Wilderness Ethics
Wildlife can be found all over the world.
Animals come in all shapes and sizes and some
still haven’t even been
accounted for. Animals were on this planet long before
man, but they may not
be here when man leaves. The animals’ downfall results
from the extensive
studying, exploitation, and the destruction of their
habitats, which should
be against the law. There is a lot of information that
can still be learned
about certain species of animals. This information is good,
only if it
furthers human knowledge and the animal’s well being. Studies done
on animals
involve clinical research. Taking an animal out of the wild simply
to
research it for common knowledge is unnecessary. Information on any animal
can
be gained by observation of the animal in its own natural habitat.
Altering the
behavior of animals is a different form of "injustice." The best
example of
the behavioral alteration is the circus. Under the big top of the
circus, wild
animals are taught to do tricks upon command. The audience sees
obediently
trained animals; but cannot see the process that it takes to tame
those wild
animals. The wild animals have a home in the circus until they
lose their
ability to perform. When the animals lose their ability to
perform, they also
lose their ability to fend for themselves in the wild.
Therefore once their
career in the circus is over, they must remain in
captivity for the rest of
their lives. Zoos are another business that profits
at the expense of animals.
Wild animals are hunted down and purposely
taken from their habitat only to be
put in cages. Over the years, zoos have
become nicer and can accommodate a large
number of species, but they are not
the best home for animals. A life behind
iron bars cannot compare to the life
the animals would have running or flying
free in the wild. The zoos’ only
justification is that the animals are taken
care of well. Animals must be
treated better, and their environments need to be
saved if they are going to
survive. Studying animals has a few benefits; but
when the research is over,
the animals are no better off. Despite the fact that
zoos and the circus do
more harm than good for the animals, they both will
probably be around for
along time. Therefore humans must learn to coexist with
animal species that
inhabited this planet long before man arrived.