Going to a hospital helps you find out  what is wrong with you or to get treatment for any condition you have. If you were to have a disease or condition  that could be dangerous to you, you would want to stay in a hospital. Now imagine that every place you are getting help shuts down… this is happening to animals everywhere. Humans are being treated at hospitals and animals are being treated at zoos, but some people do not believe that animals are being treated and that they are just for display, that could not be further from the truth.  Up to 48 animal extinctions have been saved by conservation efforts.  Therefore, Animals should be kept in zoos and are safe in zoos because zoos have conservation projects to help endangered species and several programs included that make sure the animals are safe and properly cared for in their environment. 

The Association of Zoos, the AZA,  is an organization that helps zoos make sure that animals are safe in the zoo and make sure that the programs in the zoos are helping the zoos. With that, the first reason animals should be kept in zoos and are safe in the zoos is because the AZA has to make sure that the environment and nutrition for the animals meet AZA standards.  According to the article “In Defense of Zoos and Aquariums”, “The AZA evaluates the  environment, health and nutrition of animals, conducting yearly welfare assessments. veterinary programs, education programs, safety politics, facilities, security and finances…” (Clarvit 2).  As a result, there have been about 800 species of  animals benefiting and many species being saved because they are kept in a good environment. If animals were in the wild then they probably would not be as many as their species .   In addition, another reason why animals should and are safe in zoos is because the AZA makes sure their environment is just like their natural one.  Furthermore, in the same article, “The AZA requires that animals are provided with sufficient enrichment that mimics their natural behavior” (Clarvit 2).  Following that, making sure that the environment is the same as their natural habitat helps them feel like they are in the wild but Instead of being endangered in the wild they are safe in the zoo .  The final point on why animals should be kept in zoos and are safe in zoos is the AZA takes very long to ensure that the animals are safe. According to the same article, “Once a zoo has been accredited, it must go through the accreditation process every five years to ensure that the AZA requirements are being fulfilled” (Clarvit 2). This shows that the zoos programs really want to help the animals and make sure that the animals are safe instead of in the wild endangered..

Additionally, another reason why animals should be kept in zoos is that some zoos have conservation projects that help animal populations grow. The article “Ethics of Environment:  Zoos and Aquariums -- ANecessary Evil” states that “Consequently, their population has rebounded from less than 200 individuals in 1981 to around 2,500 today, a third of which originated in captive breeding programs like the one hosted by National Zoo” (“Ethics” 1). Therefore, animals should be kept in zoos because if their species is going down in population then these conservation programs can save their species.  These animals should be kept in zoos/aquariums because there are many programs to help them. The article “In Defense of Zoos and Aquariums” states that, “The Monterey Bay Aquarium has a unique program focused on the rescue, rearing, and reintroduction of southern sea otters” (Clarvit 3). Thus, this aquarium is really trying to help these sea otters which have been endangered since 1977. If it was not for the aquarium the southern sea otters would probably be extinct now. One example that zoos have helped animals instead of using them for show is the Guam Rail bird. According to the article “In Defense of Zoos and Aquariums” This species has been extinct in the wild up until 2019. “The Aviary, along with many other zoos and breeding programs, has played an instrumental role in increasing the population of this species…” (Clarvit 3). This shows that if it were not for these zoos this Guam Rail bird and a bunch of other animals would be extinct by now.

In conclusion, animals are being helped by many programs and projects so these animals should be kept in zoos.  Despite those who think that animals should not be kept in zoos and that they are just for display, this evidence shows how otherwise.  They are being helped and protected from the wild.   So if zoos are shut down then lots of animal species that are endangered would go extinct. These animals are not just for display…