can the primates end up in bad places, but they can also be separated from their mates and
offspring.
Animal rights activists, in addition to environmental scientists, journalists, politicians,
city officials, and ordinary citizens will most likely have a connection with this viewpoint. The
AZA states that 54 percent of these accredited zoos are actually non-profit (a little bit more than
half) and 16 billion dollars is contributed to the economy by zoos (Zoo Statistics2014). The
fact that a majority of AZA zoos are non-profit implies that these zoos are spending more money
on the animals, but the fact that 16 billion dollars is contributed to the economy by zoos can be
taken in three ways: either zoos are contributing to the economic health of the nation, zoos who
contribute this money could possibly be seeking a profit, or a bit of both.
Also, one could claim that this argument has a slippery slope fallacy. For example, while
some people may come to zoos for entertainment, others may come because they are fascinated
by the behavior of primates and wish to appreciate them. Therefore, zoos arent solely a place
for people to be entertained.

As the Las Vegas case example states, not all zoos truly care about the health of their
animals and primates. I personally do not see any moral reason why zoos would blatantly
choose to neglect their animals, but I do know that there are some people in this world that are,
unfortunately, ruled by the almighty dollar.
In addition, even though the zoos may think that they have the animals and primates best
interests at heart, they may inadvertently do things which are detrimental to them; the zookeepers
may not read the primates change in behavior straight away.
Also, I know that the primates in zoos may not accurately portray their wild counterparts
in every regard, but even so, an effort must be made in order to make sure that these animals
have as authentic of a life as possible, not only because anything less cheapens the effect, but
also because the primates deserve to have their needs fulfilled and their mental health intact.
The Journey Isnt Over Yet
When I compare the two sides of this debate, I am more inclined to believe in Viewpoint
1 more than I believe Viewpoint 2. I know that zoos have improved dramatically from what they
used to be and I know that they give people an unforgettable experience. I think that zoos, as a
whole, genuinely do care about their primates and other animals and want whatever is best for
them.

I also have no doubt that they can motivate many to care about nature and the

environment and have messages to share which are still relevant for society. Provided the
primates are truly happy and cared for as they appear to be, it can be both fun and fascinating to
watch these primates in action.
However, when I started my research, I did not realize that the animals in zoos today still
have such a potential to be treated cruelly. I now realize that both zoo owners and citizens alike
should advocate for better standards and laws and that scientists should be continually
investigating how to improve the needs of zoo species further. Doing so will create better

conditions for future generations of zoo animals and primates and will bring positive experiences
to zoos overall. However, the success of such a thing depends on the commitment of the people
who lead the charge; be sure to keep an eye out for any signs that a zoo may be treating its
animals unfairly. Remember, the habitats of animals and primates appear to be acceptable, but
you never truly know unless you take a peek behind the scenes.
So we know why this issue is relevant to biological anthropologists, but how is it relevant
to everyone else? For one thing, it will affect a lot more branches of science besides biological
anthropology: this issue affects fields such as zoology, environmental science, and behavioral
science, as well.

Primates have many of the same needs as humans do and without the

fulfillment of these needs, the health of these majestic creatures will no doubt suffer just as
humans would suffer if we were deprived of our basic needs. If we insist that primates be taken
out of the native habitats that theyve known all of their life, shouldnt we do our best to build
them substitute environments that will make them happy and comfortable?
Primates have amazing characteristics that can be appreciated by both scientists and
ordinary people alike and as such, they should be safeguarded because of all the many wonderful
things we can learn from them, because of the similarities we share, and because of moral
obligations. Everyone should be aware of this debate about zoos and it should be given the
upmost importance.

Bibliography

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