Self-Sustainability in Zoos

[RandomConservationist]

This could go in general or speculative zoo design, but I think it fits here.

Has anyone seen zoological institutions, public or private, begin pushing toward more vertical integration in their supply chains, especially where things like food are concerned?
Given the rising costs and logistical instability in the world today I imagine some facilities have begun testing pilot programs for creating their own feeder insects, gardening projects, etc. Of course, these come with associated issues, but it would give institutions greater control and enable them to meet their own needs regardless of outside forces at that time.

If you have any instances of this, it'd be cool to hear about them.

 

[Wisp O' Mist]

I remember an episode of The Zoo where the Bronx Zoo experimented with raising their own bees to feed their Bee-Eaters with.

 

[StoppableSan]

This could go in general or speculative zoo design, but I think it fits here.

Has anyone seen zoological institutions, public or private, begin pushing toward more vertical integration in their supply chains, especially where things like food are concerned?
Given the rising costs and logistical instability in the world today I imagine some facilities have begun testing pilot programs for creating their own feeder insects, gardening projects, etc. Of course, these come with associated issues, but it would give institutions greater control and enable them to meet their own needs regardless of outside forces at that time.

If you have any instances of this, it'd be cool to hear about them.

Cheyenne Mountain has a hydroponic garden for growing lettuce for their giraffes, utilizing old shipping containers:

New Shipping Container Farm Produces its First Crop - CMZoo

 

[Jurek7]

European zoos bred their own feeder insects and partially grew vegetables since forever.

Zurich zoo built Masoala and took big care to reduce energy cost and water demands. it is well described on the Zoolex website.

In terms of sustainability, zoos are a bit on a cross. They naturally require energy to heat tropical buildings and run filters, and many exotic animals thrive best on imported food. So sustainability may not be a good thing, if, like some crazy people argued, a zoo should stop jeeping exotic animals and become a local animal center.

 

[Wisp O' Mist]

Cheyenne Mountain has a hydroponic garden for growing lettuce for their giraffes, utilizing old shipping containers:

New Shipping Container Farm Produces its First Crop - CMZoo

Awesome! I visited the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo about three years ago and had a blast feeding the giraffes.

 

[DesertRhino150]

Basel Zoo have an insect breeding unit to provide food for their insectivorous species which can supply 16,000 crickets and 9,000 locusts in a week, plus various flies, moths, earthworms, cockroaches, beetle larvae and firebrats depending on when they are needed.

 

[Osedax]

Taronga has several of its own eucalyptus farms to provide food for our koalas, and has beehives in the semi-arid aviary to feed the bee-eaters. We also breed our own crickets, mealworms, locusts and yabbies as live food, and mice which are euthanised before they are given to the animals.

 

[kate person]

I’ve heard of zoos breeding their own feeder insects and even mice and rats but have any zoos bred other animals like sheep, chickens, goats etc to feed their larger carnivores?

 

[Jana]

I’ve heard of zoos breeding their own feeder insects and even mice and rats but have any zoos bred other animals like sheep, chickens, goats etc to feed their larger carnivores?

It´s not viable for a zoo to raise their own chicken, cows or sheep for meat production. Simply buying meat from usual wholesale market is much cheaper. Not to mention that running its own slaughterhouse is nowadays not just unpopular, but also increasingly bureaucratic minefield.

However, some zoos slaughter their sheep or goats they keep primarily for other purpouse (petting corner or landscape grazing) and feed it to carnivores.

 

[kate person]

It´s not viable for a zoo to raise their own chicken, cows or sheep for meat production. Simply buying meat from usual wholesale market is much cheaper. Not to mention that running its own slaughterhouse is nowadays not just unpopular, but also increasingly bureaucratic minefield.

However, some zoos slaughter their sheep or goats they keep primarily for other purpouse (petting corner or landscape grazing) and feed it to carnivores.

Would it be seen as wrong? Like would a zoo be judged/seen as bad for doing it?

 

[MRJ]

This could go in general or speculative zoo design, but I think it fits here.

Has anyone seen zoological institutions, public or private, begin pushing toward more vertical integration in their supply chains, especially where things like food are concerned?
Given the rising costs and logistical instability in the world today I imagine some facilities have begun testing pilot programs for creating their own feeder insects, gardening projects, etc. Of course, these come with associated issues, but it would give institutions greater control and enable them to meet their own needs regardless of outside forces at that time.

If you have any instances of this, it'd be cool to hear about them.

I would say the opposite. At one time every zoo would have it's own rodent room and insect room. With the growth of reptile keeping as a hobby feeder rodents and insects have become readily and economically available commercially. Likewise specialist kibbles and feeds in powdered form. Economically, it is better to concentrate on core business and buy from specialist suppliers where possible.

 

[Strathmorezoo]

It´s not viable for a zoo to raise their own chicken, cows or sheep for meat production. Simply buying meat from usual wholesale market is much cheaper. Not to mention that running its own slaughterhouse is nowadays not just unpopular, but also increasingly bureaucratic minefield.

However, some zoos slaughter their sheep or goats they keep primarily for other purpouse (petting corner or landscape grazing) and feed it to carnivores.

I suppose killing sheep, goats etc on site allows the zoo to feed whole carcass to their carnivores which is not only better nutritionally but also encourages natural behaviour

 

[Jana]

Would it be seen as wrong? Like would a zoo be judged/seen as bad for doing it?

Have you not lived through Mario the Danish giraffe media case?

Zoos´s fundraising and media campaigns focus on saving animals (either individuals or species). A zoo running its own slaughterhause? It shatters that image and makes you taget of animal right activists. Not every society is down to earth and mature enough like Danes.

I suppose killing sheep, goats etc on site allows the zoo to feed whole carcass to their carnivores which is not only better nutritionally but also encourages natural behaviour

To buy already slaughtered goats or sheep from farmers will be always cheaper and less hassle for zoos due to economy of scale. But yes, whole carcass feeding has its value. Some zoos buy live smaller species for this purpose (chicken, rabbits, guinea pigs) that can be culled by keepers without need of dedicated slaughterhouse. Some zoos utilise own surplus or injured hoofstock (antelopes, deer etc.). However, it really strongly depends on what is accepted or rejected by both local public and own staff.

 

[kate person]

Zoos´s fundraising and media campaigns focus on saving animals (either individuals or species). A zoo running its own slaughterhause? It shatters that image and makes you taget of animal right activists. Not every society is down to earth and mature enough like Danes.

That makes sense.

 

[Strathmorezoo]

I suppose killing sheep, goats etc on site allows the zoo to feed whole carcass to their carnivores which is not only better nutritionally but also encourages natural behaviour

I don't intend to get on any morality issue I was just pointing out the benefits of feeding whole carcass

 

[Lafone]

I can’t imagine why zoos would bother with the expense and regulation of running a slaughterhouse when they can access carcasses and meat easily from approved sources. Zoos don’t need to diversify into areas that are not core.

I agree whole / partial carcass feeding is a good idea but certainly in U.K. a lot of zoos feed at least some carcass or ‘recognisable’ parts without backlash. I don’t think they need to produce it. It’s not any more ‘sustainable’ to build another building for housing and slaughter and power it etc than it is to buy from sources with traceability. The ‘sustainability’ label gets bunged onto anything these days but it needs to be carefully managed not greenwashed or faked.

There is (rightly) a good amount of regulation around the slaughter of animals it doesn’t give zoos control to get into that it just means more complexity away from core missions.

 

[lintworm]

I can’t imagine why zoos would bother with the expense and regulation of running a slaughterhouse when they can access carcasses and meat easily from approved sources. Zoos don’t need to diversify into areas that are not core.

Zoos that use their own petting zoo goats/sheep/guinea pigs or even surplus addax as animal feed tend to kill them on site. I once visited a German zoo behind the scenes where the keepers had a humane goat slaughtering training that moment, so that it wasn't the vet who had to kill an animal weekly, but that it could be rotated between willing keepers. So while it makes sense to source meat from approved sources and outsource it, there are enough zoos which can perform the necessary tasks on site. Though most don't openly communicate about it (Zurich & Nuremberg are exceptions).

 

[Lafone]

Zoos that use their own petting zoo goats/sheep/guinea pigs or even surplus addax as animal feed tend to kill them on site. I once visited a German zoo behind the scenes where the keepers had a humane goat slaughtering training that moment, so that it wasn't the vet who had to kill an animal weekly, but that it could be rotated between willing keepers. So while it makes sense to source meat from approved sources and outsource it, there are enough zoos which can perform the necessary tasks on site. Though most don't openly communicate about it (Zurich & Nuremberg are exceptions).

Would they provide all the food for the carnivores that way? There’s a bit of a difference between doing the whole food service in house and using some animals that way I’d guess but happy to be corrected. As the post was about zoos being self sustaining I’d have thought it could produce a challenge to get the volume from the kids zoo in most places.

 

[lintworm]

Would they provide all the food for the carnivores that way? There’s a bit of a difference between doing the whole food service in house and using some animals that way I’d guess but happy to be corrected. As the post was about zoos being self sustaining I’d have thought it could produce a challenge to get the volume from the kids zoo in most places.

No they aren't self-sustaining and I don't think any zoo is. But from a regulatory standpoint there isn't really a big difference between having the facilities to provide some of your own food or all of your own food.

 

[Lafone]

No they aren't self-sustaining and I don't think any zoo is. But from a regulatory standpoint there isn't really a big difference between having the facilities to provide some of your own food or all of your own food.

True. I still don't think it's something zoos should bother with at volume and I don't think it would be any greener (and potentially in some places it would cause some problems with public perception though I think that's a secondary thing), but it depends on the institution I suppose.