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    The Reality of Zoos

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    dianux111
    Zoos subject animals to cruel conditions that negatively impact their welfare. Animals in zoos are often bored, lonely, and develop conditions like "zoochosis" where they repetitively sway or rock. They are also deprived of natural behaviors and unable to choose mates. While zoos aim to educate the public, most visitors spend little time at exhibits and gain little understanding of animals. Instead of supporting zoos, people can learn about animals through nature documentaries or by protecting wildlife in their natural habitats.

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    The Reality of Zoos

    Uploaded by

    dianux111
    230 views5 pages
    Zoos subject animals to cruel conditions that negatively impact their welfare. Animals in zoos are often bored, lonely, and develop conditions like "zoochosis" where they repetitively sway or rock. They are also deprived of natural behaviors and unable to choose mates. While zoos aim to educate the public, most visitors spend little time at exhibits and gain little understanding of animals. Instead of supporting zoos, people can learn about animals through nature documentaries or by protecting wildlife in their natural habitats.

    Original Description:

    This is a reading comprehension activity for ESL students of Intermediate level

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    Zoos subject animals to cruel conditions that negatively impact their welfare. Animals in zoos are often bored, lonely, and develop conditions like "zoochosis" where they repetitively sway or rock. They are also deprived of natural behaviors and unable to choose mates. While zoos aim to educate the public, most visitors spend little time at exhibits and gain little understanding of animals. Instead of supporting zoos, people can learn about animals through nature documentaries or by protecting wildlife in their natural habitats.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    230 views5 pages

    The Reality of Zoos

    Uploaded by

    dianux111
    Zoos subject animals to cruel conditions that negatively impact their welfare. Animals in zoos are often bored, lonely, and develop conditions like "zoochosis" where they repetitively sway or rock. They are also deprived of natural behaviors and unable to choose mates. While zoos aim to educate the public, most visitors spend little time at exhibits and gain little understanding of animals. Instead of supporting zoos, people can learn about animals through nature documentaries or by protecting wildlife in their natural habitats.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    of 5

    The Reality of Zoos

    Confused Animal Lover from St. Louis writes, "I'm a


    huge animal lover, and I understand why the circus is bad
    for animals, but what about zoos?"
    Great question! Many people aren't aware of the cruelty
    behind zoos, so it's good that you're thinking about
    animals used for entertainment. When I was a kid, I went
    to the zoo all the time with my family. I loved pandas as a
    kid (still do!), and I thought being able to see them in person would be neat. But once I saw
    them "up close and personal," I realized that the animals were miserable. It instantly became
    very clear to me that the animals imprisoned in zoos are sad and don't want to be kept in
    artificial environments, have people gawk at them, listen to children who bang on the windows
    of their enclosures, or have cameras flashing in their faces. To put it simply, zoos are
    imprisoning animals who want to be free.
    Captive animals are deprived of everything that is natural and important to them, and as a
    result, they become bored and lonely and many even suffer from a condition called
    "zoochosis." If you've ever witnessed a captive animal rock and sway back and forth, you've
    seen the disease firsthand. This condition is so rampant in zoos that some zoos give animals a
    mood-altering drug, such as Prozac, because the public has started to catch on.
    Some animals are so unhappy that they risk their lives in desperate attempts to free themselves.
    At the Dallas Zoo, a gorilla named Jabari tried to escape by jumping over the walls and moats
    of his enclosure, only to be fatally shot by police. A witness later confessed that teenagers were
    taunting him by throwing rocks.
    Animals are unable to thrive in small enclosures, especially with unnatural weather and
    climates. For example, elephants typically walk up to 30 miles in just one day, but Lucy, the
    lone elephant at the Edmonton Zoo, is locked inside a barn when the zoo is closed and during
    Edmonton's frigid winter months, which means she spends most of her time indoors, without
    much room to move. The near-constant confinement because of the harsh weather has caused
    Lucy to develop painful arthritis.
    In reality, most people only spend a few seconds at each display, waiting for the animals to do
    something "exciting," but they gain little, if any, true understanding of the animals. In addition,
    captive animals don't get to choose their mates, and they are sometimes artificially inseminated
    so that their babies can be sold or traded to other zoos. This often results in miscarriages, death
    at birth, or the mother's rejection of her young. The Chinese government "rents" pandas
    to zoos worldwide for fees of more than $1 million per year!
    Traveling and roadside zoos are even crueler. Animals are often kept in barren cages, such as
    concrete pens, and in stressful environments, with nothing more than an old tire or a log to
    stimulate their minds and enrich their lives. People have also been sickenedand some have
    diedafter contracting diseases from animals in petting zoos.
    Instead of going to the zoo, you can learn about animals by watching nature documentaries or
    observing the animals in their own natural habitats instead. Now that I know the reality behind
    zoos, I don't go to the zoo, and I encourage my friends and family to boycott them as well. I
    love animals, and I want to see them free, not held captive behind bars!
    by Michelle Carr.
    Before reading

    1. Answer the following questions:
    Do you like animals?
    What is your favorite animal?
    Think of one of one of your pets/or a pet you would like to have.


    2. Now, read the title of the article and make predictions about the reading
    What is it going to be about?
    Have you ever been to a zoo? Describe your experience.
    During reading
    Do not stop to look up the words you dont know. Underline them and try to guess their meaning
    according to the context.

    After reading

    1. Once you have read the article, answer the following questions:
    What is the general idea of the article?
    ______________________________________________________________________________
    ______________________________________________________________________________
    ______________________________________________________________________________
    ______________________________________________________________________________

    Under what conditions do animals live at the zoo?
    ______________________________________________________________________________
    ______________________________________________________________________________
    ______________________________________________________________________________
    ______________________________________________________________________________

    Do you agree with the last statement of the author?
    ______________________________________________________________________________
    ______________________________________________________________________________
    ______________________________________________________________________________
    ______________________________________________________________________________


    2. In the following sentences, write T if the sentence is true and F if it is
    false according to the reading.
    1. Wild animals live in better conditions in Circuses than in Zoos,
    2. The author realized that animals lived miserably in Zoos when he was a kid
    3. At the Dallas Zoo, a chimpanzee named Jabari tried to escape by jumping over the
    walls and moats of his enclosure

    4. Animals are able to grow healthily in captivity if their enclosures are in good
    conditions

    5. People have died after having contracted diseases from animals in traveling and
    roadside zoos



    3. Complete the following sentences with the best option

    1. Zoo animals suffer from a condition called zoochosis that can be detected when
    animals_______
    a. move from one place to another and become bored and lonely
    b. dont eat their vegetables
    c. want to escape
    d. become aggressive

    2. This (zoochosis) condition is so rampant in zoos that some animals are given _________,
    such as Prozac, because the public has started to catch on.
    a. Vitamins
    b. Fruits and vegetables
    c. Energizers
    d. Mood-altering drugs

    3. ___________"rents" pandas to zoos worldwide for fees of more than $1 million per year!
    a. A circus manager
    b. Veterinarians
    c. The Chinese government
    d. Chinese people

    4. Animals are unable to _______ in small enclosures, especially with unnatural weather and
    climates.
    a. grow healthily
    b. think carefully
    c. be happy
    d. mate
    4. Evaluation
    Write a short essay about Animal rights, and how it should be implemented in your
    country/state.

    Reading source:
    http://www.peta.org/living/animal-friendly-fun/the-reality-of-zoos.aspx
    Adapted by: Diana Marysol Contreras Licea

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