Are zebras "ABC" animals?
- Thread starter La Cucaracha
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Aardwolf
Well-Known Member
I would certainly say so - they are literally the animal that is used to teach most children what the letter Z is, they are super common in both accredited and non-accredited facilities, as well as private owners, and are one of the most recognizable groups of animals on the planet. Most people might not know about the different species, but everyone knows what a zebra is - they might be one of the only zoo animals I've never heard a guest call by another name (in contrast, any striped ungulate - bongo, okapi, etc - is also a zebra in their eyes). Buffalo, in contrast, are much less common and much less recognizable ("Is it a black cow?").
Zebras would most likely be described as ABC species in each diagnostic category; they’re common in captivity (as a ‘subgenus’), they’re well known in the public conscious, extremely popular and so on. In terms of their relation to something like cape buffalo, they’d probably rank higher, while not as large they’ve got a certain level of inherent public popularity lacking from most large bovids like buffalo, with the possible exception of the American bison. Regarding other African megafauna, they’d likely come below the animals once considered ‘pachyderms’ and are probably on a similar level with lions. As I say, all of this is strictly referring to the general public, among more serious zoo fanatics it’s far more complex, and this is just based on my own observations so obviously I could be completely off the money.How do zebras rank in popularity among hippos, gorillas, lions, giraffes, elephants, rhinos with zoo visitors?
Are they above or below the Cape buffalo?
Just the things I think about.
I'm not sure there's a way to definitively rank how popular the species are, as there's a lot of variation in what animals different people prefer seeing. Zebras are a popular species for certain, but I wouldn't stress over whether it is more or less popular than other popular species. I will say, however, based on both space and other needs, zebras are a much more reasonable species for most zoos to exhibit than any of the other species you named. Cape buffalo are most certainly not an "ABC" Animal, but I'd argue that American bison would be considered an "ABC" Animal.
La Cucaracha
Well-Known Member
Now this I'm surprised by.
I never thought of bison as "popular zoo animals", even if they are very popular in national and state parks, and wildlife refuges. They are a charismatic megafauna animal, without doubt. And they have a long history in American zoos.
Perhaps I take them for granted as a Coloradan? They are commonly kept as livestock here.
Perhaps they are less common out west where they can be seen in the wild. Most zoos with bison I've been to in the Northeast have bison as a major attraction/popular species.
I'm pretty 100% sure they are, go try look up Animal ABCs videos and they always at the letter Z on like 95% of the time. Who can blame them though, the only other option is Zebu or Zorilla. It's always best to go with the recognizable black-white horse that everyone ever see when they go on African Safari.
Cape Buffalo, while the buffalo itself is not 100% ABC species, I think that the term "Buffalo" is kind of one. You have Bison, Water Buffalo, Forest Buffalo, Gaur, Banteng, and Cape Buffalo who can all basically qualify under that term and people wouldn't mind using it. Though in B department, Bears definitely outclass Buffalo there, followed by Birds and the Bees.
Cape Buffalo, while the buffalo itself is not 100% ABC species, I think that the term "Buffalo" is kind of one. You have Bison, Water Buffalo, Forest Buffalo, Gaur, Banteng, and Cape Buffalo who can all basically qualify under that term and people wouldn't mind using it. Though in B department, Bears definitely outclass Buffalo there, followed by Birds and the Bees.
Zebras are the definition of ABC species. Who didn't learn their ABCs with that animal. Not to mention most people could describe one pretty easily. If you said Cape buffalo in the US I'd be willing to bet people will picture a bison when they hear that.
Bison are one of the most common animals in zoos. Cape buffalo, even domestic ones, are pretty rare in the USA.
Zebras are one the *the* core ABC species, like tigers and penguins.
There are literally no domestic Cape buffalo though. They're probably one of the only wild cattle species that hadn't been domesticated, probably because they're so infamously aggressive
By domestic I meant water buffalo. They tend to all get called the same thing / wrongly in zoos.
La Cucaracha
Well-Known Member
I guess you can't think of the letter "Z" without thinking "zebra".
But are they really as popular as lions?
But are they really as popular as lions?
What does "being as popular as lions" have to do with being an ABC species?
yes.
I will add to this by showing some text from Anthony Smith's Animals on View [1979], where I believe the 'ABC' term originally came from.
'We do not have to settle for the so-called ABC animals, the Antelope, the Bear, the Camel and down to Z for Zebra. We welcome them, but not to the exclusion of the Aardvark, the Binturong, the Cururo down to Zagouti and Zebu.
A sentiment I think a few more zoo directors these days could take to heart ...
'We do not have to settle for the so-called ABC animals, the Antelope, the Bear, the Camel and down to Z for Zebra. We welcome them, but not to the exclusion of the Aardvark, the Binturong, the Cururo down to Zagouti and Zebu.
A sentiment I think a few more zoo directors these days could take to heart ...
Your question is about the popularity of animals in zoos with visitors, but the thread had side-tracked into "ABC" animals which is a completely different thing. "ABC" animals are those that that feature in (mainly children's) animal alphabets, so quetzal, quagga and X-ray dish are not unusual ABC animals. The term ABC has become increasingly used to identify "common" zoo animals, rather than popular ones, so are those frequently likely to be encountered in "a zoo" - owls, otters, flamingos, meerkats, wallabies, for example. This is not the same as a list of animals that an average zoo visitor would prioritise as those they would like, or expect, to see on a visit to a large zoo.How do zebras rank in popularity among hippos, gorillas, lions, giraffes, elephants, rhinos with zoo visitors?
Are they above or below the Cape buffalo?
Just the things I think about.
I don't think they reach that standard, but lions are one of the most popular zoo animals there is.
There are multiple zoos that have had individually famous and named lions, as well as elephants, hippos, gorillas, orangutan, chimpanzees, monkeys, crocodiles, penguins, pinnipeds, ceteceans, bears, and tigers, and that's only off my head. They are all star attractions that can draw visitors entirely on their own, and in cases like maned lions and silverback gorillas, some zoos have had multiple famous individuals who are known in their communities. This is not the only barometer of popularity (it favors primates a lot) but I certainly don't think most of those animals (excluding some primates) could be said to be less popular than zebra.
I would say zebra are in the top ten or fifteen zoo animals overall. The above mentioned and giraffes and maybe camels would all be in that category. I'm not making a ranked count or anything though, and it wouldn't be worth doing without any kind of real data.
This is something I think is really interesting about Zoochat -- it does seem like the term has taken on multiple meetings depending on which member is using it. Sometimes it refers to well-known animals as might appear in an abc book, sometimes it is animals that are common in zoos regardless of popularity, and sometimes it is a smaller group of very popular animals that can fund major projects. The second meaning seems to be the most common on zoochat at present, but I have sometimes discussed 'superstar animals' which is a distinct category in my mind (the third definition there) and been responded to as if I had said 'ABC animals''.
A quetzal might be in an abc book, but it isn't going to be a major attraction, while you probably would never find a binturong in an abc book but they are fairly common zoo animals, so all of these meanings refer to different lists, and panda are well-known but certainly not widely held.
Zebras are ABC animals and are probably the most popular XYZ animals
You raise a good point I hadn't thought of before about "ABC" animals, especially whether or not they are common zoo animals or, as you put it, "superstar animals". I think most members use it as some combination between these two, as there are some extremely common zoo animals I've never seen referred to as "ABC" (e.g. Reeve's Muntjac), and also some animals that aren't so common that most would consider to be "ABC" (e.g. Polar Bears).
As for the popularity question, I wouldn't get bogged down over what species are more or less popular, as it's such a subjective question. Some members of the public really like zebras (they're my uncle's favorite animals, for instance), while others wouldn't give them a second glance. The same could be said about any well-known species.
I'd also argue that exhibitry does a lot to determine what species at a zoo are the most popular. Visitors tend to be drawn to those big, flashy exhibits, as well as exhibits that enable one to get really close to the animals. As such, kangaroo walk-throughs are always going to be more popular than a simple paddock for kangaroos. One could make a compelling case for kangaroos as one of the more popular zoo animals, but if displayed in a simple yard where they don't come close to visitors, they wouldn't be a popular attraction for the zoo in question. While zebras aren't a safe choice for walk-throughs, the same standard does apply. A flashy zebra exhibit, one with barrier-free viewing, and one where the zebras get relatively close to guests will make for a rather popular exhibit, but relegating zebras to a series of standard hoofstock yards won't make for a popular attraction.
Proximity to other species may also play a role, as people, given the choice, are often drawn to the larger, more "impressive" species in a given area. If zebras are mixed in a savanna that also includes giraffes, it'd be unlikely the zebras become a major popular species. Likewise if the zebras are displayed next to lions in a predator-prey set up. However, if zebras are given the opportunity to shine in their own right, and aren't displayed alongside one of these ultra-popular species, then I think they do have what it takes to be a popular attraction for a zoo.