Did the Mayans have zoos?

[FunkyGibbon]

This is really more a semantic question. The archaeological evidence that they kept captive big cats seems to be cut and dried. However, raising them for sacrifice seems to fall short of the definition in my eyes.

The Maya Kept Jaguar Zoos for Centuries - The Atlantic

 

[Coelacanth18]

I think the word "zoo", while eye-catching, is not the correct word to use for this situation. There isn't any evidence that these animals were used for public display, and if the point was to harvest and breed wild animals as a resource for sacrificial killings then calling it a zoo seems pretty inappropriate. I certainly wouldn't call any modern-day version of that a zoo.

 

[LaughingDove]

I think the word "zoo", while eye-catching, is not the correct word to use for this situation. There isn't any evidence that these animals were used for public display, and if the point was to harvest and breed wild animals as a resource for sacrificial killings then calling it a zoo seems pretty inappropriate. I certainly wouldn't call any modern-day version of that a zoo.

A modern day equivalent that comes to mind are the facilities in China that breed tigers primarily for use in Traditional Chinese Medicine but have a display portion/zoo as a front for the breeding for slaughter. While it doesn't seem like there's evidence that the Mayan Jaguar breeding had a display facility as a front (though I don't know), it's interesting to consider whether or not you would call a place a zoo if the main purpose was to breed exotic animals for slaughter but with some sort of portion where the animals were on display as well, at least before their eventual slaughter.

I don't know, though I'm inclined to think that most zoochatters would call a place like that a zoo, even if the animals were eventually destined for slaughter. And even if the Mayan Jaguar breeding "zoo" didn't have animals on display, would it then be a "private collection"?

 

[lintworm]

A modern day equivalent that comes to mind are the facilities in China that breed tigers primarily for use in Traditional Chinese Medicine but have a display portion/zoo as a front for the breeding for slaughter. While it doesn't seem like there's evidence that the Mayan Jaguar breeding had a display facility as a front (though I don't know), it's interesting to consider whether or not you would call a place a zoo if the main purpose was to breed exotic animals for slaughter but with some sort of portion where the animals were on display as well, at least before their eventual slaughter.

I don't know, though I'm inclined to think that most zoochatters would call a place like that a zoo, even if the animals were eventually destined for slaughter. And even if the Mayan Jaguar breeding "zoo" didn't have animals on display, would it then be a "private collection"?

Do farms qualify as private collections?

 

[LaughingDove]

Do farms qualify as private collections?

A typical farm with domestic animals, no. But one with exotic animals like those exotic hoofstock ranches in Texas... maybe?

 

[Coelacanth18]

I would say the raising of any animals for the sake of physical harvesting is a farm and not a zoo, regardless of whether they are domestic or exotic. I don't even think public access necessarily changes that, as people can have tours of farms and ranches.

As to "collection", I feel like that just describes any sum of captive animals at a given location or kept by a given owner/organization.

 

[LaughingDove]

I would say the raising of any animals for the sake of physical harvesting is a farm and not a zoo, regardless of whether they are domestic or exotic. I don't even think public access necessarily changes that, as people can have tours of farms and ranches.

As to "collection", I feel like that just describes any sum of captive animals at a given location or kept by a given owner/organization.

What about a facility that keeps venomous snakes for harvesting of venom but also has an on display portion? (Like the Australian Venom Zoo)

Or what if it's a place that keeps some species for harvesting while others purely for display? A majority of species for harvesting but with a few special 'pets' that aren't destined to be killed?

I think there's definitely some sort of grey area here. Taking it to an absolute extreme, many zoos breed crickets or mice for feeding to their animals. There has to be a line somewhere.

 

[Coelacanth18]

What about a facility that keeps venomous snakes for harvesting of venom but also has an on display portion? (Like the Australian Venom Zoo)

Or what if it's a place that keeps some species for harvesting while others purely for display? A majority of species for harvesting but with a few special 'pets' that aren't destined to be killed?

I think there's definitely some sort of grey area here. Taking it to an absolute extreme, many zoos breed crickets or mice for feeding to their animals. There has to be a line somewhere.

I would say that a facility can be *both* a farm and a zoo, if it separates its collection into different functions, as with the Venom Zoo. The second example just sounds like a farm with a few non-harvested exotics present. As for the last example, the purpose of the zoo is to display exotic animals; the breeding of food animals is supplementary to that purpose.

Basically, I think what defines it is what the purpose of the facility is. A place that harvests animals for resources is a farm, and a place that keeps animals for public display is a zoo.

 

[birdsandbats]

I would say that a facility can be *both* a farm and a zoo, if it separates its collection into different functions, as with the Venom Zoo. The second example just sounds like a farm with a few non-harvested exotics present. As for the last example, the purpose of the zoo is to display exotic animals; the breeding of food animals is supplementary to that purpose.

Basically, I think what defines it is what the purpose of the facility is. A place that harvests animals for resources is a farm, and a place that keeps animals for public display is a zoo.

I agree. A facility such as Glacier Ridge Animal Farm or Australian Venom Zoo are both farms and zoos.

 

[FunkyGibbon]

I think most of us would balk at calling an exotic meats farm with a visitor centre a zoo, but I think it would still sneak its way onto our list in one way or another.

 

[ThylacineAlive]

A typical farm with domestic animals, no. But one with exotic animals like those exotic hoofstock ranches in Texas... maybe?

But as you said, those are ranches, not zoos. In the US we have plenty of bison farms that also display animals which won't be slaughtered. There should be two in Connecticut alone (never been).

~Thylo

 

[LaughingDove]

But as you said, those are ranches, not zoos. In the US we have plenty of bison farms that also display animals which won't be slaughtered. There should be two in Connecticut alone (never been).

~Thylo

Calling it a ranch doesn't exclude the use of the term zoo as well. Just like an aquarium is also considered a zoo by most on here. I'm not saying I would necessarily call that a zoo, but I'm not sure.

What about a facility with a visitor centre that breeds animals where they are all destined for release back to the wild? I think many people would be much more amenable to calling that a zoo, but isn't it practically the same as a ranch breeding animals for slaughter with a visitor centre?

 

[ThylacineAlive]

Calling it a ranch doesn't exclude the use of the term zoo as well. Just like an aquarium is also considered a zoo by most on here. I'm not saying I would necessarily call that a zoo, but I'm not sure.

What about a facility with a visitor centre that breeds animals where they are all destined for release back to the wild? I think many people would be much more amenable to calling that a zoo, but isn't it practically the same as a ranch breeding animals for slaughter with a visitor centre?

Personally I don't know anyone who consider those zoos, though. Hunting ranch is the main term I hear for those.

I would say that those two things are far from practically the same. One ends with the majority of the animals being slaughtered for Human consumption whereas the other ends with the majority of the animals being released into the wild in order to help save the species and I think most would agree that the former would not qualify as a zoo. The latter might be better called a breeding center but that better falls into most peoples' definition of a 'zoo'.

~Thylo

 

[LaughingDove]

I would say that those two things are far from practically the same. One ends with the majority of the animals being slaughtered for Human consumption whereas the other ends with the majority of the animals being released into the wild in order to help save the species and I think most would agree that the former would not qualify as a zoo. The latter might be better called a breeding center but that better falls into most peoples' definition of a 'zoo'.

~Thylo

When I said 'practically the same' I meant for practical purposes they are the same. As a zoo visitor does it make any difference as they're both facilities breeding animals in order for them to be sent away. In one case for slaughter and the other for realease. While for a visitor who likes animals to look at the latter is of course more palatable (depending on whether or not you like exotic meat of course ) but the two would effectively function in the same way.

 

[carlos55]

The animal collections of the aztec and mayans were seen only by a few membrers of the poltical and religious elites. Most of the population did not have access to these areas. They were animal collections not really zoos in the modern sense. However it is still common to find use of modern terms to describe ancient civilizations though these terms are inadequate. Apart from that the article is quite interesting.