Zoological Gardens: A History and Perspective
People all around the world love visiting the zoo - especially the kids! To be able to see their favorite animals playing around or just admiring the beauty of these creatures makes their eyes sparkle. Although seeing the animals is truly amazing, a question that is frequently asked is: “How do they manage in captivity? Are they happy living in here?” Merely looking at the animals may not reveal much about how they feel or manage in captivity, unless someone could speak to the animals but that’s not likely. Therefore, this topic requires some research. So let’s grab some thinking helmets. First, we will explore the history of zoological gardens or zoos in general.
Who created the zoological and botanical gardens? The creator of zoological and botanical gardens is King Aššūr-bēl-kala of the Middle Assyrian Empire. He created the gardens in the 11th century BCE. “In the 2nd century BCE, the Chinese Empress Tanki had a ‘house of deer’ built, and King Wen of Zhou kept a 1,500-acre zoo called Ling-Yu, or the Garden of Intelligence.” There are others who collected animals including King Solomon of Israel and King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia.
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These animals were found on his military expeditions. The Roman Empire also collected animals, but in private, so that they could study the animals and use them in the arena. The 19th-century historian W. E. H. Lecky wrote of the Roman games, first held in 366
Considering the many challenges animals face in the wild, it is understandable that people may be eager to support zoos and may feel that they are protective facilities necessary for animal life. In the article “ Zoos Are Not Prisons. They Improve the Lives of Animals”, Author Robin Ganzert argues that Zoos are ethical institutions that enrich the lives of animals and ultimately protect them. Statistics have shown that animals held in captivity have limited utilitarian function resulting in cramped quarters, poor diets, depression, and early death for the animals thus, proving that Zoos are not ethical institutions that support and better the lives of animals as author Robin Ganzert stated (Cokal 491). Ganzert exposes the false premise in stating
The beast hunts were held in the Colosseum or the amphitheaters across the Roman Empire as the first event in the morning of The Games before the executions and gladiator games. The purpose of the beast hunts was to show the wealth of the editor, or giver of The Games, and for the Romans to show their political authority in being able to obtain animals from far distant places. Also, beast hunts symbolized the power of man's control over nature. For the Romans, greater numbers and varieties of animals demonstrated the extent of their power. For example, at the inauguration of the Colosseum, under the Emperor Titus, 9000 animals were slaughtered. The record number of animals killed was 11000 under the Emperor Trajen.
Stotts, Jeff. "The Historical Origins of the Zoological Park in American Thought." Environmental Review 5, no. 2 (1981): 52.
Have you ever seen an animal sitting in a cage all alone with nothing to do. Well, zoos are trying to change that fact. They will allow the animals to live in an environment that is like their home. Many people don't realize this, but zoo are keeping and breeding these animals because they would not survive in the wild alone. In the three passages, ¨The Stripes Will Survive,¨ ¨The Zood Go Wild from No More Dodos,¨ ¨Our Beautiful Macaws and Why They Need Enrichment.¨ All of these articles present one claim, that is that the role of zoos is no longer to keep animal, but to protect them.
The history of change regarding the varying displays of animals has been gradual yet profound. A clear shift has been evident surrounding the role and nature of a zoo’s position within society. When assessing zoological history it seems that there are three distinct phases. From the early collections where animals were kept and used for religion, hunting and entertainment to the private menageries in which wild animals were contained as a sign of wealth, dominance and privilege and more recently the development of zoos as modern ins...
Animal rights have become a very serious issue here in the United States over the last few decades. One issue that has been discussed is whether or not zoos serve a good purpose or are they just a torture chamber for the animals. Locked up in small cages so people can yell at them and stare. Or are zoos the key to save our species in an ever growing human population. Rachel Lu, a philosophy teacher and senior columnist, writes the article, “Let’s Keep Zoos: Learning stewardship is a good thing.”, published April 18, 2014, argues that zoos are worth keeping. Rachel Lu uses her personal experiences to appeal to her audience that zoos are valuable to people especially young children because it gives them a perspective on nature.
It’s often thought that the captivity of animals is for “educational purposes” or for “conservation of endangered species”, but in my opinion these words of fiction are really to conceal the fact that these animals are being mistreated and mishandled for financial gain. Confining animals to cramped conditions in unnatural habitats, with the constant violation of privacy from the public and their loss of freedom makes zoos the worst, so called, home for animals. Zoos provide unnatural habitats. For these confined creatures its near impossible to replicate the environment wild animals experience. This is due to the limited space each animal gets provided, this leaves the captive animals feeling imprisoned and uncomfortable rather than feeling
Many locals and tourists will head to the Zoo in hopes of seeing animals one can only see in the wild. A trip to the zoo is supposed to be fun, entertaining, and what some say “a good learning experience. ”These exotic animals are not put in their natural environments. Pushed behind artificial enclosures, and often times lonely. Thousands of people worldwide will pass hundreds of animal exhibits and many of these people won’t stand at the animal’s exhibit long enough to notice that something is wrong with the animal's living conditions.
Since approximately 1250 B.C., ancient Egyptians had created and practiced the capture and display of animals in what are now known as zoos (Fravel). Records describe such exotic animals as birds, lions, giraffes, and tigers in captivity (Fravel). Since then, zoos have continued to entertain millions with the exciting chance to view exotic animals up close and personal. Even in ancient Greece, exotic animals were on display in fighting arenas, and in enclosed viewing areas. Originally in America, zoos were just created so that royalty and the wealthy could flaunt their exotic animals to the public (Leolupus). Today, with species threatened and habitats disappearing worldwide, zoos are serving a new purpose other than the mere exhibition of animals – conservation. (Fravel). When you think of a zoo, you either think of a fun, entertaining place that provides close-up and exciting exhibits of wild animals that you would otherwise never get the chance to see, or a place where people keep suffering, unhappy animals captive just for entertainment and display. However, despite whichever view you hold, and despite the stereotypes, some zoos have evolved to serve alternative and helpful purposes. Although some zoos face controversy due to allegations such as lack of space and quality care, neglect, and cruelty, some zoos have programs specifically designed to help and protect animal species. For example, these zoos have programs that help such conservation efforts as breeding.
What do you think about zoos? Children standing in front of big cages, feel excited to see those lovely animals and share the joy with their parents. Parents will then read aloud the information on the signs to educate the children. At lunch hour, animals in bonds wait for delicious dishes provided by zoo keepers and live happily ever after. It seems that zoos are really a heaven to us and animals. It gives us a place to keep close to nature, saving those little pitiful things in wild. Unluckily, that is not the truth we wished. Indeed, zoos magnify their contribution to educational circle, exaggerating the importance of role play in conservation work, in order to cover those disgraceful secrets behind.
Lin, Doris. "Emaciated Asian Elephant Started Life at Busch Gardens." N.p., n.d. Web. 12 May 2015.
Many zoos today say their main purpose is breeding endangered species in captivity and reintroducing them into the wild (Masci, D., 2000, April 28). Zoos have many benefits, not just for the animals themselves, but also the humans who can enjoy them. People, as a whole, are becoming increasingly distant from nature as we move to bigger cities and away from the wildlife. For many, real experiences with wild animals can only be found in zoos (Masci, D., 2000, April 28). With education comes recognition and worry. The wildlife experiences that people have at well taken care of zoos and aquariums are becoming even more crucial as we continue to urbanize our world (Masci, D., 2000, April 28). Visitors play a major part in the zoo animals’ well-being, relying on donations and the interest of the public to pay for procedures and new exhibits. People come to zoos with specific ideas and thoughts on what they expect to see. If the zoo looks bad, the animals look maltreated, or there is garbage all over the ground, the zoo 's reputation will dissolve and the animals will not thrive and may have to be sold to who knows where (Falk, Reinhard, Vernon, Bronnenkant, Deans & Heimlich, 2007). Zoos need the help of the communities to continue to provide a comfortable environment for their animals. People come to zoos to learn and expand their horizons by seeing animals from all
Zoos have the worst conditions for the animals. The cages are described as having feces in the water and having non real habitats. The animals are explained to not like the conditions that they live in. They have to endure these poor conditions just to be looked at for the people’s amusement.
Shelter: Animals habitat in the gardens requires shelter to breed in, sleep and hibernate in. Most of the gardeners place bird boxes in the gardens to attract the birds to the gardens. Boxes are also made for some insects also including lacewings, ladybird and bumble bees. A compost heap in the garden is the best place for the shelter of frogs, he...
When bred in captivity, animals are oblivious to their natural habitats and how to socially interact with their species. The article “Animals Used as Entertainment” lists rodeos, circuses, bullfighting, horse racing, cockfighting, dog fighting, and zoos as examples of the many ways animals are used in entertainment. Circuses and zoos are the two most relevant forms of animal mistreatment. Both of these are sources of entertainment for children and adults. Zoos declare that they are used for mostly educational purposes and preserving various species, but the reality is that they fall short on both (“Animals Used”).