Captivity for Conservation

Conservation 1
Captivity for Conservation
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Conservation 2
Captivity for Conservation
Introduction
“Captivity for Conservation? Zoos at a Crossroads” was written by
Jozef Keulartz on 13th March 2015. Jozef researched about different issues
concerning animal conservation in the modern-day. His main aim was to
determine whether the keeping animals in zoos and relocating them from
their natural habitats relates to taking animals into captivity. This paper
will take into consideration Jozef’s findings, arguments from different
authors and wildlife activists as well as different theories that relate to the
conservation of wildlife. It is also worth noting that there are other factors
that lead to increased conservation of wildlife across the globe. Jozef
considers the impact of climate change that necessitates the capturing
and relocation of animals, (Keulartz, 2015, 337). In addition, he focuses on
whether it is important for zoos to be created so that human beings can
use them for recreational and educational purposes.
To start with, Jozef seeks to determine whether conservation of
animals through captivity is ethical and acceptable in the modern world.
He supports this by examining the views of wildlife conservationists and
animal protectionists. Further, he explains about the “Noah’s Ark”
concept which has been replaced by integrated approaches. He also
emphasizes the need to take into consideration factors such as
biogeographical locations, species that are becoming extinct and local
species.

Conservation 3
Jozef further discusses the debate that exists between
environmental ethics and animal ethics. According to him, animal rights
proponents do not like the idea of balancing between and animal welfare
and animal rights. This is because they see this act as a form of
infringement on one’s freedom because there is a need for preservation of
different species. Manipulation and captivity that is subjected to animals
are not accepted morally. This is despite whether the species are
endangered or not, (Kuhl et al., 2019, 1040). In his view, zoos are not
morally defensible in any way. Jozef, however, brings in different views
from a utilitarian such as Singer. According to Utilitarian thinking, value
balancing is not acceptable. They allow reduced animal welfare especially
when animal survival is at stake. A different view of whether zoos are
beneficial or not was discussed by Singer. According to him, zoos are
important only when the animals kept there are captured and treated
humanely. This should include the recreation of original habitats which will
not hamper their existence when the animals are released into the wild at
a later stage. This mainly applies to endangered species. To a larger
extent, zoos are mainly used for education, amusement, species
preservation and scientific research. It is thus important to give animals
their liberty as opposed to keeping them in confined spaces such as zoos.
Space is a key factor that is raised by Jozef. It is estimated that the
entire number of zoos in the United States cannot fit New York’s size. This
limits animal behaviour drastically thus increasing the rates of extinction.
In addition, zoos have a minimal capacity to support animal species that
are endangered. Zoo owners do not also want to give up endangered