Breeding in Captivity

   There are many breeding programs that are designed to help animals increase their population, but many people don't realize that these programs are not as advertised. Breeding animals in captivity is far from the idea of animal conservation. This may be surprising since the programs are supposed to protect the species, but they are actually creating underprivileged animals.

   The only reason as to why wild animals should be in captivity is if they can't be released back into the wild. It makes no sense to keep wild animals in captivity for multiple reasons. First of all, it can be dangerous for the owner. Wild animals such as wildcats are not domestic. They can easily overpower a human and unknowingly harm them. Unfortunately, wildcats and other wild animals are usually killed if they cause any harm. It creates a horrible and traumatic cycle of harm. Wild animals aren't supposed to be cooped up in a building or small enclosure. They have acres of territory in the wild, and cages, houses, backyards, and small enclosures simply cannot suffice. It is unnatural and limits the power of these magnificent creatures. We shouldn't be creating more animals that are faced with an unnaturally small habitat and limited possibilities. Big Cat Rescue states, "The only sanctioned international breeding plans for exotic cats are called Species Survival Plans (SSP) and they are ONLY carried out in accredited zoos." On top of that, it is common for the owners to not be able to support the animals, and this creates an even bigger issue.

    So why can we keep domesticated animals but not wild animals? It's actually quite simple. Domesticated animals are used to living their lives indoors with all the benifits of sharing a home with a human. However, wild animals are usually much larger than house pets, and they have more requirements than domesticated animals. They need much more space than the area of a house, backyard, or cage. They also should be fed food based off of the diet their species has in the wild, and pet owners and some organizations don't meet that requirement.

   What is the main reason as to why wild animals shouldn't be bred in captivity? As I said earlier, "The only reason as to why wild animals should be in captivity is if they can't be released back into the wild." So, if we breed more animals, we are creating more animals that are forced to be cooped up in small cages, unable to release their full potential. These animals are wild. They are not meant to be unnaturally contained. While organizations breeding animals may think they are securing the population, they are actually breeding underpriveleged animals. They are harming so many magnificent species rather than helping them.

Sources

• https://bigcatrescue.org/breeding-and-selling/
• picture from Wikipedia