Educational Zoos or Moral Taboos?
Two high school teachers, Beth and Ella, are planning field trips for the upcoming school year. Beth teaches biology, and Ella teaches environmental studies. School policy requires that their respective classes go on a shared field trip, so they must make up their minds about where to go.
Beth has the idea to take the classes to a local zoo. However, Ella objects to this idea. Ella argues that zoos are unethical and that financially contributing to them is morally reprehensible. She claims that a small number of zoos have been found to indirectly support the illegal pet trade through the buying and selling of exotic animals.
Beth responds by describing the potential educational benefits that students can gain by visiting the zoo and having first-hand experience with animals they would otherwise never encounter. Being exposed to a variety of animal species and learning about their habitats and natural behaviors is a great way to connect classroom lessons with real-life experiences. In addition, zoos are fun. Beth frequently attends the local zoo with her family, where her young children enjoy feeding the giraffes and hearing the lions roar. Finally, she notes that zoos can raise awareness for the conservation of endangered species and can teach students about ecological concepts such as the importance of keystone species.
Ella acknowledges some of the educational benefits, but remains steadfast in her view that zoos are morally indefensible. She urges Beth to consider the moral implications of housing animals in zoos against their will, stressing how valuable freedom is for wild animals.“ How would you feel if you were forced to live in a small enclosure?” she asks. Additionally, she points out that human-animal interactions that occur in zoos can be extremely stressful or physically dangerous for animals. For example, activities such as “animal rides” may cause harm or infringe on animals' sense of safety in their enclosures.
Ella suggests an alternative lesson plan, in which students would take a field trip to a nearby state park and then research a local animal, presenting their findings to the class. Both teachers want to provide the best education possible for their students. However, they must weigh the moral implications of the field trip they choose with the educational benefits that could be gained.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Do zoos violate the rights of animals? Do they involve mistreating animals in some other way?
Do the benefits of zoos outweigh the potential harms done to animals? Do they outweigh the potential violations of animal rights?
How does the ethics of keeping animals in zoos compare to the ethics of keeping animals as pets?
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