Read the following twopoems − one about a tiger and the other about a panther. Thendiscuss:
Are zoos necessary forthe protection or conservation of some species of animals? Are theyuseful for educating the public? Are there alternatives to zoos?
The Tiger
Thetiger behind the bars of his cage growls,
Thetiger behind the bars of his cage snarls,
Thetiger behind the bars of his cage roars.
Thenhe thinks.
Itwould be nice not to be behind bars all
Thetime
Becausethey spoil my view
Iwish I were wild, not on show.
Butif I were wild, hunters might shoot me,
Butif I were wild, food might poison me,
Butif I were wild, water might drown me.
Thenhe stops thinking
And...
Thetiger behind the bars of his cage growls,
Thetiger behind the bars of his cage snarls,
Thetiger behind the bars of his cage roars. PETER NIBLETT
The Panther
Hisvision, from the constantly passing bars,
hasgrown so weary that it cannot hold
anythingelse. It seems to him there are
athousand bars; and behind the bars, no world.
Ashe paces in cramped circles, over and over,
themovement of his powerful soft strides
islike a ritual dance around a centre
inwhich a mighty will stands paralysed.
Onlyat times, the curtain of the pupils
lifts,quietly. An image enters in,
rushesdown through the tensed, arrested muscles,
plungesinto the heart and is gone. RAINER MARIA RILKE
Somespecies of animals might be safer in a zoo than in a forest. In aforest, they could be hunted down, poisoned by some wild food, orcould drown in water. However, a zoo is not the correct substitutefor a forest. In a zoo, an animal would feel caged, bound, and notfree to roam about in the wild. It is for this reason that wildlifesanctuaries and national parks have been instituted in order toconserve several endangered species. These places provide protectionas well as natural surroundings to these species. They can roam aboutfreely in their habitats and are safe too. The public can visit theseparks and get educated about the animals and their lifestyles. Theparks and sanctuaries are run using a strict set of rules, the mostprominent being the ban on hunting. Since the animals are in theopen, visitors would not be able feed them and would not misbehave ortry to play with them as they are under strict guidance. Suchincidents have been recorded in zoos where people irritate and teasethe animals. Hence, a wild life sanctuary is a good alternative foranimals to be safe as well as in their natural surroundings.