It is said that to protect wildlife, we need to be educated about the wildlife that populates our planet. As humans and as superior species on Earth, we place exotic animals, aquatic and terrestrial, in zoos or aquariums where people can go to see them to learn more about them and protect them. It just so happens that by placing these animals in captivity, we are causing more harm to them, just as harm is occurring in nature and more and more species are becoming extinct. Animals should not be kept in captivity; it doesn't save them from extinction, but it helps kill them. The first zoo in the United States was established in 1874 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Philadelphia Zoo initially had only 813 animals, but has now grown to 1,300, while maintaining the same forty-two acres as when it first opened. Today there are zoos in almost every major city in the country and even more around the world. But along with zoos there are marine parks and aquariums. The most famous marine park is SeaWorld, which has three different locations in the nation: Orlando, San Diego and San Antonio. Zoos and aquariums were created to learn about the species we live with on this planet. Be educated about wild creatures that are so different from us. Zoos and the caging of wild animals have been around for centuries, there is evidence from Egypt of rulers having wild animals as pets, locking them in cages, just like today people have hamsters but instead you would have a wild animal. Today, zoos are used for educational purposes to teach people about wild animals so that we can learn how to conserve the planet and animal habitats, in order to prevent other animals from becoming... middle of paper.... . ..D. Network. 03 December 2013.Hediger, Heini. Wild animals in captivity. New York: Dover Publications, 1964. 27-60. Print.Mason, Georgia J. “Species Differences in Responses to Captivity: Stress, Welfare, and the Comparative Method.” Trends in Ecology and Evolution 25.12 (2010): 713-21. Print.Mason, Georgia, et al. “Caged Plastic Animals: Behavioral Flexibility and Responses to Captivity.” Animal Behavior85.5 (nd): 1113-1126. Biological abstracts. Network. December 2, 2013.Rohter, Larry. “In killing a bay, side with the dolphins.” The New York Times. The New York Times, July 16, 2009. Web. December 2, 2013. "Should Animals Be Kept in Captivity?" ABC News. ABC News Network, Dec. 28, 2007. Web. Dec. 02. 2013.The Bay. Dir. Louie Psihoyos. Lionsgate, roadside attractions. 2009. DVD. “Zoological Park". National Geographic Education. National Geographic Society, nd Web. 02 December. 2013.