Pros and Cons of Zoos Whether zoos are beneficial for animals or cruel to them, is a moot point. Personally, I think the advantages of zoos outweigh the disadvantages. Admittedly, many wild animals suffer from the environment of a zoo. Firstly, there are abundant reports of the animal abuses by vicious visitors and zoo keepers. In fact, even the well educated sometimes hurt animals for curiosity. For example, Tsinghua student Haiyang Liu, who pour acid liquid to bears to see its effect. Were animals not accessible to the public so easily, they would not be under such kind of threats. Moreover, animals living in the zoo are not as free as those in the wild. Apparently, the cages are too small for them to exercise and the foods are not fresh. In addition, animals that are nocturnal have to endure the noise from visitors, and those from tropic zones and frigid zones have to live together despite the fact that they suffer from the climate that is different from their natural habitat. Nevertheless, zoos have more benefits for those animals as well as human kind. In the first place, zoos serve as artificial habitats, sometimes the only ones left on earth. If all zoos were closed, many species, especially the endangered ones, could have died out already. Secondly, zoos provide people entertainment and education, which not only get people close to nature, but also help people raise their awareness of animal protection. Thirdly, zoos can be essential for researchers. The abnormal behaviours of animals in the zoos can sound the alarm of a coming earthquake, and zoo animals suffer from certain diseases can indicate the existence of pollutants. In conclusion, although there are certain problems associated with the current zoo systems that have to be addressed for the sake of the wellbeing of zoo animals, it is not an excuse for banning zoos altogether. Only by protecting the animals in the zoos in the first place, can we protect the animals all over the world.