Millions of people visit zoos and aquariums annually to gaze at creatures locked in paddocks or enclosures. Zoo Miami, a well-known local attraction, experienced the death of giraffe Fezzik this past November. Suffering joint instability, veterinarians at the zoo sedated Fezzik to examine him. However, thirty minutes into the procedure, Fezzik went into cardiac arrest and died. Unfortunately other animals, including a silverback gorilla, diabetic rare king cheetah, and a lioness, died at Zoo Miami in the past year whilst undergoing medical examinations or procedures.

Living in captivity places tremendous strain on animals both physically and psychologically.  According to the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), ailments resulting from life in captivity serve as the leading cause of death of elephants in zoos. Living in enclosures often smaller than 40 feet by 45 feet, elephants suffer extensive health problems such as muscular-skeletal ailments, arthritis, foot and joint diseases, reproductive problems (which results in the impending extinction of elephants), high infant mortality rates and psychological distress. Denied the space afforded to them in the wild, animals in captivity get locked in enclosures that greatly restrict their physical activity.

Orcas, commonly known as killer whales, also receive recognition for suffering indecent treatment. In captivity, according to CNN, orcas live in tanks 0.0001% the size of the smallest area occupied by orcas in the wild.

On August 15th, 2014 SeaWorld announced plans to increase the size of the orcas’ tanks from approximately 5.6 million gallons of water to 10 million gallons but these dimensions remain incomparable to the space orcas traverse in the wild (up to 100 miles in a day). The inhumane treatment of the animals at SeaWorld received global attention after the release of the documentary “Blackfish.” The movie exposed the process of SeaWorld tracking and capturing killer whales at sea and, despite killer whales naturally living in matriarchal groups, intentionally separating the calves from their mothers.

Just how humans from different regions have varying dialects and languages, whales from different social groups speak many “languages.” When these whales occupy the same living quarters, the animals can not communicate with each other and these conditions drive the naturally docile and friendly whales to display aggressive tendencies toward each other and their trainers. According to “Blackfish,” SeaWorld alone documented over 70 trainer incidents and three deaths, some of which were caused by this aggressive behavior.1

The existence of facilities that keep animals in captivity to generate revenue harm a wide range of species through inflicting stress, boredom, loneliness and “zoochosis,” a term used to refer to a range of psychological problems associated with animals kept in prolonged captivity.  Despite the elimination of factors such as predation, animals still die prematurely and, in the cases of elephants and lion cubs, die sooner in captivity than in the wild. Once in zoos and aquariums, animals often cannot get released because they become incapable of surviving in their wild habitat.

However, some projects and facilities exist that keep animals in captivity due to injuries or ailments that would normally kill the animal if left in the wild. These sanctuaries save animals and operate with the purpose of caring for and rehabilitating the creatures until they can get released back into their environment. Instead of locking animals away to generate revenue, rehabilitation centers such as Paws Wildlife Center in Washington, The Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Central Florida, and Wildlife Rescue Ministries in Florida seek to aid the animals as best they can. If the animal does not recover and remains incapable of surviving in the wild, wildlife centers attempt to accommodate the animal’s needs and provide it with a decent life.

Educating the public and preserving animals does not require the aid of zoos and aquariums. According to Captive Animals Protection Society, in 2010 a United States study found “no compelling evidence for the claim that zoos and aquariums promote attitude change, education, or interest in conservation in visitors.” These facilities do not provide animals with satisfactory lives; they steal their freedom and force them to behave on commands while living in environments much too small. Instead of capturing animals and breeding them to suit the needs of corporations, people should focus on protecting animals’ natural habitats and preserving these creatures in their environments.

1The incidents at SeaWorld sometimes resulted from aggression caused by the limited living space of the killer whales but some of the incidents were merely accidents.