Abstract

The study addresses the ethical disaster of wildlife commodification, focusing on the dangerous path brought about by zoo privatization as well as the illegal wildlife trade, where the capture of specimens leads to habitat destruction and the degradation of traditional practices associated with temple and kumkhi elephants in India for profit. While groups like PETA India are portrayed as an anti-exploitation force, the most sinister route is wildlife smuggling, which is frequently made possible by the already opaque private animal holding practices. This raises an ethical dilemma that transcends the conflict of profit versus conservation and animal welfare, raising important issues regarding the causes of illicit activity, ecological consequences, cultural traditions, the influence of animal rights advocacy, the effects of opacity, and the moral implications of the imbalance in favor of profit. The recommendations then call for a completely new system that emphasizes ethics, ecology, and the inherent nature of all sentient beings. This regime would include harsher penalties, a powerful regulatory framework, sustainable practices, respect for cultural customs in addition to animal welfare, increased public awareness, stakeholder cooperation, financially non-competitive zoo models, and transparency in order to bring wildlife to a sustainable and humane future.

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