A life in slavery is no life at all. It is not acceptable for a human being, and it is not a humane way for animals to live either. Unfortunately, animals are being kept in captivity all around the world. Creatures that would otherwise be thriving in their natural environments are forced into smaller, artificial versions of their true homes. These animals are often being used for nothing more than human entertainment, their entire lives are spent being forced to perform. This is the case for amusement parks like SeaWorld, and it needs to end.

These animal amusement parks provide insufficient housing for their inhabitants. WDC, a charity for the conservation of orcas, says that marine parks take orcas that would thrive in their natural environments away from their families while they are young and cramp them into small, artificial habitats (“Captivity” par 1-2). According to the documentary Blackfish, which looked into the treatment of animals at SeaWorld, the orcas lack the stimulation they need to be happy, often having multiple orcas trapped together in the dark for hours out of the day (Blackfish). John Jett, a professor at Stetson University, and Jeffrey Ventre, a medical doctor, both researched the effects of captivity of orcas for the Orca Project. According to them, orcas are social creatures, and their units for living together are rather specific. Orcas stay with their families, often for their entire lives, with little “outsider” contact. This is not the case with parks like SeaWorld, where orcas completely unrelated to one another are trapped in the same small spaces to live together. This results in frustration and lashing out between the animals, with nowhere for the victims to escape (Jett and Ventre par 3). They come out for performances bleeding and covered in tears in their skin from the other orcas, who could have attacked with their tails, teeth, or entire bodies to assert dominance (Blackfish). The way they are trained is also inhumane. Food is used as positive reinforcement for the orcas, if they do a trick properly they get rewarded (“Captivity” par 4). This food from tricks may be their only source or one of their main sources for nourishment, and not doing a trick correctly results in them not getting fed and becoming upset, leading to more lashing out (Blackfish). An animal should not have a major source of its food restricted for doing something it does not do regularly or naturally.

Not all artificial habitats for animals are wrong, however. There are exceptions. Zoos, if the animals are treated properly and put into the right conditions, can provide greater learning experiences for humans as well as good lives for the animals within them. The animals kept by them may not have been able to survive in the wild, and the assistance and captivity helps keep them from dying off. The animals are also not forced to do degrading tricks to get fed and are treated with more respect overall. Animals kept as pets are usually kept in humane conditions as well. Their owners, if they are good, love and take care of them and give them the socialization and play they need. The animals humans usually keep as pets, like dogs and cats, have been bred to enjoy people and are used to being kept in captivity, likely being given better lives than they would have in the wild. This is different from a park that keeps animals entirely to perform and make money.

For the respect of the orcas and all other animals, businesses built around the captivity and use of animals for entertainment should not be allowed to continue. These businesses hurt the animals they hold. It is unfair to use a living being entirely for entertainment. Animals should be free to live in the environments they will thrive in, not the ones humans put them in.


WORKS CITED
Blackfish. Dir. Cowperthwaite, Gabriela. Magnolia Pictures, 2013. Film.
“Captivity.” Whales.org. Whale and Dolphin Conservation, n.d. Web. 29 October 2015.
Jett, John S., Ph.D, and Jeffrey M. Ventre, MD. “Keto and Tilikum Express the Stress of Orca
Captivity.” The Orca Project. The Orca Project Corp, 20 January 2011. Web. 29 October
2015.