Zoos and Conservation
A number of animal advocates insist that all zoos should cease operation and that the animals in their care should be released into the wild, where they belong. I would agree...if humans were perfect. The fossil record reveals that the composition of the biosphere is not static (we no longer have Triceratops, after all), but human activity is certainly leading to an expedited disappearance of many modern species. Hunting, habitat destruction, and pollution have driven many species to the brink of extinction. We need institutions to help stop and then correct the damage we have already done.
Zoos are instrumental in countering these issues in a number of ways. The first may be the most obvious: zoos are educational. People are more likely to care about animals when they see them in person; they can feel like they have developed a relationship with their favorites and might want to help if they learn the species is in trouble. Through exhibits, classes, and presentations, zoos are in a prime position to bring more awareness of conservation issues to the general public.
Zoos also engage in a lot of research behind the scenes. Behavioral and physiological studies are especially beneficial to scientists trying to help wild populations. Researchers might discover factors that improve breeding success, for example, and other scientists can apply that knowledge to help a pair in the wild reproduce.
Finally, zoos really are important to conservation in the most basic sense. Some species require large tracts of unbroken territory to thrive. Environmental efforts may be reclaiming some land for wildlife, but there isn't enough yet to sustain a stable population. This is especially true for large cats. There are currently more Amur leopards in zoos than in the wild. If we released all the leopards back into their natural habitat, they would compete for scarce resources, and most would die off. Inbreeding in the remaining population would threaten genetic viability of future offspring, and the Amur leopard would almost certainly become extinct.
Scientists are working to find ways to provide leopards and other animals adequate space for survival. In the meantime, zoos perform selective breeding through their Species Survival Plans to maintain genetic diversity for eventual reintroduction of individuals to the wild. There are even facilities in Russia working toward this goal. Leopards are kept in vast enclosures mimicking and bordering the natural territory of the leopard. After a successful breeding, the mother raises her cubs with minimal human contact. When they reach maturity, the cubs are released into the wild.
A similar story illustrates the success zoos have already had with breeding programs. In the 1970s, black-footed ferrets were thought extinct. When a population was discovered in 1981, the individuals were eventually collected and selectively bred in an attempt to save the species. Thousands of ferrets have been reintroduced into the wild, where they continue to breed on their own. The wild population has grown to nearly one thousand individuals from the original eighteen taken into captivity in the 1980s. If scientists had left those animals in the wild, they probably would have perished, and the black-footed ferret would still be considered extinct. In this case, captivity was necessary for the greater good of the species.
Of course, not all zoos are good, or even acceptable. They are less likely to be dedicated to quality animal care if they do not belong to the AZA. Even some that do could stand to improve, and all zoos should continue to evolve as new information becomes available about best practices in animal care. I could write more about animal behavior and psychology, but this post is already longer than usual. I will conclude by saying that zoo educators and officials are great resources when it comes to discussing your concerns, but it is especially helpful to talk to the keepers. It is my experience that most zookeepers are dedicated to their animals. It is a tough job, often with low pay, so few people would enter the field if they weren't passionate about the welfare of animals. Some of them love animals so much, their interactions with humans might seem awkward by comparison, but if you get a chance to speak with a keeper, you should take the opportunity to ask them questions and learn what they do to provide the best care possible.
Zoos are instrumental in countering these issues in a number of ways. The first may be the most obvious: zoos are educational. People are more likely to care about animals when they see them in person; they can feel like they have developed a relationship with their favorites and might want to help if they learn the species is in trouble. Through exhibits, classes, and presentations, zoos are in a prime position to bring more awareness of conservation issues to the general public.
Zoos also engage in a lot of research behind the scenes. Behavioral and physiological studies are especially beneficial to scientists trying to help wild populations. Researchers might discover factors that improve breeding success, for example, and other scientists can apply that knowledge to help a pair in the wild reproduce.
Finally, zoos really are important to conservation in the most basic sense. Some species require large tracts of unbroken territory to thrive. Environmental efforts may be reclaiming some land for wildlife, but there isn't enough yet to sustain a stable population. This is especially true for large cats. There are currently more Amur leopards in zoos than in the wild. If we released all the leopards back into their natural habitat, they would compete for scarce resources, and most would die off. Inbreeding in the remaining population would threaten genetic viability of future offspring, and the Amur leopard would almost certainly become extinct.
Scientists are working to find ways to provide leopards and other animals adequate space for survival. In the meantime, zoos perform selective breeding through their Species Survival Plans to maintain genetic diversity for eventual reintroduction of individuals to the wild. There are even facilities in Russia working toward this goal. Leopards are kept in vast enclosures mimicking and bordering the natural territory of the leopard. After a successful breeding, the mother raises her cubs with minimal human contact. When they reach maturity, the cubs are released into the wild.
A similar story illustrates the success zoos have already had with breeding programs. In the 1970s, black-footed ferrets were thought extinct. When a population was discovered in 1981, the individuals were eventually collected and selectively bred in an attempt to save the species. Thousands of ferrets have been reintroduced into the wild, where they continue to breed on their own. The wild population has grown to nearly one thousand individuals from the original eighteen taken into captivity in the 1980s. If scientists had left those animals in the wild, they probably would have perished, and the black-footed ferret would still be considered extinct. In this case, captivity was necessary for the greater good of the species.
Of course, not all zoos are good, or even acceptable. They are less likely to be dedicated to quality animal care if they do not belong to the AZA. Even some that do could stand to improve, and all zoos should continue to evolve as new information becomes available about best practices in animal care. I could write more about animal behavior and psychology, but this post is already longer than usual. I will conclude by saying that zoo educators and officials are great resources when it comes to discussing your concerns, but it is especially helpful to talk to the keepers. It is my experience that most zookeepers are dedicated to their animals. It is a tough job, often with low pay, so few people would enter the field if they weren't passionate about the welfare of animals. Some of them love animals so much, their interactions with humans might seem awkward by comparison, but if you get a chance to speak with a keeper, you should take the opportunity to ask them questions and learn what they do to provide the best care possible.
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