It comes to no surprise to anyone that we are living in unprecedented times. There are things happening on our planet right now that most would never have imagined, and we are having to adapt to a new type of normalcy. COVID-19 has ravaged the world with illness, hospitalizations and unfortunately, many deaths. Many of us around the world are at home, doing whatever we can to protect our families, loved ones all while social distancing. Many of us are supporting the healthcare professionals, first responders and scientists that are leading the unimaginable fight against this unseen enemy. We commend all those on the frontlines for their hard work and dedication to our communities in keeping one another safe to the absolute best of their ability.

As a society, we seem to read a new headline every day about how this virus has impacted people, businesses and organizations. Social media has become a platform for people to express their frustrations, not only during current world events, but also to spread false, negative and disinformation. These types of disinformation come in many forms and have unseen consequences that outreach farther than any can imagine. One example that has currently went viral on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter are the plight of the animals. Specifically, the plight of the animals ‘trapped’ in zoos and aquariums. Many are comparing our isolation in our homes to animals pictured here —

This image has been shared and liked virtually thousands of times on social media platforms across the world. Striking a core with animal activists, and providing them a pulpit to slander accredited zoos and aquariums.

A single look at the above photos can strike a very emotional chord with people. People who believe that animals in zoos and aquariums are in fact isolated, isolated from their families. Isolated from the world, and confined to tiny tanks and spaces during all times of the day. Upon first glance you want to do everything that you can to free these animals from their confinement, and give them their freedom in the wild where they so obviously belong. However, there is much danger in these ideals, and there are lies that must be addressed.

There are certainly facilities in some countries that have little respect for animal welfare, and therefore is not a facility that is inspected or cared for by professional keepers, scientists and veterinarians. These places are also not accredited, and usually acquire their animals through wet markets and the illegal animal trade. Specifically the picture of the bear sitting against the wall comes from a zoo in Russia, and was taken in 2001. The Kaliningrad Zoo has been around for more than 100 years, and has suffered severe shortcomings due to World War II as well as financial shortfalls in the 1990’s. Zoos in more underdeveloped countries or geographical areas are not held to a high standard like those in more developed countries. We should always be ready to dictate between the good and the bad, even when we are presented with little information to begin with.

Anthropomorphism by definition is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Innate means natural, and is unquestionably something that so many of us feel when it comes to caring for animals. It is the cornerstone for the animal rights movement, and provides the fuel for their fight to continue. An unconscious belief that bears, horses and dolphins possess human desires and can be detrimental for children, some psychologists have argued.

In 2015 Patricia Ganea, a psychologist at Toronto University, conducted a series of experiments on three- to five-year-olds in which they were given information about animals in straight factual form and then in a more adverse anthropomorphized way. Ganea found that the children were likely to attribute human characteristics to other animals and were less likely to retain factual information about them when told how actually they lived their lives. “Anthropomorphism can lead to an inaccurate understanding of biological processes in the natural world,” she said. “It can also lead to inappropriate behaviors towards wild animals, such as trying to adopt a wild animal as a ‘pet’ or misinterpreting the actions of a wild animal.”

While it is not out of the realms of reality that certain species of Elephants don’t mourn their dead, and great apes and monkeys have very intimate social groups, we as humans are the ultimate example of all sides of the spectrum. We are the most compassionate and the most cruel. We can be a friend just as we can be the most destructive. We experience the worst sadness, and we can cause the worst sadness. We are a species unlike anything that has ever touched our planet. To give animals human emotions is irresponsible, and until we can realistically talk to animals (in some kind of capacity), we should strictly observe animals via the ways of behavioral science. IE — what their outward behavior shows their needs and wants. Not observing an animal laying down resting and thinking it’s depressed, for example.