English IV

Persuasive oral presentation

Outline
Presenters: Yael Mata Arteaga 177231
Luis Francisco Avila Romano 177632
Topic: Zoos are helpful in wildlife conservation
1. Introduction: Thesis statement
According to a discussion made in a website, which participated lots of
students, it revealed that at least 60 percent of the participants, believed that
zoos are a cruel show of entertainment, or they become like a prison for the
animals that live there, yet it has been proved that zoos have contributed to
provide endangered animals a second chance in the world, and a great
example of this are the pandas, which according to a news report made in
2021, the population of the panda in 2016 was about to disappear, yet thanks
to the efforts of scientists, the panda has increased its population in protected
areas, like zoos. Therefore, we are going to explain why zoos are helpful for
wildlife conservation.

2. Reason 1: They have helped to preserve endangered species

Although zoos began as nothing more than captives, where animals were
exhibited to the liking of rich or powerful people, today they have supported
in more ways than one the preservation of certain species, for example,
according to the Environment Secretary, The Chapultepec Zoo, has
reproduced several pairs in 31 years, supporting a total of 85 specimens for
the recovery of the Mexican Wolf.
S

As shown in the last graph, which was made by the data collected in
CONANP page, reflects how has the Mexican wolf population has changed
through the years, in the 50’s began to decrease, at the 70´s how it almost
extinct, in 2012 when the program started and a year ago how the population
had increased to the point that is no longer considered as extinct
Reason 2: They work as study centers
Peter Giljam (2018) affirms that scientific investigation and experimentation
in zoos can provide useful data for wild and captive populations, and a proof
of this is shown in the evidence of the zoo’s commitment to research by the
Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and its members, which have
spent $26.8 million in research in 2016 alone, and were involved in 1249
research projects and 237 peer-reviewed publications.

Reason 3: They act as shelters from poaching

In addition to what has already been mentioned, zoos can act as a refuge for
specimens of animals that are threatened by poaching, many of them losing
parts of their bodies because these parts are sought for their value, as
exposed by National Geographic in its publication: "According to the Wildlife
Smuggling Observatory, Traffic, in 2003 a kilo of ivory was valued at 190
euros. In 2013, it was around 2,500. In the case of the rhinoceros, its horn
went from having a price of kilo from 765 euros to more than787 62,000".
In addition to that they also expose how poaching of elephants has been
increasing in recent years, bringing with it danger to this species as can be
seen in the following graph.

Conclusion
In conclusion, as can be seen, zoos are of great importance in the
conservation of wildlife, and although they began as nothing more than
cages that powerful people used to show off, today zoos or at least the most
important seek the well-being of the animals that come to it and take care of
them, so although there are people who will consider zoos as something
horrible, they cannot deny that it is a necessary evil, and that a good zoo can
take care of and help to learn about the animals that reside in it.

References
 https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-57780213
 https://www.sedema.cdmx.gob.mx/comunicacion/nota/zoologicos-herramienta-
para-conservar-especies-en-peligro-de-
extincion#:~:text=Dos%20de%20los%20grandes%20aportes,y%20la%20compet
encia%20con%20otras
 https://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/skills/reading/b2-reading/are-zoos-
good-thing?page=1
 https://www.gob.mx/conanp/documentos/protocolo-de-rehabilitacion-de-
ejemplares-de-lobo-mexicano-canis-lupus-
baileyi#:~:text=El%20Programa%20de%20Recuperaci%C3%B3n%20del,el%20p
rop%C3%B3sito%20de%20continuar%20con
 https://zoospensefull.com/2018/03/27/the-zoo-scientist-zoos-as-science-
boosters/