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Visiting a zoo is an enjoyable activity for
millions of people each year, but did you know
that recreation is just one of the many reasons
why we have zoos?
There are five main functions of a modern zoo.
These are: Conservation, Reproduction, Education,
Research and Recreation. Zoos have made valuable
contributions to protecting the threatened
wildlife of the earth. If it weren’t for zoos,
many species would be extinct today. Zoos give
wild animals with NO chance a LAST chance.
Conservation:
Zoos play a fundamental role in the conservation
of endangered and threatened species all over the
world. Aside from breeding endangered animals,
conservation consists of the rescue and
preservation of existing animals. In tropical
rainforests alone, we lose 100 species every day,
4 species per hour, due to tropical
deforestation. At current rates, 5 – 10% of
tropical forest species will become extinct every
decade.
While a large part of conservation is the breeding
of animals, conservation begins with the other
branch of preservation of animals, which is simply
housing them. Whether an animal was living in a
particularly dangerous or volatile environment or
whether its species had simply become so very low
in numbers that human intervention became
necessary, zoos have provided safe havens for
endangered animals for many years.
All over the world, animal populations suffer as
their natural habitats are destroyed or taken
over. Even though in many cases the destruction
of an animal's habitat is a result of human
progress, at times the survival of a species
requires human assistance.
Some zoos even participate in conservation
projects outside of their walls. For example,
many zoos sponsor efforts to preserve natural
habitats of threatened or endangered species, such
as the Asian bamboo forests that are home to the
giant panda and the South American rain forests
that are home to the lion tamarin, a species of
small monkeys. These and other animals might not
survive without preservation efforts made by zoos
across the country. The overall goal of many
zoos is to create and conserve healthy populations
that can someday be reintroduced into the wild.
Reproduction:
The role of zoos in breeding animals, especially
endangered species, is an important one. Between
2,000 and 6,000 animal species will become extinct
in the near future without human intervention.
Zoos focusing on captive breeding can call
themselves conservation centers since they are
helping in the fight to save endangered species.
A well-managed zoo can breed animals faster than
the animals might breed in an otherwise troubled
area in the wild. Captive breeding has saved such
species as the European Bison, the Hawaiian Goose,
and the Arabian Oryx, a type of antelope, from
extinction.
Zoos around the world lend and trade animals with
each other through the Species Survival Plan (SSP)
in order to avoid inbreeding, which can lead to a
weaker population, and promote a healthier, more
diverse group of animals. Many zoos also
participate in the International Species
Information System (ISIS), a computerized
inventory of more than 250,000 animals housed in
zoos throughout the world. ISIS maintains
ancestral records for the animals to help document
the animals' genetic backgrounds.
Education:
Although few people visit a zoo with education in
mind, most modern zoos believe their primary
mission is to educate the public. Zoos are able
to alter human perceptions about animals because
they are places where people can really get to
know animals. In modern zoos, people can see,
hear and smell animals in recreations of their
natural environments.
The broader goal of zoo education is not just to
teach about animals, or even our relationship with
animals, but also to teach about the entire
natural world and our place in it. Zoos offer
guided tours, workshops for students, teachers and
the general public, lectures and other activities
to promote animal education. Many also work with
local colleges and offer apprenticeship programs
to people interested in zoo related careers.
People who don’t live near a zoo can experience
one without actually going there. Many zoos offer
distance-learning activities, web sites, which
include video clips, web-cams, and activities to
bring the zoo experience to you. Zoomobiles and
zoo educators take the zoo’s animals and message
beyond the grounds to educate those not able to
visit in person.
Research:
In the process of creating zoos for conservation,
breeding, and recreation, experts in zoos work
hard to learn as much about each animal species as
possible. This information makes it possible for
them to continue to help save a countless number
of animals each year.
Captive animals make excellent research subjects.
Scientists who can observe animals day after day
are able to make useful behavioral and physical
observations. We have spent hundreds of years
researching humans and their responses to various
stimuli and in the majority of cases we have
doctors that can tell us what is wrong if we fall
ill or hurt ourselves. But what do you do if a
wallaby falls ill? A parrot? Zoologists need to
know what kinds of things an animal can tolerate,
and what kinds of things it cannot. While we can
only hope to one day have as much knowledge of the
wallaby as we do of the human, captive animals are
our best assets in attempting to gain that sort of
information.
Recreation:
Zoos are best known for their ability to entertain
both adults and children alike. Over 134 millions
visitors flock to zoos each year to enjoy watching
and learning about the many animals found
there. Zoos are the only places that most people
will ever encounter an elephant, a tiger, a
gorilla or other endangered and exotic species.
Good zoos become exciting and entertaining places
to visit because their animals inspire awe and
wonder. They help us to appreciate the variety and
beauty of animals while expanding our imagination.
In modern zoos, people are able to interact with
many of the animals with the addition of
attractions such feeding stations, animal shows
and demonstrations, walk-through aviaries, and
drive through safari parks.
Sources:
Lindsay, Katie. Positive Aspects of Zoos.
University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.
http://www.english.uwosh.edu/hill/38-385/students/lindsay/website/index.htm,
2001.
Lumpkin, Dr. Susan. Zoos. PBS TeacherSource.
http://www.pbs.org/teachersource/scienceline/archives/oct99/oct99.shtm
Rainforest Resources/Facts.
http://rainforest-alliance.com/resources/forest-facts.html
Recreation.
http://www.goodzoos.com/recreati.htm
Zoological Society of Buffalo, Inc.
http://buffalozoo.org
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