Jungle or Zoo - Which is the right place for animals?

Jungle or Zoo - Which is the right place for animals?

The recent incident in Delhi’s zoo has evoked a mixed response. Contrary media reports are coming, some claiming that the tiger killed the boy whereas some are suggesting that the tiger was actually saving the boy from stone pelting of crowd. Whatever the truth may be, but the real question has been left behind. Should the animals be allowed to roam freely in jungles instead of their confinement to cages in zoo?

Jungle:

-Nature has bestowed every living creature a natural habitat. For animals this habitat is jungle not zoo.

-Animals cannot speak and are mentally inferior to humans. But that doesn’t mean we have got the license to keep them within the walls or behind the bars.

-Nature has its own ways of limiting the animal population and every animal has a definite role to play in natural food cycle. By interfering in the natural cycles, humans are disturbing the delicate balance set by nature.

-Every animal prefers to live in its natural habitat. Facilities in the zoo don’t matter here. The truth is we cannot create the natural environment in the zoo.

-We talked a lot about human rights. But we hardly talk about animal rights, because we don’t care for them. Like human rights we should respect their rights too.

Zoo:

-Animal's population is dwindling at alarming rates. To save this population from extinction we need to provide them a safe place like zoo.

-Through zoo’s we can educate people about the animals and make them realize their importance for us.

-Everyone cannot go to jungles to see animals. So through zoos, animals artificial habitat can be created in cities, so that people especially children can see animals in reality.

-Zoologist can research on animals through zoos. Also they can monitor animal’s behavior closely for better understanding.

Conclusion:
It’s true that we cannot replicate natural environment of jungle through zoo. But zoos too have their importance. People feel connected to the animals when they encounter them face to face in zoos, as most of them can’t go to jungles for seeing these animals. Still we need to make animals life better with more facilities in zoos. Also provisions can be made to keep an animal in zoo for a limited time only. Zoo environment should be altered to increase its proximity to jungles.