The harsh and cruel reality with taking an animal away from its natural habitat and putting it into an artificial one is that the poor animal cannot carry out its natural behaviours just like it can in the wild. Placing an animal in a zoo or confined area for the long term permanently is the same as placing a human being in prison. Due to the lack of stimulation and enrichment as well as a variety natural factors that are of abundance in the wild, captive animal’s mental state will deteriorate drastically. This in turn will cause animals in zoos to overeat, oversleep and show signs of severe frustration along with mental instability.
“Zoochosis” is a term which refers to the psychological problem that affect animals’ captivity, this term also means to define the repetitive behaviours exhibited by animals in captivity after a long time. Repetitive behaviours that are signs of mental deterioration in these poor lovely animals that are held against their will at zoos and especially at factory farms. Once an animal is in confinement for a period of time instead of being out in the wild, Zoochosis will occur in almost all animals held captive. Due to the overwhelming captive stresses some of the animals Zoochosis behaviours include the animals running around in distress in regimented circles, biting the bars of their enclosure which often results in the poor animal’s teeth being broken or even their jaw bone and mouth being broken in the process of stress biting.
Head bobbing and head hitting is also an unfortunate but common trait of animals with Zoochosis. Self-mutilation also occurs whereby an animal hurts itself but causing self harm by biting or relentlessly scratching and even finding obstacles in its enclosure to run at, often causing serious injuries as well as deformities. In humans’ behaviours such as these are well documented and treated, however Zoochosis behaviours such as those mentioned above are often overlooked by a zoo’s management as it will cause a lot of money to psychologically adjust these animals to be sane again. Behaviours of Zoochosis are even more overlooked to the point of no return especially in factory farmed animals as no one of the public can see the cruel acts that these poor animals face on a daily basis behind the scenes at factory farms.
During a report by the University of Oxford, almost half of all elephants in zoos worldwide display repetitive behaviour that of Zoochosis. Wild elephants can live well over their fifties in the wild however captive elephants rarely make it till their twenties. The most common causes for elephant deaths in zoos are arthritis and foot infections from standing on hard surfaces all day. Many of the captive elephants suffer from obesity, aggravated by a shortage of exercise and a lack of space in their enclosure to walk, space they would happily and freely find in the wild. On the other hand, many apes also suffer from severe mental illnesses in captivity, including gorillas, orangutans, chimpanzees and bonobos.
Many poor animals in zoos die within their first 20months, this is due to the fact of depression and other psychological problems that worsen. Many zoos because of this have resorted to heavily medicating animals with antidepressants and antianxiety medications such as Zoloft as well as Prozac. Antipsychotic drugs like Haldol have also been introduced. These drugs maybe help stabilize the animals in time for zoo customers to view, however in the long term these drugs can cause severe organ failure and death to these poor animals. Very much like us humans, the animals held captive against their will in zoos as well as factory farms are creatures that feel, love, have emotions and care towards one another. To have these animals locked up, confined and go through overwhelmingly severe psychological distress is a crime.
#AnimalTesting #AnimalCruelty #CageTheCruelty #AnimalSaviourJC
Written by: Joshua. C 24th of july 2020
References:
https://animalequality.org/news/zoos-the-life-of-animals-in-captivity/
https://mrkantor.com/animals-have-feelings-too-how-captivity-affects-animals/
Psychological Effect on Animals in Confinement
Captive Animal’s Mental Health
Picture Credit: Patrick Knox
