Topic > The Arguments Against Keeping Animals in Captivity

“Elephants in the wild travel up to 50 miles every day” and hundreds of these elephants are captured and bred in captivity (Dahl 1). Keeping them would be inherently cruel, because they would have to live the rest of their lives confined by pacing back and forth in their little enclosures. Animals play an essential role around the world. People should respect the freedom of animals and ban animals in captivity because we are essentially ripping them from their natural habitat and forcing them to train to entertain people. Animals should not be kept in captivity because it is morally wrong and can cause harm to their health and behavior. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Some people have studied that animals in captivity begin to develop behavioral problems due to their stressful environment. The researchers pointed out that animals living in trapped housing can “sabotage neurotransmitters in the brain” preventing the animals from using their natural instincts (Lord 1). Neurotransmitters send signals to the brain to help perform behavioral functions. Due to their condition, they are unable to hunt prey or dig burrows as they do in the wild. Therefore this causes chronic stress that alters the neurochemistry of the brain. People who have studied autism have found that animals like humans are vulnerable to the same damage to their control system. Although they may have different causes, the variability in repetitive behavior that autism can display may be comparable to animal behaviors. This ties back to the topic sentence that sterile habitats can result in changed behavioral patterns for animals which can ultimately harm them. It is certain that “stereotypical animals become injured and show signs of poor health” when placed in captivity (Lord 2). People might say that the simple solution is to enrich their environment, however it is impossible to replicate their natural habitat. Conditions in zoos, farms or laboratories have not been able to provide these animals with the right treatment they need. Now researchers have encountered animals that show signs of obsessive-compulsive disorders that trigger sequences of repetitive movements that hinder their instinctive behavior, leading them to become more unstable. These behaviors have become more evident as the animals continue to live out their lives in captivity. Many animals fall victim to unstimulating, small environments that lead to stereotypical behaviors such as pacing, biting on bars, or pulling out fur or feathers. The disruption of a suitable home and family can ultimately have a negative impact on them if they continue to live in isolation. Inadequate space and care can lead to animals suffering from poor condition, malnutrition or debility. Federal animal welfare law sets only inadequate guidelines for equipment such as cages, enclosures or conventional healthcare. For example, in octopus farms, they are treated cruelly as they are all thrown into fresh water and left to slowly die as they absorb the water. Octopus in farms are subject to "high mortality rates and increased aggression, parasitic infections, and a variety of digestive tract problems" due to the conditions in which they live (Singer 1). Farmed octopuses in Asian and Northern European countries are a delicacy, however there is much controversy over how they are farmed and.