Tiger King: Should Animals be Kept in Captivity?

[dy-grafikdesign.de, @ DYGRAFIKDESIGN]

Netflix really knew what they were doing when they released Tiger King into our lives last month, reducing boredom across the country and giving us something to talk about during lockdown. 

More importantly, it has moved an issue into the spotlight that many of us have likely forgotten about - wild animals being kept in captivity. My use of the word 'issue' here automatically paints a negative picture; with more animals becoming endangered, and the rise of veganism highlighting animal rights like never before, it seems almost second-nature to frown when 'animals' and 'captivity' appear in the same sentence. However, Tiger King has indeed shown us that not everyone thinks in this way.

Should animals be kept in captivity?

Like me, your automatic response to this question may be 'no'. The word 'captivity' already implies keeping animals held somewhere against their will, and the consensus that wild animals should be kept 'wild' is widely agreed upon. Tiger King, whether intentionally or not, has also highlighted many more issues. For example, wild animals kept in zoos could never possibly have the same amount of living space as they would in the wild, ultimately meaning that small enclosures are likely to cause the animals some distress. In addition, animals in zoos no longer need to hunt for their food, a lifestyle change that goes against their natural instincts.
Something else that is touched upon a lot in the documentary is the concept of cub handling / photo opportunities with cubs, sometimes newborn, to attract more visitors and make more money. This can ultimately be deemed exploitative to the animals, and for some is where morality comes into question. Not only is public interaction unnatural to these animals, it can potentially be very dangerous. I'm sure we have all read at least one story involving a wild animal attack on a human in a zoo or in a household where wild animals are deemed as pets.
Unfortunately, many of these interactive activities are to gain more money, for things such as the upkeep of the grounds or the large quantities of food needed to feed all the animals. Another way of making money in this situation is to breed more animals, which then leads to them needing even more money for food and supplies. It is a viscous and cruel circle, that may lead to innocent animals being killed, such as in the case of Joe Exotic.

Despite this onslaught of negatives, there are of course counterarguments as to why some animals should be kept in captivity.
One of the main arguments for the existence of zoos and other similar institutions is that there are now so many endangered species, such as tigers who are regularly hunted and trafficked, where being in captivity may be their only chance of survival. Furthermore, deforestation and the destruction of other habitats may mean that, for some animals, they literally have nowhere else to go. It can also be argued that in order for people to realise and acknowledge the severity of the issue, they need to see the animals that are being effected, such as through the likes of zoos and animal handling. For some, the need to make people sympathise with these animals through such means outweighs the other potential negative consequences.
On the other hand, it is also possible that not everyone has the same good intentions when it comes to keeping animals in captivity...

[newyorker.com]

The Human problem. 

As I've just laid out, the main reason why people believe animals should be kept in captivity is to escape the dangers of hunting and loss of habitat - all issues created by mankind. A second widely-held opinion is that zoos, for example, do not exist to help animals, despite what we might want to believe. Instead, it can be easy to view zoos as being nothing more than a place to showcase animals for our own selfish enjoyment. No matter how we look at it, WE, humans, are responsible.
Now, as we've discussed, captivity may not be a bad thing. However, even these reasons are from the viewpoint of what makes PEOPLE feel better, not what is actually better for the animals.
Without zoos, it is likely that we would see certain animals becomes extinct faster than what they would in the wild. For some animals, this may simply be nature taking its course - survival of the fittest. However, we are so quick to assume that this is a bad thing, and want to do what we can to keep them alive. The question is, are we keeping them alive for their benefit? Or for ours?
For other animals, it is not nature taking its course - it is a direct result of deliberate human behaviour. Because it is our fault, many may assume that it is up to us to solve the problem. On the other hand, it could be believed that human involvement IS nature taking its course - after all, we are mammals at the top of the food chain. Anyway, that's up to you to decide.

Are animals allowed to be in captivity?

Aside from the obvious 'yes' in regards to zoos, animal conservation parks and domesticated pets, there is question as to whether wild animals can be kept as household pets. As we discovered in Tiger King, it is a continually growing problem in the US. In fact, there are reportedly more tigers in captivity in the US than there are in the wild worldwide.

In the United States, there are specific laws related to keeping exotic animals, such as exotic cats, as pets. 21 states ban all dangerous exotic pets, and 35 states ban keeping big cats as pets. There are however 4 states that have no laws on keeping wild animals as pets, and 6 states that neither ban or regulate keeping big cats as pets.

In the UK, the main Act that is referred to in regards to animal captivity is the Animal Welfare Act (2002).

The Act states that animals:

•  Need: a suitable environment, a suitable diet, to exhibit normal behaviour patterns and to be protected from pain and suffering.
•  Shouldn't be unnecessarily harmed
•  Can only be 'destroyed' if a veterinary surgeon certifies it, and if there is no reasonable alternative

It also states that anyone who is cruel to an animal, or does not provide for its welfare needs, may be banned from owning animals, fined up to £20,000 and/or sent to prison.

Many other bans have started to take effect around the globe. Here is a list of examples since 2018:

•  Paris, France has banned wild animal circuses, taking full effect in 2022.
•  Since the beginning of this year, schools in Brussels are no longer allowed to visit zoos.
•  The UK has banned circus acts using big cats.
•  Portugal has also banned the use of wild animals in circuses, taking full effect in 2024.
•  Russia has banned the private possession of wild animals, contact with wild animals and the     killing of animals under any pretext.
•  Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago ended their program which allows direct contact with animals.
•  Germany have shut down their last fur farm.

[dribble.com, @ Cristina Moore]

What do we do?

While there are examples of animals of being in captivity that mankind is accustomed to, such as zoos and domesticated pets, there are other manmade issues that can be rectified, such as hunting and the destruction of animal habitats. However, the issue that still remains is the questionable relationship between humans and wild animals. While there are many people who dedicate their time to helping animals, there is still the hidden, unspoken belief that animals exist for our benefit, whether it be for food, for entertainment, or to be our pets. We know that it was man domesticating wolves that led to the dogs we have today, which leads us to the question - is this the next step for all animals? If yes, would this upset the balance of nature? Undoubtedly, yes. However, many may still argue that human intervention is the only way for animals to survive long into the future. This again, however, raises the question as to whether we would be saving the animals for their welfare, or so we will still have the enjoyment of knowing they exist.

Will animals be in captivity forever? With our believed superiority over animals, our desire to observe them for a fun day out, our belief we can tame them as pets, and our need to raise awareness for our wrongdoings... sadly, I think not.