Should we spend money for Zoos

We should spend money for Zoos and national parks.

Zoos play a fundamental role in the conservation of endangered and threatened species all over the world. Aside from breeding endangered animals, conservation consists of the rescue and preservation of existing animals. In tropical rainforests alone, we lose 100 species every day, 4 species per hour, due to tropical deforestation. At current rates, 5 - 10% of tropical forest species will become extinct every decade.

While a large part of conservation is the breeding of animals, conservation begins with the other branch of preservation of animals, which is simply housing them. Whether an animal was living in a particularly dangerous or volatile environment or whether its species had simply become so very low in numbers that human intervention became necessary, zoos have provided safe havens for endangered animals for many years.

All over the world, animal populations suffer as their natural habitats are destroyed or taken over.

Lonely Monkey Ape at Zoo

kissing zoo lights

This Asian arowana has large, protruding barbels

Even though in many cases the destruction of an animal's habitat is a result of human progress, at times the survival of a species requires human assistance.

Some zoos even participate in conservation projects outside of their walls. For example, many zoos sponsor efforts to preserve natural habitats of threatened or endangered species, such as the Asian bamboo forests that are home to the giant panda and the South American rain forests that are home to the lion tamarin, a species of small monkeys. These and other animals might not survive without preservation efforts made by zoos across the country. The overall goal of many zoos is to create and conserve healthy populations that can someday be reintroduced into the wild.

The role of zoos in breeding animals, especially endangered species, is an important one. Between 2,000 and 6,000 animal species will become extinct...