The purpose of writing this is to show that you shouldn’t visit zoos. I chose this topic because I like animals and I think that animals deserve to have the right to be free.

       Have you ever gone to a zoo and seen animals in a small cage that they can barely fit in? Well, If you think it is normal and it is okay, you haven't realized what the animals are going through each and every day in their lives. They deserve way better than living in a tiny cage. Now, this is why I am here to tell you 3 main reasons why zoos should be banned. My first reason is that animals suffer. Animals suffer because of captivity, are taken away from their natural habitats, and are trained to perform tricks. And my second reason is that it isn't safe for animals. It isn’t safe for animals because they kill healthy innocent animals and they always need to be worried about getting taken away from their family members. And lastly, zoos don't educate kids.

       One reason is that animals suffer. Animals suffer because of captivity, are taken away from their natural habitats, and are trained to perform tricks. According to an article named 9 reasons why you shouldn't visit zoos it says “in the UK zoos and safari parks are on average 100 times smaller than the minimum home range for the animals in their natural habitats.” Animals suffer because they are taken away from their natural habitats. When zoos want to have new animals in the zoo they usually capture the animal on their own or buy the animal from different zoos. This may cause a lot of stress to the animal and It may lead to Self-harm Suicide (or suicide attempts) not eating or sleeping, Not moving. 
Buying animals from other zoos or taking animals away from their natural habitats is wrong. You never know if your family members are going to get captured in a cage until they are unpopular or even die. Lastly, animals suffer because they are trained to perform tricks. When zookeepers are training the animals to perform tricks for money, They often abuse the animal if they get something wrong. For example, when an elephant is supposed to catch a ball and jump, the elephant doesn't do it correctly and accidentally drops the ball. The zookeepers give the elephant a punishment for not getting it correct. Do you think the punishments are weak? Of course not! They give very harsh punishments to the animal such as not giving food or water, hitting or abusing the animal,  trapping it in a smaller cage. I believe that these are not good things to do to animals. All animals should be treated equally to humans and give them freedom in the wild. 

      Another reason is that it isn't safe for the animals. It isn't safe for the animals because they kill healthy innocent animals. The people that visit the zoos love the baby animals. And to make more money they are breeding animals very harshly to make baby animals. Sometimes it might even cause death. After the zoos breed the animal multiple times, sometimes they abandon the animal because it is wasting food and money and most people are only interested in the babies, not the old animal. It isn't safe for the animals because every day animals need to always fear if anything bad happens. What I mean by that is that suddenly the zoo keeps might sell the animal to another zoo away from their homes. Or the zoo might abandon the animal in a private room that isn't shown to the public because the animal is unpopular. That animal is most likely to die because they never check on that animal. After all, they are busy taking care of the baby animals and the popular animals that people like. And the public is most likely to not spot the animal is gone because it is unpopular and people are busy looking at the baby animals that the zoos breed harshly. In my opinion, It isn't fair for the animals because their children are getting taken away because of greedy humans that are just hungry for money. It is not okay that animals are dying just because of this.

      My third reason is that zoos aren't educational. Zoos aren't educational because zoos don't educate kids. For example, British sociologists gathered data from children between 7 and 15 years old, before and after visiting the London zoo. The researchers found that 59% of the children who were at the zoo had no positive educational outcomes. That number goes to 66% when children do not have a guide. And in many cases, a trip to the zoo still has a negative impact on the understanding of children about animals and natural habitats. What we can learn from these sad places is how animals act when they are separated from their families, kept in cages, and when they are denied everything natural and important to them. The researchers observed 60 great apes in three sanctuaries of chimps and six zoos in North America; 36 of them were “pets” or were used in circuses. The chimpanzees were created by humans and therefore had poor social skills and were significantly less likely to relate to other apes. Dr. Stephen R. Ross, a researcher, said: “Denying (to chimps) access to members of their species during the critical period of infancy results in consequent behaviors that last a lifetime. Even with the best care in adulthood, they often do not fit with other chimps.”

      Others may think that zoos keep endangered animals safe. But it is not true. As I said, stress cannot stop the extinction of animals. Trying to breed the almost extinct animals is way worse. It is way worse because it might lead to many stages of stress and can lead to many unhealthy choices. And endangered animals will still die in the zoo even if you keep them in zoos.

       
      In conclusion, zoos should be banned because animals suffer. Animals suffer because of captivity, are taken away from their natural habitats, and are trained to perform tricks. And my second reason is that it isn't safe for animals. It isn’t safe for animals because they kill healthy innocent animals and they always need to be worried about getting taken -0=away from their family members. and lastly, zoos don't educate kids. It isn't fair for the animals and they should have equal rights. After all, humans are just the same as animals. We are animals too. We shouldn't capture animals and make them suffer in pain just because we are a bit more intelligent. They should be treated like humans.