Animals In Captivity Essay Sample
The world is full of wild animals. They can be found in nature, at the zoo, or even in your own backyard. Many people enjoy seeing these creatures up-close and personal for many reasons, but not everyone realizes that there are consequences to this interaction with wildlife. When we go to zoos and aquariums we often forget about the reality of what it means when an animal cannot live in its natural habitat because they have been put into captivity.
Animals In Captivity Essay Sample
Thesis Statement – Animals In Captivity Essay
The life expectancy in captivity for many animals is much lower than their life expectancy in the wild.
Introduction – Animals In Captivity Essay
The life of an animal is drastically different depending on whether the animal is in captivity or in the wild. Animals that are forced into captivity have a lower life expectancy than animals who make their own choices regarding where they live and how they provide for themselves.
Main Body – Animals In Captivity Essay
The average life expectancy for a Silverback Gorilla is 35 years. A captive gorilla’s lifespan is much shorter, estimated to be about 33 years old. The difference may seem small but the harsh reality of the situation shows that the life expectancy of an animal in captivity is drastically reduced compared to an animal living freely in its natural habitat.
Protection from predators and hunting are key factors in the long life expectancy seen by many animals in their natural environment. This allows them to grow older and stronger so they can give birth to larger numbers of offspring who are then afforded this protection as well, ensuring that the population remains large enough that it will continue to survive into future generations. Conversely, there are very few predators available to prey on animals held in captivity, protecting them from natural predators and hunt. This allows animals to grow older but often results in an animal dying of old age before it would have died of predation in the wild.
Another factor that affects the life expectancy of captive animals is their ability to provide for themselves. Animals raised by humans are often fed food that they do not recognize as being part of their natural diet, resulting in malnutrition or other health problems that take years off their lives. The limited diversity of food available in captivity also limits the number and kinds of nutrients taken into an animal’s body, making nutritional deficiencies more likely than when the animal is allowed to forage freely for its own food using all parts of a plant to get every possible nutrient it has available.
On the other hand, animals raised by humans are protected from many dangers they would face living freely in nature. They do not have to worry about predators or hunting and their nutrition is monitored and controlled to ensure that they receive proper nutrients. This allows animals to live longer but often results in an animal dying of old age before it would have died of predation in the wild.
Conclusion – Animals In Captivity Essay
Most animals that spend their lives in captivity die long before they would have if they had been left to live free, resulting in shorter life expectancies for animals who are forced into human care than those who are allowed to remain free.