pros and cons of stem cells

i love going to the zoo, you get to see monkeys,and lions and tigers and bears oh my! but are they really such a great thing? hey animal lovers, julia here for dnews i’ve loved zoos my whole life. really. therewas one i remember that made me wanna want to share how awesome animals are! fast forwarda few years and well here i am. making videos about science and animals on the internet.but now, i’m older, wiser and really ambivalent about zoos. zoos have changed a lot since their conception.environments used to be basic, easy to build and didn’t provide animals with the opportunityto interact with their surroundings, which

was detrimental to their health. think ofclassic zoos, animals in a small cage with nothing but concrete and bars. zoos todayhave changed this practice into providing “enriched environments” which includeincreasing space, adding natural sound, and introducing elements of their natural environments.but most of the time changing the cage in which an animal is held isn’t enough sincewhat the animal may find stressful is hard to assess. when these stresses go unnoticedthe results can be really bad. for example the most recent loss was an entirestingray population at the chicago zoo because of low oxygen levels in their tanks. in thiscase it was a malfunction of the habitats “life support system” that caused thedeath of four southern stingrays and 50 cownose

rays. this is the second incident that hastaken place at the chicago zoo, in 2008 they lost 19 stingrays to a heating malfunctionand they have decided to close the exhibit for good. light and sound also have negative effectson animals held in captivity. according to a study published in applied animal behaviourscience noise levels measured in two northern california zoos had sounds ranging from 62to 72 decibels compared to the noise levels of a rainforest, which can average about 27db. light levels are also higher than they’re supposed to be, maintaining a low light situationkeeps animals less aggressive but if you don’t have any lighting how are you supposed tosee the animals?

when it comes to feeding nothing seems easierthan to have your food delivered and served but when it comes to lions and other carnivorousanimals getting served zoo slop can actually put them in danger. researchers at the sandiego zoo studied cheetahs and their eating habits while in captivity. they gave one groupthe regular zoo cuisine of ground horse meat with a mix of vitamins and minerals but gavea second group thawed bovine fetus or half of a large carcass. they noticed the groupeating the carcasses took more time chewing and smelling their food than the first group.pretty much they acted as they would normally in the wild, besides the hunting part. researchersdiscovered that processed foods lack a “hassle factor” which cheetahs need to dull downtheir their molars and is critical for good

dental hygiene. the treatment of elephants are at the forefrontof the debate against zoos. elephants are used to living in huge matriarchal familiesand are innately social creatures, by being held in captivity with only one other elephant,that they may not even be compatible with, causes stress and shortens their lifespan.elephants in captivity only live half as long as those who live in natural wildlife preserves.african elephants can expect to live to 36 years old in kenya’s amboseli national parkcompared to zoo elephants who live to be about 17 years old. although some accredited zoos,like the bronx zoo and the san diego zoo are able to extend the lives of their elephants,the san diego boasts some of their elephants

live to be 40 years old. but not all zoos have the money to keep theirparks running. most zoos struggle with financing all of the needs of their animals, employeesand maintenance of their parks. some zoos apply for accreditation through the associationof zoos and aquariums but only 10% of the 2,800 zoos in the u.s. actually get it thisalso distinguishes zoos from “roadside zoos” which are known for animal endangerment andmismanagement. in order to be part of aza each zoo must go through a process where expertsexamine the zoos to make sure they are up to code and have employees who are qualifiedto work in those environments. accreditation matters because it makes these zoos eligiblefor grants, able to breed and loan animals

with other zoos and hire the best workersin the business. but before you go rally and protest your nearestzoo, it’s not all bad news bears. i cannot overstate the great educational valueof zoos. zoos are a great place to learn about animals for young and old alike. it’s aplace to literally come face to face with some of the rarest animals in the world. zoosintroduce people to what the animal populations are like around the world and educate peopleabout conservation efforts. visiting a zoo might even get you to donate to these efforts.meeting a mountain gorilla in person might make you want to save this endangered animal. and zoos want to save endangered species too.dozens of zoos in north america actively participate

in the association of zoos and aquariums speciessurvival plan program (ssp), which concentrates on finding dwindling populations, bring theminto captivity and growing them until they are ready to be released into their naturalhabitat. ssp related programs have bolstered populations such as black-footed ferrets,california condors and red wolves. zoos also provide health care and servicesto animals who need it. many animals held in captivity were found in the wild woundedor stranded. zoos give these animals a second chance at life, one they wouldn’t of gottenhad they been left in the wild. when it comes to pros vs cons, as long asthey are well managed and accredited and they work on creating more natural habitats fortheir animals, zoos bring people closer to

nature and might help save some of the mostimperiled species on the planet. what do you think? how do you feel about zoos?do you have a favorite zoo? tell us some of your recent zoo experiences down in the commentsbelow.