Reference Text
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Zoo
officials
also
insist
that
animals
in
captivity
are
well
cared
for
and
are
made
comfortable
in
natural
like
settings.
However,
although
the
zoological
industry
goes
to
great
expense
and
trouble
to
provide
animals
with
a
simulation
of
a
natural
habitat,
it
is
a
costly
and
time
consuming
enterprise.
Animals
do
not
typically
have
access
to
vegetation.
Dirt
and
grass
contain
harmful
bacteria,
and
animals
do
fight
among
themselves.
Furthermore,
Woods
(2012)
cites
some
studies
that
indicate
that
the
educational
benefits
of
zoos
are
minimal.
Besides,
animals
tend
to
stay
out
of
sight
of
humans
if
their
zoological
habitats
allow
it.
Furthermore,
zoo
animals
suffer
from
freedom
to
move
and
to
socialize.
Another
argument
for
the
existence
of
zoos
is
that
they
are
ideally
located
for
scientific
monitoring
stations.
Zoos
network
to
collect
and
build
up
a
collection
of
serum
banks
and
to
develop
medical
record
keeping
systems
(McNamara,
2007).
This
has
proven
extremely
beneficial
to
identifying
and
monitoring
the
spread
of
deadly,
infectious
diseases.
For
example,
the
West
Nile
Virus
was
first
identified
at
a
zoological
institution.
Prior
to
the
identity
of
the
disease,
wild
crows
began
to
die
in
the
United
States
from
unknown
causes.
It
was
not
until
crows
at
a
zoo
began
to
die
that
the
problem
was
successfully
identified.
This
virus
threatens
both
animals
and
humans.
The
United
States
General
Accounting
Office
(GAO,
2000)
noted
the
fact
that
zoological
institutions
were
instrumental
in
quickly
identifying
the
virus,
which
brought
into
focus
the
value
of
public
and
animal
health
agencies
working
together
in
partnership
in
studying
health
issues
for
humans,
domestic
animals,
wildlife,
and
animals
in
captivity.
Upon
further
investigation,
GAO
also
noted
that
the
zoo
community
was
not
an
integral
part
of
the
public
health
paradigm
and
that
because
zoological
institutes
were
not
within
the
federal
agency
jurisdictions,
the
diagnosis
of
the
West
Nile
Virus
was
much
slower
in
coming
than
might
have
otherwise
been
the
case.
The
diseases
that
have
followed
the
West
Nile
Virus
in
the
past
decade,
including
a
serious
respiratory
syndrome
(SARS),
monkeypox,
H5N1
avain
influenza,
have
increased
the
pressure
to
fund
and
develop
bio
surveillance
capabilities.
Because
zoos
routinely
add
to
serum
banks,
tissue
banks,
and
maintain
medical
record
keeping
systems,
they
are
in
a
unique
position
to
contribute
Zoo
officials
also
insist
that
animals
in
captivity
are
well
cared
for
and
are
made
comfortable
in
natural
like
settings.
However,
although
the
zoological
industry
goes
to
great
expense
and
trouble
to
provide
animals
with
a
simulation
of
a
natural
habitat,
it
is
a
costly
and
time
consuming
enterprise.
Animals
do
not
typically
have
access
to
vegetation.
Dirt
and
grass
contain
harmful
bacteria,
and
animals
do
fight
among
themselves.
Furthermore,
Woods