I still remember my mother’s horror when she found out that my Kindergarten class would be taking a field trip to the Dubai Zoo. I didn’t understand what was wrong with going on such an adventure- I couldn’t wait to see the wild animals that Animal Planet had promised me were much more majestic than my lazy old house cat.
The animals at the Dubai Zoo lived in enclosures unworthy of even my house cat, extinguishing my expectations for the Animal Planet worthy experience I had awaited.
The zoo boasted 800 animals on a 5-acre property in the hot Dubai sun. With lions and bears stuffed in cages the size of my bathroom and monkeys hanging in my closet, their new homes didn’t have the smallest resemblance to their previous lives in the wild. It was a prison.
I remember leaving in disdain, pledging never to return and hoping that Animal Rights Activists somewhere would shut the place down.
In 2020, I decided to research the current situation, as my kindergarten expectations may have clouded my assessment of the severity of their living conditions.
My initial impression of the zoo’s inability to produce humane conditions for wild animals (many years ago) was confirmed to a community report done by Gulf News. Since then, the Dubai Zoo relocated in 2017 to a larger location and is now known as the “Dubai Safari”, and has pledged to maintain “a high standard of animal welfare, nutrition and ethical conduct” on their website.
It’s not just the Dubai Zoo
Many zoos worldwide have gained a bad reputation amongst Animal Rights Activists. Some zoos are known to interfere with animals’ ability to do necessary activities that would be easily accessible in the wild, such as the freedom to explore, move and mate (Hirsh, 2018).
Some animals even develop neurotic conditions such as “zoochosis” due to these unnatural conditions, which warrants behaviors such as excessive grooming, self-mutilation and playing with or eating feces (Hirsh, 2018).
Looking at the 5 universally accepted rights required to protect animals’ welfare is vital to assess whether an animal benefits from its living situation. Animal sanctuaries typically aim to meet these rights as closely as possible, whereas zoos may neglect some elements on the premise of profiting economically.
Nutrition that is balanced, sufficient and reflective of what they would naturally be consuming maintains the animal’s health (and the space to maintain a standard fitness level). Having a similar environment to the wild (e.g. temperature, noise, odor) and external environmental challenges ensures that the animal’s behavior and mental state is consistent with their natural state and prevents zoochosis.
What is the difference between zoos and sanctuaries?
At first glance, animal sanctuaries and zoos may seem to share a few similar features; wild animals are kept in enclosures, cared for by humans, and sometimes exhibited to the public for viewing.
Although some zoos aim to take conservation and scientific research in mind, most base their collection on which species will generate the greatest consumer response (Hartigan, 2014). Animals may be trained (even violently) for entertainment purposes and bred, traded, or sold to other zoos to gain economic profit (Hartigan, 2014).
An animal sanctuary aims to care for neglected, abandoned, or abused animals with hopes of either releasing them back into the wild or allowing them to retire peacefully. GFAS (Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries) and ASA (Animal Sanctuary Association) are two organizations that provide conditions that accredited Animal Sanctuaries must operate under, such as sanitary, veterinary, and enclosure requirements (Hartigan, 2014). Although some Sanctuaries allow visitors at certain times, “humans are not the most important creatures, animals are” (Hartigan, 2014).
Our Partners
AEI partners with accredited animal rescue centers in Malawi, Thailand, and Guatemala, which all work to provide a place of care and rehabilitation for animals who would not survive in the wild.
In Malawi, the center works to help animals stuck in illegal trade, or animals in danger due to diminishing habitats. This world-renowned center partners with the government and is home to 200 rescued animals as the only accredited wildlife center in Malawi.
In Thailand, our partner works on specialized projects which care for and nurse back animals to health to release them to the wild. Major threats to these animals include loss of habitat, cruelty in the entertainment industry, hunting, or illegal trade.
Our partners in Guatemala are one of the most complex and specific rescue centers in the world. Working with the Guatemalan government, they rehabilitate and provide refuge to wild animals on the black market. The black market has caused a dramatic loss of Guatemalan wildlife, and the center also works to raise awareness surrounding the severity of the issue.
Although zoos and animal sanctuaries may just seem like interchangeable ways to reference wild animals living outside of their natural habitats, they have entirely different goals and outcomes for their animals’ wellbeing. The Dubai Zoo failed to meet the welfare needs of wild animals; however, have the potential to improve animal welfare in their new location.
As they continue to put animals’ needs as their primary focus, animal sanctuaries worldwide continue to require funding and volunteer assistance, especially once travel becomes more viable again.
To learn more about our partner sanctuaries or register your interest for future volunteer experiences, visit https://www.animalexperienceinternational.com/search-experiences .
Sources:
Gulf News, Lifestyle- Community. (2006). Have your say: Dubai zoo [Press release]. Retrieved
2020, from https://gulfnews.com/lifestyle/community/have-your-say-dubai-zoo-1.191627
Hartigan, R. (2014, March 20). Are Wildlife Sanctuaries Good for Animals? Retrieved December
07, 2020, from
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/3/140320-animal-sanctuary-wildlife-
Hirsh, S. (2019, March 13). If You Love Animals, Don't Visit Zoos or Aquariums - Consider This
Ethical Option Instead. Retrieved December 07, 2020, from
https://www.greenmatters.com/p/visit-animal-sanctuary-not-zoo-aquarium
How to Tell if a Place Is a REAL Animal Sanctuary. (2019, August 02). Retrieved December 07,
https://www.peta.org/features/real-animal-sanctuary-zoo/
