By Rieanna Flores and Caroline Graves

Many people see zoos and aquariums as an important aspect of our society, as they not only inspire the public to have compassion for wildlife, but the good organizations provide education about wildlife conservation, species protection, and animal welfare.

Most keepers and veterinarians would agree that animals belong in the wild, but this is not realistic in today’s world. Due to habitat destruction, poaching, predation, and starvation, many species are vulnerable to extinction in the wild. Zoos and aquariums can help provide a safe environment for animals that could not survive in the wild otherwise.

Most would say that zoos and aquariums aim to provide the best possible care for the animals with the resources they have. While some zoos and aquariums are accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), it is not a requirement, and not all are. The distinction is earned only after AZA experts perform a rigorous evaluation of the zoo or aquarium’s best practices and expertise in regards to animal welfare and husbandry to ensure that animals’ needs are being met properly. You can learn more about AZA accreditation here.

An important aspect of care in zoos and aquariums is animal welfare, which is the well-being of non-human animals. It focuses on nutrition, shelter, veterinary care, and animal stimulation.

A major focus of animal welfare in zoos and aquariums is the proper handling of animals, which ensures that in the event the animal must be handled, it is done in such a way that pain, stress, or suffering to the animal are not caused. Animals under stress are more likely to become sick, as stress suppresses the immune system.

By having access to information about which zoos and aquariums are AZA-accredited, people can be confident they are making well informed decisions about which organizations to support, such as buying a ticket to visit or making a donation. Many zoos and aquariums give a portion of their proceeds to wildlife conservation, which helps protect wildlife habitats.

If an organization is AZA-accredited, then this implies they are doing good work in preserving and protecting wildlife. To find AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums near you, check out this list.

Though some people might feel confident in supporting and donating to an organization, based on how they promote animal rights, problems arise when those organizations begin exploiting animals for profit and enjoyment, rather than promoting education and conservation of wildlife species. An example of an aquarium that is not AZA-accredited is SeaQuest, which has ten different locations across the nation in shopping malls. This is a prime example of an organization that exploits animals for financial gain.

Described on its website as “a petting zoo aquarium feeding experience,” SeaQuest advertises being able to “touch, hear, feed, feel, and smell the animals.” If we truly consider the well-being of animals, however, nature should be observed, not touched; appreciated, not crowded and overwhelmed by people.

In an introductory video, SeaQuest founder Vince Covino says that SeaQuest gives people an up close and personal experience with animals they might not be able to see otherwise. Visiting aquariums such as SeaQuest, people often forget that the animals aren’t meant to be around or touched by humans. While the attraction to being able to touch wild animals is undeniable, it is actually cruel to the animals because it causes them to feel stressed. And in fact many, if not all, can be seen in an AZA-accredited zoo or aquarium, where they will receive the proper care and not be touched by humans up to 200 times per day.

According to PETA, “In touch tanks, they’re forced into close contact with grabby children and tourists all day long. This is likely a terrifying and stressful environment for animals who can easily be injured in these exhibits.” Living a miserable life in touch tanks along with the likelihood of not living as long as they might elsewhere is unfair and cruel to animals.

In January 2020, multiple complaints were made about the SeaQuest location in Woodbridge, NJ, which became one of many places people went to protest for animal rights.

According to the Woodbridge, NJ, publication, Patch, “visitors to the ‘please-touch’ aquarium, located on the ground floor of the mall, say the animals look sick and injured; the exhibits look dingy.”

These complaints led to a response from founder Vince Covino. “We had inspections Tuesday from every agency you could imagine, just this morning. U.S. Department of Agriculture, state of New Jersey Fish & Wildlife, Animal Control, police and more. This is dozens of inspections now, all with the same outcome — no concerns, all animals and habitats are just fine,” said Covino. Rather than apologizing to people based on their complaints, Covino said people are lying and taking it out of context.

The Patch also mentioned, “A spokeswoman for the New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife confirmed this week they've inspected SeaQuest and issued no violations. A spokesman for the Woodbridge Board of Health said the same.”

Though some people have continually protested against SeaQuest’s current and prospective locations and inspections have been performed, others remain oblivious to the ongoing animal cruelty and are skeptical of what truly goes on at SeaQuest. By raising more awareness, it is possible to help animals get the proper care they deserve.

In January 2020, a petition was created on a website called Change in an attempt to shut down SeaQuest aquariums nationwide due to anger and frustration about animal neglect accusations. Currently 16,652 people have signed this petition; their goal is to get 25,000 signatures.

According to the Animal Legal Defense Fund, “Few federal laws protect the millions of wild animals who live in captivity in aquariums, circuses, theme parks and zoos in the U.S.” The few that do are the Animal Welfare Act, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, and the Endangered Species Act. It is important to acknowledge these laws and respect what they promote for animal treatment. It is essential to keep an eye on animals that are held captive to make sure they are being treated correctly, with proper respect and genuine care.

If more people became aware of the harm that is being done to these animals, they might think twice before visiting a SeaQuest location.

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