Dangers Not Only to the Animals

With keeping animals in captivity there comes along with it many dangers not only to the animals. There have been many animal attacks that have led to serious injuries for not only zoo keepers, but also for people that have attending the parks and shows. The article I found is "What Are the Dangers of Captive Animals?" by Laura Agadoni.

 

Most of the animals that have attacked escaped their enclosures before they attacked the people. In 2007 a 17 year old boy was killed by a tiger that scaled his enclosure wall and jumped a moat. Roy from the show group Siegfried and Roy was mauled on stage by a tiger he raised since birth. The Oceanic Preservation Society states that dozens of people have been killed or attacked by captive marine animals over the past 40 years.

 

It is very unnatural to keep animals in captivity. Mark Beckoff, a professor of ecology at the University of Colorado, said that captive animals work nonstop to escape their “prisons.” In the wild the animals are always busy, hunting, looking out for predators, and building shelters. With these needs already met in a captive environment the animals become board and not stimulated. This pent up energy can create an immense amount of stress and can lead to attacks. It does not make sense to keep very intelligent animals in a place which causes them physical and mental pain.

 

Many of the animals carry dieses that are very dangerous to humans if caught. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warn about the dieses spread by animals in captive situations. Reptiles carry salmonella. Moneys can carry yellow fever, herpes B, tuberculosis, as well as other dieses. Rabies is common in animals such as raccoons, foxes, and skunks.

Agadoni, Laura. "What Are the Dangers of Captive Animals?" Animals. Studio D, n.d. Web. 7 May 2016