Detroit Zoo uses captive breeding to ‘sustain zoo population’

Fraser High School | Fraser, MI

Detroit Zoo uses captive breeding to ‘sustain zoo population’, PETA disagrees. from Student Reporting Labs on Vimeo.

As populations of endangered animals diminish in the wild due to environmental disasters or globalization, zoos looks to sustain their access to the menagerie of wildlife available in their facilities. In order to do this some zoos, like the Detroit Zoo in Michigan, have implemented strict captive breeding policies. Whether animals are endangered or not, the zoo maintains that they have responsibility to maintaining the zoo population for the benefit of educating the community.

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, popularly known as PETA, have taken a stance on captive breeding stating that captive breeding is being misused.

Our PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs from Fraser High School in Fraser, Michigan and Granby High School in Norfolk, Virginia joined together to explore the discourse behind captive breeding.