Zoochosis: The Detrimental Effects Of Animals In Captivity

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All around the world there are zoos, amusement parks, and circuses that hold animals in captivity. These places use the animals primarily for people's entertainment. The most notable circus organization is Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey. The most notable marine parks are SeaWorld, Miami Seaquarium, and Marineland in Canada. Zoos, such as the San Diego Zoo, have the least detrimental effect on wild animals. Each of these organizations exploits animals for profit and entertainment without considering how the animals are affected. Circuses are the main culprits of buying, breeding, and keeping animals in captivity. They use cruel tactics to train and keep wild animals at bay. Animals in a circus are forced to perform uncomfortable and unnatural …show more content…
From lions, tigers, and bears to kangaroos, wallabies, and wombats. Living conditions in zoos are often gloomy. Animals have to live in small, dirty, boring enclosures. Wild animals need space and freedom to roam. These animals are frequently bored, lonely, and or abused. All of those conditions combined causes “zoochosis” in many animals. Zoochosis can cause a variety of different abnormal behaviors. Certain animals are prone to certain behaviors when affected by zoochosis. The most common is pacing and circling. This is the continuous walking back and forth or in a circle, following the same path. In wolves and big cats, many times paths are worth into the ground where the animal paces. Giraffes and primates participate in “Tongue-playing and Bar-biting” which is the continual licking, sucking or biting of walls, bars or gates in an enclosure. Neck twisting is the unnatural twisting and rolling of the neck, often flicking the head around or bending the neck back seen in giraffes, llamas, bears & primates. Standing in one place swaying the head and shoulders or even the whole body from side to side occurs in bears and elephants. Over grooming and Self-Mutilation is another symptom of zoochosis. Animals may bite or chew their tail or leg, hit their head against a wall, groom an excessive amount, pull out hair or feathers. This happens to apes, bears, parrots and big cats. There are many zoos worldwide and some are well funded and to the best they can to maintain the welfare of the animals. On the other hand there are zoos that barely care for the animals at all and literally have the animals in cages their whole