Is the Keeping of Endangered Exotic Animals in Zoos the Most Ethical Way to Preserve, Conserve, and Educate People About These Animals

Abstract. To discuss the ethical considerations of zoos, we must first define a zoo. A place where exotic animals are housed on display is too broad a definition, as there is no practical way to go about discussing institutions that may vary from a person’s backyard to a multi-million dollar animal park. A total of 221 institutions have earned accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). According to the AZA, accreditation is defined as “official recognition and approval of a zoo or aquarium by a group of experts.”1 For the purpose of this paper, I will
define a zoo as an AZA accredited institution.