Introduction to Zoo
Zoo, a place where living animals are kept to be exhibited and studied. The name is a popular abbreviation of zoological garden, and most zoos are gardens or parks containing buildings and other enclosures. Zoos usually keep only wild animals, many of them from distant countries. However, some zoos display domestic animals such as cows and hogs to show to city children who have no chance to visit farms. Children's zoos are sometimes included in zoological gardens. They may have nurseries where children can view young animals, and sometimes have areas where children can pet and feed tame animals.
A zoo is a place where living animals are kept to be exhibited and studied.The term menagerie also refers to a collection of animals, but usually to one maintained for commercial exhibition and entertainment. Traveling menageries were popular in days when few persons had opportunities to see zoos in large cities, and became one of the elements making up the huge American circuses. Zoo generally means a permanent exhibition where animals are selected and displayed for educational and scientific purposes. Zoos also provide scientists with opportunities to observe the behavior of animals and to conduct research. Zoos are also important centers of wildlife conservation. Many zoos breed endangered species, some of which are extinct in the wild.
How Zoos Obtain Animals
Zoos buy most of their animals from regular dealers who collect them from all over the world. Occasionally a zoo will send out its own collecting expedition. Animals are also obtained by trading with other zoos. Animals that are hard to collect and transport, or that are difficult to breed in captivity, are the most expensive. Lions are relatively inexpensive animals because they are easily bred and raised in zoos. White rhinoceroses are among the most expensive.
How Animals Are Kept and Displayed
Providing Natural EnvironmentThe zoo director and curators (officials in charge of various divisions) try to make the exhibits attractive and educational for the public. They also try to keep the animals comfortable and healthy. For both reasons, the natural habitat of each kind of animal is reproduced as nearly as possible. Animals that live in or near water in their natural state are provided with streams or ponds. Monkeys have trees in which to swing and sit. Birds are allowed to fly about in enclosures where there are shrubs and trees for perching and nesting.
In some zoos animals can be seen outdoors in relatively large areas without bars, separated from the public only by dry moats wide and deep enough to prevent their escape. Moats are also used in ecological exhibits, where animals that share the same natural habitat are displayed together, to separate predators and their prey (for example, lions and antelopes).
In winter nearly all animals are quartered in cages in heated buildings. Here, too, an effort is made to give the animals normal living conditions. Temperatures are regulated and artificial sunlight is provided. Cages may be supplied with rocks, pools, and plants. Landscapes may be painted on the walls to make the display more attractive and realistic to the public.
Feeding and Medical CareDietitians and veterinarians may be a part of the staff of large zoos. In smaller zoos the staff zoologists may handle diet and health problems, or they may call in outside veterinarians when animals become sick. If it is impossible to supply an animal with the same food it would find in its native home, substitutes must be provided. Minerals and vitamins are often added to the diet. Apes and monkeys are separated from zoo visitors by glass walls to prevent them from catching such human diseases as colds and tuberculosis. Most zoos have hospitals to provide care for sick or injured animals.
Famous Zoos
One of the oldest zoos in the world is at the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, or the Jardin des Plantes, in Paris; in the 1790's, during the French Revolution, a large collection of wild animals was moved here from the royal court at Versailles. The London Zoo, one of the largest zoos in the world, was founded by the Zoological Society of London in 1826 and opened to the public in 1828. The Tierpark Hagenbeck, founded near Hamburg, Germany, in 1907, was the first zoo to use moated areas. Today, there are fine zoos in nearly every country, most of them in or near large cities.
Among notable United States zoos are the following:
Chicago Zoological Park (Brookfield Zoo), Brookfield, Illinois. It has one of the largest and most varied animal collections in the United States.
Cincinnati Zoo, Cincinnati, Ohio. It is one of the oldest and largest zoos in the United States. It was among the first to exhibit animals in cageless areas that reproduced natural habitats and was the first United States zoo to devote a major building to insects. It has a children's zoo, and animal acts are presented daily in summer.
Detroit Zoological Park, Royal Oak, Michigan. The exhibits are cageless and are grouped by continents. A miniature railway takes visitors through the park.
International Wildlife Conservation Park (Bronx Zoo), Bronx, New York. It has a collection of very rare animals, many in enclosures separated by deep moats. Wild Asia, its largest exhibit, is viewed from a monorail train. The park was opened in 1899.
Lincoln Park Zoological Garden (Lincoln Park Zoo), Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1868, it is the oldest zoo in the United States and one of the most popular zoos in the world. It has a varied collection of about 2,000 animals.
Milwaukee County Zoological Park, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It provides natural settings for almost all the animals and has a number of underwater viewing areas.
National Zoological Park, Washington, D.C. It is under the direction of the Smithsonian Institution. The zoo has more than 4,000 animals.
Philadelphia Zoological Garden (Philadelphia Zoo), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The zoological society was founded in 1859 and opened exhibits in 1874. The zoo was a pioneer in animal health research.
St. Louis Zoological Park, St. Louis, Missouri. The zoo has an extensive collection and natural-habitat settings. In summer, shows featuring sea lions and other animals are presented daily.
San Diego Zoo, San Diego, California. Most of the animals are exhibited outdoors in tropical and subtropical plantings. An aerial tramway gives visitors an overview of the zoo. The zoo has a reproduction program for endangered species.
History
In ancient times rulers and wealthy people kept collections of wild animals. The Greek philosopher Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) kept a collection of live animals and made a scientific study of them. The Romans collected animals from all over their vast empire for display and gladiatorial combat. During the Middle Ages exhibits of wild animals were popular, and many noblemen had private zoos. The Aztecs of Mexico and the Incas of Peru maintained royal menageries.
One of the first zoos designed for public exhibition and scientific research was the Jardin des Plantes (Plant Garden), a fine collection of plants and animals that was opened in Paris in 1793. By the end of the 19th century there were zoos open to the public in several large European cities and in the United States.
The American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums, founded in 1924, is a professional organization for zoo and aquarium employees. It publishes a monthly newsletter and sponsors ISIS, International Species Inventory System, a computer census of zoo and aquarium animals, which is used for selecting animals for breeding. The association's headquarters are in Wheeling, West Virginia.