Flipper's Home: Captivity

I was debating with a friend a few nights ago about animals in captivity, and how horrible their living conditions are.  This is completely untrue.  Animals in captivity are a complete necessity to those animals living in the wild.  It may not look like the most ideal environment for animals, but these animals play a pivotal role in the well being of others in their species who live in the wild.

I hear the counter argument, that these are wild, often aggressive animals that are not supposed to live in cages.  The argument says that they're quality of life isn't what it would be in the wild and that they're distressed because they're taken out of their natural environment.  I understand this argument, and I agree that it would be more ideal for the individual animal if they were in their own environment, but I encourage you to think about the necessity of having animals in captivity and the good that it provides.

Animals in captivity become the "face" for the rest of their species.  Think of Flipper.  Without that one dolphin living in captivity, bottle-nose dolphins wouldn't be nearly as popular as they are today.  Without that popularity, donations wouldn't be as high and programs like The World Wildlife Foundation probably wouldn't be as funded by the regular, average American with kids who love seeing friendly animals in the movies and animal parks.  It's these friendly faces that make people care about the animals and their natural environment.

These animals also have another crucial role.  They spread awareness about wildlife and the importance of keeping it clean.  Without the "friendly faces" of animals in captivity, people wouldn't donate or care about the environment.  In this sense, animals in captivity are leaders, making sure they do their part in ensuring that animals in the wild are living in a good, clean environment.

Lastly, I know those who support the counter argument hang on the fact that these animals are mistreated, neglected and caged up.  However, this is simply untrue. These animals are treated like royalty.  People working with them are incredibly devoted, as the jobs are among the most difficult to get.  For example, there is typically only one or two openings per year in SeaWorld to work with the Orca Whales, and thousands apply.  SeaWorld also get a bad reputation for holding animals in captivity.  But those animals in captivity make some of the best memories for children, myself included.  These animals are studied and the observations are used to bring awareness about the species and develop educational programs for children.  

It would be ignorant of me to say that every animals being held in captivity is being treated wonderfully and is happy to be there.  My point is that having animals in captivity create positive outcomes, which are part of the reason people care about these animals.  Yes, the animals don't get the space to run and play or the typical social interaction, instead we are learning from them, they are becoming the faces of their species and are working with people who have devoted their lives to helping animals.