Zoos are vital to conservation

Are zoos important to the conservation of zoo animals and wildlife? Should zoos exist? Are they even important? Why?

Traditionally, zoos were solely a source of entertainment for families. In 1793, when Paris, France opened the worlds first modern zoo, employees and zookeepers knew very little about the animals they placed on display.

In that era, zoos were really exciting. And until then, many visitors were not aware that many of the animals that were on display even existed.  Although by offering them a glimpse of wildlife that they normally would not see, this source of entertainment came with a high price. That price was the lives of many animals. 

Today, zoos still offer millions of people entertainment all around they world. But they are more than that.

In fact, much more than that. Zoos are not just important, they are vital to the conservation of many species.

These establishments ensure that there are educated and knowledgeable staff on hand to provide the animals with the best care possible. This is to make sure that the animals are not just important, they are vital! But they do more than that. Most zoos today have become ex situ breeding centers for several species that would otherwise be greatly threatened with extinction in the wild.

This makes zoos vital to the conservation of zoo animals and wildlife.

In a 2006 article in DVM360, Zoo animal and wildlife veterinarian, Dr. Eric Miller, explains how zoos play a bigger role than just entertainment. In fact, zoos are a key component in wildlife education, research and in the preservation of all zoo animals and wildlife that are threatened with extinction.