Humans have always shared the planet with animals. The rapid modernization and industrialization in the modern world have forced many animals to restrict themselves within certain territories, and they have constantly been losing contact with humans. Both zoos and wildlife sanctuaries have been a connecting link between humans and animals in today’s world.
Zoo vs Wildlife Sanctuary
The main difference between zoo and wildlife sanctuary is that zoo is an enclosed territory in which different types of animals are kept in big cages, and people come to watch them. Wildlife Sanctuary, on the other hand, is a big expanse of land in which animals are not encaged but rather left alone in their natural habitat.
Zoos serve many purposes. Not just education, it can also be a great place for excursions and outings. People like to visit zoos on holidays with friends or family and also get to know a lot about animals. Since zoos are engaged only in the display of animals, many local and foreign species of animals can be seen there.
Wildlife Sanctuary is based on the concept of not disturbing the environment and natural habitat of the animals. These are large forest areas that are located away from the residential areas. Special arrangements are made for travelers, visitors, and tourists to come to these sanctuaries and have a close look at the natural life and behavior of the animals.
Comparison Table Between Zoo and Wildlife Sanctuary
What is Zoo?
Zoos can be described as a specific place where a large number of animals, birds, reptiles, fishes, etc., are kept in large cages or enclosed rooms for public display. These rooms and cages are not like a box in which the animals are trapped. A special environment is maintained in these cages, such as regulated temperature, regular food and water supply, an expanse of trees and plants, etc.
They are often kept with animals of similar kinds for their company and life processes. This is the reason why many zoos also work as breeding and conservation of many species of animals. The word zoo originated from the abbreviation of the term zoology, which is the scientific study of animals. Zoos can also be called “Zoological gardens,” and it has emerged from menageries.
The world’s oldest zoo was found to be at Hierakonpolis, Egypt, in 3500 BCE. Many ancient civilizations had the concept of zoos. The modern phenomenon is derived from the zoos which were built in ancient Europe. The oldest zoo in the world was built in Vienna, Austria, in 1752 on the order of emperor Francis.
During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, many such zoos were established in France, Spain, England, Germany, Russia, etc. A moral critique of zoos can be the fact that animals are taken away from their natural habitat, and the animals are objectified in the name of curiosity and capitalism.
What is Wildlife Sanctuary?
Wildlife Sanctuaries are protected areas of land in which animals live freely without any dangers of captivity and human predators. It works as their natural habitat. It aims at providing a free and natural life to animals with unrestricted movement and tendencies, which would be hampered in the case of a zoo.
All the elements are included in a wildlife sanctuary which makes the life of animals easy, such as rivers, lakes, trees, plants, land, sunlight, other animals, etc. The concept of a wildlife sanctuary is to make humans aware that animals are not entities of leisure and exhibition and they have a right to live freely.
The development of animals takes place in their natural environment and not in an enclosed region. The animals are free to roam around, look for food, hunt other animals, mate with their partners, etc. There are special workers to look after the needs and requirements of the animals so that their lives continue without any interruptions.
Wildlife sanctuaries provide a controlled ecosystem for the proper growth of both plants and animals. Many sanctuaries are also involved in horticulture and wine production. Due to its large expanse, it is perfect for many other activities such as excursions, picnics, golfing, birdwatching, etc.
Main Differences Between Zoo and Wildlife Sanctuary
- Zoos are places where animals are kept enclosed in cages or rooms, and people come to watch them. Wildlife sanctuaries are places where animals are present in their natural habitat without any disturbance.
- The animals in zoos have a restricted sense of motion and behavior as the rooms are comparatively smaller than their actual homes. The animals in wildlife sanctuaries have no such restrictions, and they live freely.
- Animals in a zoo are kept in a very controlled environment with all the necessary facilities required for the survival of the concerned animal. Animals in a wildlife sanctuary do not have such a moderated environment, and they live in relatively free and uncontrolled conditions.
- Zoos are public places that are spread in small territories of land. Wildlife sanctuaries are places specially dedicated to the life of animals, and hence they are spread in large expanses of land.
- A zoo may have many varieties of animals, birds, fishes, etc., which come from different regions and parts of the world. A wildlife sanctuary does not have all the types of animals but only those which are native and exclusive to that region.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we can say that a zoo is very different from a wildlife sanctuary apart from the fact that the essence of both these places are animals. The concept of zoos is highly criticized in modern society as they try to jeopardize the freedom of animals.
People are becoming more and more conscious about the rights and sentiments of animals as they should not be considered an object of public amusement. This is the reason why wildlife sanctuaries are considered to be a better alternative to observe and connect to animals without compromising their freedom of the animals.
The animals in a wildlife sanctuary would be more suitable for trying to understand the behavior and life of animals than the animals of a zoo.
References
- https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=Ua2cAQAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=zoo&ots=anBB9h1Ie3&sig=eT4W5iI40zQfEnOynn3u5jHkmVE
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301479712000059