Keeping animals - debate the issue

[Wood~Ant]

Most of us keep either dogs or cats as pets. Some like to keep more exotic pets such as marine fish in tanks, tropical birds in cages, snakes, rabbits etc; and dare I mention it here, even ants are kept as pets.

Some animals like Lions, Tigers, Rhinos or Elephants are kept in zoos; and although they are given large paddocks to roam about in, they are still being held captive. Our local zoo (Marwell Zoo) only keeps animals which are endangered in the wild. To stop species becoming extinct, the zoo has a very successful breeding programme which is saving rare animals; but even the zoo keeps a thriving colony of Atta ants and other insects.

I hate seeing animals of any kind kept in cages or placed in homes where they have no space. Some of the people we see on the TV show The Dog Whisperer don't exercise their dogs enough; and one guy who live near Jen and I never takes his 2 dogs out for a walk, mostly keeping them indoors or in his shed. I would love Cesar Milan to pay this guy a visit, or the animal welfare people (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals).

I must be perfectly honest here and say I prefer to study ants, or any animal for that matter, in the wild in their natural surroundings; but as you all know, it is not always possible to observe ant behaviour in a nest which can be many feet (metres) deep under the ground, or where you often get hundreds of biting, stinging worker ants attacking you if you stay around their nest too long.
This is why we keep ants in our homes, or birds in aviaries, or fish in tanks. Simply because we love to watch animal behaviour, or have a friend in our dog or cat, as it relieves stress to stroke the fur of an animal; and let's face it, they become part of our family ;D

So what are your thoughts on keeping animals as pets, or in a zoo? We all know why we have pets, or why we love to keep ants; but is it right or wrong to take any animal (wild or domesticated) and put it in a home which restricts its range, or inhibits what it might do in natural surroundings?
Here's your chance to debate this issue - you decide

[Quah]

Rearing pets and even growing plants are some activities that man (mankind) delight in. Aside from that for centuries man has used animals in some sort of mutualistic relationship with man deriving the bulk of the benefits. Truth of the matter is man also used animals in a parasitic type of relationship, where the animals are either food for man or producer of food for man, the only benefit to these animals is that they live long enough to that end and also that they get to procreate, their offsprings also suffering the same fate.

How are keeping pets different then from those I mentioned? I don't have any answers just lots of questions.

On a personal level I keep pets because I do derive some sort of benefit or enjoyment. Like most things I do, I do either out of necessity or out of passion. Obviously keeping pets is because of passion not necessity.

Keeping animals in an environment that cause them suffering does not seem right but it is hard to judge considering out there in nature it is not exactly a kind world.

That said I would still advocate that if we cannot provide the necessary care for whatever pets that we keep including giving them an environment conducive to their growth we should not keep them.

Of course I also have other agenda in keeping ants and termites which is to propagate them back to their natural habitat both in areas where the species are found to increase the genetic pool and also in areas where human activities have wipe out the species.

[ant19]

I also keep pets because they make me happy and provide something for me to do.
With ants, I love watching them go about their busy little lives.
Of course, I believe if the animal has no quality of life that animal should not be kept.
Zoo animals, I find survive but seem to be utterly bored out of their tree and have no quality of life. I don't support most zoos.

When you get a new pet you should study up, learn about it, and devote time to making the animal's life as happy as you can. This is no different for animals you have had for a long time.