Imagine living in a world without elephants, tigers, or giant sea turtles. In today’s world, we fear that one day many of our animal species will become extinct. We owe a lot to wildlife conservation centers, such as zoos. If not for conservation centers, we simply wouldn’t have hundreds of species you see today. It’s true there’s an expense on the animal’s freedom, but it’s a small price to pay for the preservation and improvement of the population of endangered species. 

The main argument against zoos is morals. Is inhabiting animals from the wild morally right? Is it justifiable to capture animals and keep them in cages when they should be roaming free in the wild? The answer should be yes. Zoos have increased the population of animals that could soon enough be extinct. The Animal Welfare Act guarantees the animals have standards for proper “care, handling, housing, and transport”. Dennis Kelly, director of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, confirms that zoos are changing in order to keep the animals out of harm’s way. “We’re constantly looking at making our institutions as safe for people and as good for animals as they can possibly be,” she says. Nowadays, it is clear animal endangerment is not as strong of an argument. 

We’d have nowhere near the number of animals in today’s society without zoos. It allows us to monitor animals and keep them out of harm’s way. Wildlife conservation most definitely plays one of the most essential roles in keeping our animals alive.