Abstract

This essay explores speciesism and zoos. It is argued that whilst other industries, such as animal experimentation and factory farming, have long been held up by proponents of animal rights theories as examples of speciesism in practice, zoos are rarely presented in the same way. Unlike industries such as animal experimentation or factory farming, where it is abundantly clear that the use of animals is carried out for the sole purpose of human benefit, the zoo industry claims that it exists for the benefit of the animals. This essay critically examines some of the common arguments put forward by zoos in support of these claims. These include that zoos save species from extinction, that they protect individual animals from poaching, predation or illness by keeping them safe, and that animals in zoos act as “ambassadors” for their respective species in that their presence in captivity leads to support for conservation efforts for their free-living counterparts. Ultimately, the essay rejects arguments promoted by the zoo industry that they exist in order to benefit animals, and concludes with an analysis of zoos which positions them alongside other animal industries which use animals purely for human benefit.