Some people think that zoos are cruel and should be closed down. Others, however, believe that zoos can be useful in protecting wild animals. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

Some people argue that

zoos

help to preserve wild creatures, while others think that they are inhumane and should be abolished. While the development of the breeding programmes contributes to the preservation of endangered species, I believe that the poor condition of wild animals held in captivity is kept in makes the existence of

zoos

unacceptable. On the one hand, there are many projects in existence in zoological parks around the world where species facing extinction have been successfully bred in captivity and their numbers increased substantially.

This

is important for ensuring the survival of wild animals under threat from poaching and the destruction of their natural environments. A good example of

this

is the golden lion Tamarin from Brazil which nearly died out because of logging and mining activities that are destroying its habitat. Today, a

third

of wild golden lion Tamarins were raised in captivity.

On the other hand

, a significant percentage of

zoos

house their animals in cramped cages with very little space to move around or behave naturally.

This

can lead to them becoming distressed and depressed as well as suffering physically through lack of exercise. A friend of mine,

for instance

, visited a wildlife park while on holiday abroad was very upset seeing lions pacing up and down in a narrow.

Moreover

, cages of eagles were so small that they were unable to fly. In conclusion,

although

zoos

do help to safeguard the dwindling population of particular species, the suffering experienced by many captive creatures due to living conditions amounts to cruelty and they should not be allowed to exist.