Submitted by citytiger t3_za9gk1 in UpliftingNews
Radzila t1_iymgzrf wrote
Reply to comment by hankepanke in Toledo Zoo welcomes twin polar bear cubs by citytiger
hankepanke t1_iyn7a57 wrote
Yeah it’s the same website, does that matter though? The link I added was an interview with head of the German Animal Welfare Association and his views and experience. Even in the article you linked this passage sums up the argument:
> Such behavior, Hoeffken details, is reflected by a polar bear running or swimming in continuous circles, or repeatedly moving its head back and forth.
> Polar Bears International's Steven Amstrup has another point of view. He says that because zoos provide polar bears with their all nutritional needs - something they’d normally have to travel for in the wild, captive bears can therefore live in smaller, more confined spaces.
> "The idea that zoo animals are depressed or stressed opposes the fact that polar bears typically live far longer in captivity than in the wild," Amstrup adds.
The zoos can provide sufficient nutrition and keep polar bears alive for awhile, but is it ethical to keep them in an enclosure that makes them have psychological problems and physical tics? Just because we can keep them alive longer doesn’t mean they have a good life.
Radzila t1_iyttzkf wrote
I think it really does depend on the zoo. Some are very terrible. But should we just sit back and let the species die knowing we can help? It's not about keeping the same animal alive longer. It's about education and research on the breed. The animals live longer because they have constant care. I've also noticed a trend toward giving animals more space and recreating natural habitats in a lot of zoos. Plus most in the states are regulated and inspected regularly by the government.
Zoos are important
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