Τα άγρια ζώα στην αιχμαλωσία δεν μπορούν να διαχειριστούν την Ματαίωση

 

Άρθρο της Julie Cappiello στα blogs της οργάνωσης WORLD ANIMAL PROTECTION US, στις 22/05/25 [Fb] για τις επιπτώσεις της ματαίωσης (frustration)* που βιώνουν σε συνθήκες αιχμαλωσίας, όχι μόνον τα πρωτεύοντα αλλά και άλλα είδη ζώων όπως οι ελέφαντες, τα θαλάσσια θηλαστικά και τα πτηνά  

From childhood visits to the zoo to viral videos of "smiling" dolphins in tanks, we’re taught to believe animals in captivity are happy, safe, and well cared for. But behind the bars and beyond the glass is a very different story -one where animals are suffering mentally and emotionally. This suffering has a name: zoochosis. 

Zoochosis (zoo + psychosis)** is a psychological condition that affects wild animals held in captivity, leading to repetitive, compulsive behaviors not seen in the wild. These behaviors -sometimes called stereotypical behavior- include pacing, swaying, head-bobbing, feather plucking, bar-biting, and even self-mutilation. Zoochosis isn’t just a quirky habit. It’s a glaring red flag that an animal is under extreme stress and emotional distress. 

Imagine living your entire life in a space the size of your bedroom, with nothing to stimulate your mind or body. No freedom to explore, no ability to form natural social groups, no way to express your instincts. That’s the reality for animals in roadside zoos, aquariums, and even some of the most "accredited" facilities, and zoochosis is their cry for help. 

Sadly, zoochosis can affect nearly every species in captivity. From polar bears who pace endlessly in small enclosures, to great apes who rock back and forth while holding themselves, the signs are clear and heartbreaking. Even giraffes, big cats, wolves, and reptiles have all displayed some form of stereotypic behavior associated with zoochosis. 

Zoochosis is a condition of captivity. Wild animals do not display the stereotypic, compulsive behaviors we see in zoos and aquariums. In the wild, animals engage in complex social interactions, roam vast territories, hunt or forage for food, and choose when and how they rest, play, or raise their young. Zoochosis is a human-made issue, born from our decision to confine wild animals for entertainment, "education" or profit. 

Elephants are among the most intelligent, emotional, and socially complex animals on the planet. In the wild, they roam up to 30 miles a day, form deep family bonds, and grieve their dead. In captivity, they’re often kept in small enclosures, isolated or with incompatible companions, and forced to endure hard surfaces that harm their feet and joints. The result? Pacing, head-bobbing, repetitive trunk swaying, and aggression -all signs of zoochosis. These are not "cute" behaviors. They are desperate coping mechanisms. And no, even "large" zoo exhibits cannot replicate the freedom and enrichment of the wild. 

Orcas, dolphins, and other marine mammals are among the worst victims of captivity -and some of the most visibly impacted by zoochosis. In the wild, orcas swim up to 100 miles a day, communicate using complex vocalizations, and live in tight-knit pods with lifelong bonds. In captivity, they circle tanks the size of "bathtubs", float listlessly at the surface, and exhibit behaviors like repetitive swimming patterns, jaw-clicking, and self-harm. Some even gnaw on the sides of their tanks until their teeth are ground down to the pulp. This isn’t conservation  -it’s cruelty. 

Birds, especially parrots, are extremely intelligent and social. They fly miles daily in the wild, solve puzzles, and form strong bonds with their flock. In captivity (especially in small cages with little enrichment) they often suffer from feather plucking, repetitive vocalizations, and self-mutilation. What’s worse is that these behaviors are often misunderstood or dismissed. A plucked parrot is not being "naughty" or "quirky". They’re trying to tell us something’s wrong, and we need to listen. 

Zoochosis is a symptom of a system that values entertainment over ethics, and profit over animal protection, but we have the power to change that. We can choose to support true sanctuaries over zoos, advocate for legislation that bans wild animal captivity, and educate others about what’s really happening behind the scenes. Animals don’t exist for our amusement. They belong in the wild, where they can be who they were meant to be. 

Join us in creating a world where wild animals stay wild because every cage, every tank, and every enclosure is one too many.  

Πηγή: Zoochosis: The Cruel Reality Behind Captivity at https://www.worldanimalprotection.us/latest/blogs/zoochosis/ 

Image1 at https://www.bornfree.org.uk/zoochosis/  

Παραπομπές: 

* Πληκτρολογήστε "στερεοτυπική συμπεριφορά στα ζώα" -- και επίσης "frustration in animals in captivity" [google.com/search] 

Δείτε επίσης "Στερεοτυπική συμπεριφορά στα ζώα" at https://filikaki-blog.blogspot.com/2020/02/blog-post_78.html

**ζωο(λογικός κήπος) + ψύχωση = ζωόχωση 

                                                                                      V.                                                       

Extension: Το Σύνθετο Τραύμα (Complex Trauma) παράγεται όταν ο τραυματισμός είναι παρατεταμένος ή/και επαναλαμβανόμενος, και η αντιμετώπιση ή η διαφυγή από αυτόν (Fight or Flight) είναι αδύνατη. Έτσι, από την σκοπιά της "Δια-ειδικής" Ψυχολογίας (Trans-Species Psychology), η ζωόχωση είναι το αποτέλεσμα μη διαχειρισίμης Σύνθετης Διαταραχής  Μετατραυματικού Στρες (Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).

The term ‘Zoochosis‘ was first coined in 1992 by Born Free’s co-founder, the late Bill Travers MBE, to describe stereotypic behaviours in captive wild animals. Stereotypic behaviours are repetitive, unvarying, apparently functionless, and are not seen in free living wild animals. Examples include pacing, swaying, head-bobbing, bar-biting, over-grooming or excessive licking. Such behaviours are thought to result from the inability of captive animals to effectively express natural behaviours and activities. The zoo environment is typically significantly smaller and less complex than the environment the animals have evolved to live in, and is devoid of both physical and social species-specific behavioural opportunities such as hunting, walking or swimming for miles and choosing who to mate and socialise with. Zoochosis has been recorded in a wide range of species, but seems to be particularly common in giraffes, elephants, bears, big cats, apes and orcas. Whilst gathering evidence for the 1993 Zoochotic Report Film*, Bill Travers witnessed animals displaying some form of abnormal behaviour in every one of over 100 zoos he visited. [Is zoochosis real? https://www.bornfree.org.uk/news/is-zoochosis-real/ (6/02/24)]

Zoochosis is a term coined to bring attention to the damage animals experience in zoos. From the perspective of trans-species psychology (the scientific recognition that all animals, including humans, share common brain structures and capacities for thinking, feeling, and consciousness), zoochosis is Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD). C-PTSD is the name given to the lasting impacts of trauma that come from protracted or repeated traumatization where escape or defense is unavailable. (See also Fight or Flight Response and the 4Fs).

[Enculturated Captivity, Zoochosis, and Collective Trauma https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/bear-in-mind/202106/enculturated-captivity-zoochosis-and-collective-trauma]

​Trans-species psychology (TSP) was established by Dr. Gay A. Bradshaw, an ecologist and psychologist who saw the need to integrate the sciences of neurology, psychology and ethology to create a more accurate scientific understanding of the commonalities between human and nonhuman animals in cognition (thinking) and emotion (feelings). It is a relatively new field that examines the similarities and differences in the emotional, cognitive and social lives of human and non-human animals. It challenges the traditional view of humans as separate from other animals and seeks to understand the interconnectedness of all species. This interdisciplinary field draws from neuroscience, psychology, evolutionary biology, and ethology to study the similarities and differences in how animals think, feel, and behave [...]​  

The prefix "trans" is a Latin noun meaning "across" or "beyond", and it is used to describe the comparability of brain, mind, and behavior across animal species. Τhe "trans" affixed to psychology "re-embeds humans within the larger matrix of the animal kingdom by erasing the ‘and’ between humans and animals that has been used to demarcate and reinforce the false notion that humans are substantively different cognitively and emotionally from other species.[https://www.oneheartwild.org/trans-species-psychology.html] 

Trans-species psycholog is based on research in neuroscience, psychology, and evolutionary biology that shows non-human and human animals have similar brains, and therefore, have similar emotions, desire for free will, and ability to think. They, like us, can love, possess individuality, grieve, communicate, socialize, experience consciousness and culture, suffer, and empathize. [https://lesley.edu/article/inside-the-animal-mind-with-gay-bradshaw] 

* https://youtu.be/Jhmv8Ya5jZE