Happy, an Asian elephant, lives at the Bronx Zoo, in New York City. But the Bronx Zoo was taken to court (法庭) because it doesn’t provide the space and socialization that Happy needs. The case has restarted discussions about whether or not zoos should still be there.

Grace Hipp, 8

Many animals are saved from dying out thanks to zoos. This past summer, I saw the California condor (秃鹰) at the San Diego Zoo and learned about the breeding (繁育) program there. Scores of years ago, these birds were almost wiped out in the wild. But the zoo has taken some of them in and helped them breed. Now there are many more California condors.

Yanni Warrenson, 12

In zoos, animals might not be provided with proper living conditions. They might also be mistreated for entertainment (娱乐). Animals can feel stressed by the cage, an unfamiliar environment, and the presence of humans. A 2003 study of 35 kinds of animals found that zoo cages were too small for some of the animals to do their daily activities.

Shane Madrak, 10

Zoos provide animals with food and a place that is made by copying their natural living areas. And most zoos have educational programs that help humans learn about different animals and protection efforts.

Susie Slawsky, 9

Animals are kept away from their natural homes, where they can run free, and put in limited areas or cages. If it’s a crowded day at the zoo, some animals might get nervous or frightened. When they’re in zoos, they can also lose their natural characters. If they were set free into the wild, they wouldn’t know how to survive. An animal’s health is more important than our entertainment.

When Dan Shaw gets up from the sofa in his home, Cuddles is never far away. When he wants to go outside, he doesn’t take Cuddles out for walk—Cuddles takes him for a walk. Cuddles is clearly no ordinary family pet. It is a two-foot-high miniature horse and serves as the guiding eyes of Shaw, who is blind.

When Shaw lost his sight, his wife suggested he apply for a guide dog. Shaw, an animal lover, said he couldn’t bear to part with a dog (which usually lives about eight to ten years) and get used to a new one, perhaps several times in his life.

Then Shaw heard of a program about the tiny guide horses. He learned that the horse possess many qualities that make them an excellent choice for guiding people. They are clean friendly, smart and have great memories. They can be trained to remain calm in noisy and crowded places. Best of all, they live for 25-25years, which would enable Shaw to have the same guide companion for most or all of his life.

Shaw immediately applied to be and was accepted as the first person to receive a guide horse. The instant he met Cuddles, he knew he was making the right choice. Then he began his training.

Through training ,Shaw and Cuddles learned to find way on busy streets, step over curbs (便道沿儿) and find elevator buttons. Cuddles even demonstrated (显示)its ability to step in front of Shaw and block him, to prevent him from walking into a dangerous situation. The little horse also expertly led Shaw through busy shopping malls. They got along without any difficulties. Now Shaw is confident that Cuddles will change his life for the better.

Research led by an ecologist Bart Hoekstra shows that birds are affected by the mass use of fireworks on New Year’s Eve.

The research studied how many birds take off immediately after the start of the fireworks, at what distance from fireworks this occurs and which species groups mainly react. “Birds take off as a result of an acute flight response due to sudden noise and light. We already knew that many water birds react strongly, but now we also see the effect on other birds throughout the Netherlands,” says Bart Hoekstra.

Last year, a study discovered that geese are so affected by fireworks that they spend about 10% longer looking for food than normal during at least the next 12 days. They apparently need time to restore their energy to their former condition, after escaping from the fireworks.

Because 62% of all birds in the Netherlands live within a radius (半径) of 2.5 km of inhabited areas (居民区), the effects of fireworks are high for all birds throughout the country. “Flying requires a lot of energy, so ideally birds should be disturbed as little as possible during the cold winter months. Measures to ensure this are especially important in open areas such as grasslands, where many larger birds spend the winter. The effects of fireworks on birds are less pronounced near forests and semi-open areas. In addition, smaller birds live there, which are less likely to fly away from disturbance,” says Bart Hoekstra.

People who argue for fireworks-free zones in areas where large birds live advise that fireworks should mainly be lit as far away from birds as possible. It would be best for birds if people try to use light shows without sound, such as drone (无人机) shows instead of fireworks.