Zoos and Aquariums

[Chukchi Husky]

I also find that a lot of the alleged conservation and research work done by zoos and aquariums to be merely bottom-barrel efforts meant to cover their own ass:

The research can end up being wrong. The first serious research and study into wolves begun during the early seventies. What the researchers did was observe random wolves brought together in captivity and how the wolves interacted with each other. This is where the idea that wolves form hierarchy based packs led by an alpha comes from. Later observation with wolves in the wild showed that this idea is incorrect, wolf packs are more like an extended familym but people still continue to believe it to this day.

 

[Hrothbern]

The research can end up being wrong. The first serious research and study into wolves begun during the early seventies. What the researchers did was observe random wolves brought together in captivity and how the wolves interacted with each other. This is where the idea that wolves form hierarchy based packs led by an alpha comes from. Later observation with wolves in the wild showed that this idea is incorrect, wolf packs are more like an extended familym but people still continue to believe it to this day.

Yes, that is my understanding as well.
Alpha is not very usefull to describe wolf behaviour. There is no strict military like dominance structure. The original father and mother are however more dominant than their children and mostly also than a lone wolf that sometimes joins the extended family.
Many people that own dogs do believe in that old and wrong story and think it is absolutely necessaire to be themselves the big Alpha in their relation with their dogs. But dominance and punishment are much less effective than attention and rewarding what the dog does right.

 

[civvver]

Zoos are entertaining. And some preserve endangered species. A lot of zoos stopped housing elephants because of reason you mentioned. It's detrimental to them. They need large areas to range. Some other animals that should be in the wild though like tigers can't realistically because they are too endangered.

I don't think dolphins mind being housed that much to be honest. They liked to communicate with trainers and do tricks for fish. They are social creatures and can socialize with humans too. Maybe someone should do a study on depression in aquarium dolphins. I know seaworld stopped housing orcas cus they need much more space and weren't happy.