The Zoo
We saw this beautiful snow leopard while visiting our local zoo the other day.
I have mixed feelings about zoos. As a veterinarian, I have a greater understanding of the general needs of exotic animals than the public, however, I'm not a zoo vet. I've been behind the scenes at a zoo and aquarium and have seen first hand the excellent level of care the animals receive, though I've never actually taken part in that care. With these disclaimers, I'm going to state some things about zoos that are my opinions while fully acknowledging that I may be missing critical points of zoo epidemiology.
Zoos have come a very long way from when they were first created. I have a general dislike of placing animals in cages for the entertainment of humans, and this is what all zoos were when they began. There still are some traveling "zoos" in more rural parts of America and likely elsewhere in the world, where animals are kept in small cages and do nothing but travel from town to town. This I whole heartedly disagree with and believe these animals should be confiscated and relocated to sanctuary. Most enclosures in zoos are still too small and restrict natural movement of the species contained within (Extrapolation from the ~6 zoos I have visited in the last few years). However in recent years there have been many zoos that have been slowly restructuring to provide a greater range of environmental enrichments and space for their animals, such as the Oregon Zoo and the LA Zoo, which recently opened a new 6.5 acre habitat for its 4 elephants.
I also believe there are some species that do not belong in any enclosure, anywhere. Honestly, there are some animals that do not seem stressed by their environment and likely thrive in zoos without fear of predators and abundant food and enrichment. However I do not believe long-range roaming animals, apes, or the apex predators belong in zoos. I would like to see more zoos have less animals with more space to roam.
Zoos do provide education and participate in research to broaden our understanding of these exotic species, which in turn can translate to better domestic animal or human disease treatment. In fact in the Zoobiquity movement, MDs and veterinarians have begun collaborating and sharing information about diseases and treatments that affect both animals and humans. For example, diabetes is a disease that both humans and non-human animals can suffer from, with similar triggers. Collaboration between the human and animal medical fields can get us closer to an understanding and cure. This is part of the larger One Health Initiative, which seeks to increase the well-being and health of the planet.
Zoos also contribute to conservation efforts by learning about the species they care for, translating this to field conservationists and inspiring the public to care. Public awareness is essential for conservation. Conservation efforts require money, and money must come from somewhere. People need to care about something enough to want to save it, and getting them close to a wild animal is the best way, hands down. Zoos provide a safe and accessible way to experience the majesty of exotic species that would otherwise never be available to most people. For these last few reasons, I support my local zoo with an annual membership.
If I was building a zoo, I would:
- Have fewer species with a larger amount of space dedicated to each resident
- Have appropriate enrichment, opportunities for forage, burrowing, or other naturally occurring behaviors
- Have no large cats, or at least have larger areas for the cats to be able to hunt, hide, and roam
- Design enclosures so that humans are not emphasized; rather, I would minimize the human component so that the humans are silent and invisible guests in the animal's environment as much as possible.
I have mixed feelings about zoos. As a veterinarian, I have a greater understanding of the general needs of exotic animals than the public, however, I'm not a zoo vet. I've been behind the scenes at a zoo and aquarium and have seen first hand the excellent level of care the animals receive, though I've never actually taken part in that care. With these disclaimers, I'm going to state some things about zoos that are my opinions while fully acknowledging that I may be missing critical points of zoo epidemiology.
Zoos have come a very long way from when they were first created. I have a general dislike of placing animals in cages for the entertainment of humans, and this is what all zoos were when they began. There still are some traveling "zoos" in more rural parts of America and likely elsewhere in the world, where animals are kept in small cages and do nothing but travel from town to town. This I whole heartedly disagree with and believe these animals should be confiscated and relocated to sanctuary. Most enclosures in zoos are still too small and restrict natural movement of the species contained within (Extrapolation from the ~6 zoos I have visited in the last few years). However in recent years there have been many zoos that have been slowly restructuring to provide a greater range of environmental enrichments and space for their animals, such as the Oregon Zoo and the LA Zoo, which recently opened a new 6.5 acre habitat for its 4 elephants.
I also believe there are some species that do not belong in any enclosure, anywhere. Honestly, there are some animals that do not seem stressed by their environment and likely thrive in zoos without fear of predators and abundant food and enrichment. However I do not believe long-range roaming animals, apes, or the apex predators belong in zoos. I would like to see more zoos have less animals with more space to roam.
Zoos do provide education and participate in research to broaden our understanding of these exotic species, which in turn can translate to better domestic animal or human disease treatment. In fact in the Zoobiquity movement, MDs and veterinarians have begun collaborating and sharing information about diseases and treatments that affect both animals and humans. For example, diabetes is a disease that both humans and non-human animals can suffer from, with similar triggers. Collaboration between the human and animal medical fields can get us closer to an understanding and cure. This is part of the larger One Health Initiative, which seeks to increase the well-being and health of the planet.
Zoos also contribute to conservation efforts by learning about the species they care for, translating this to field conservationists and inspiring the public to care. Public awareness is essential for conservation. Conservation efforts require money, and money must come from somewhere. People need to care about something enough to want to save it, and getting them close to a wild animal is the best way, hands down. Zoos provide a safe and accessible way to experience the majesty of exotic species that would otherwise never be available to most people. For these last few reasons, I support my local zoo with an annual membership.
If I was building a zoo, I would:
- Have fewer species with a larger amount of space dedicated to each resident
- Have appropriate enrichment, opportunities for forage, burrowing, or other naturally occurring behaviors
- Have no large cats, or at least have larger areas for the cats to be able to hunt, hide, and roam
- Design enclosures so that humans are not emphasized; rather, I would minimize the human component so that the humans are silent and invisible guests in the animal's environment as much as possible.
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