Thoughts on Farm Exhibits?

HTZ

HTZ

Member
I've heard some people complain about exhibits of farm animals in zoos and others praise them, so I just wanted to know what the general consensus is for them here. I've never really liked farm exhibits and usually omitted them from all the imaginary zoos I've designed since I entered the "business" around 6-7yo. Does anyone else feel that domestic animals aren't really necessary in zoos, or do you enjoy them and the petting/feeding interactions as a big part of your zoo visit?
 
I think farm exhibits have a place in zoos depending on the size and location. Many children who live in cities have never been to a farm or even seen common livestock like sheep, chickens, cows, etc. Having these animals available for kids to see and possibly pet is a neat experience for them to enjoy. However, if the zoo is in a more rural location where most people are already familar with these animals, then a farm exhibit may unnecessarily take away space available for exotic species.
 
I posted this response in the "Zoo Trends That Are Overdone" thread when someone asked about farmyard exhibits:

"I think it comes down to the comparative value of the goals of a zoo. If the main goal of a zoo is conservation than yeah, domestic animals have little value. You could use that space for another group of animals that is of higher conservation priority. If the main goal is education, then domestics can be very valuable. If we're teaching people about animals and their relationship with humans over the millennia, there's few topics more interesting than domestication - why we did it, how we did it, and why some species work but others don't. If the goal is getting visitors to fall in love with animals and develop empathy, they're golden. Goats, one might say, are a gateway drug to gazelles."
 
While I am not a huge fan of "children's farm" style exhibits, I suppose the serve a purpose for the more casual zoo visitor but would not be of any use to enthusiasts such as the folk on this site. However, the animals exhibited do present nicely as secondary animals alongside traditional "abc" species. Small farm settings can nicely set the scene when their a part of bigger themed areas. For example, at Chester Zoo sheep and goats are held in a small, themed rustic style pen in a sort of Indian village setting along the walkway to the zoos asiatic lions.
 
I love and appreciate them!

It's great to have animals on hand that kids (And guests in general, really) can actually touch and otherwise physically interact with. I echo previous users who pointed out that more than a few modern day children have limited opportunities to socialize with animals, especially those that aren't commonly kept pet species like the dog or cat.

Plus, a petting zoo exhibit doesn't necessarily need to consist of just farm animals! Relatively docile exotic species can work just as well! Think Patagonian maras, Capybaras, Kangaroos, Wallabies, Emus, Parrots, Fallow Deer, Porcupines, Camels, Ostriches, Water Buffalo, Guineafowl, Muntjacs, Ring-tailed Lemurs, Tortoises...

One place nearby where I live even has species like Bison, Yak, Zebra, and even baby Alligators!

That being said, an exotic petting zoo exhibit would probably require significantly more management to assure guest and animal safety. In light of what, it's easy to understand why many zoos opt for farm animals.

My only quibble with most farm-themed exhibits is that they typically feature common breeds of livestock. Instead of rare or historical breeds of livestock. Most of which currently suffer from limited interest and low numbers. Just take a look at what breeds The Livestock Conservancy spotlights: Home - The Livestock Conservancy

Choosing to house (Or even better, breed) rare breeds of livestock should go hand-in-hand with zoos IMHO. Fits perfectly with the messages of education and conservation that the vast majority of zoos promote nowadays.
 
ZooTripper365 said:
While I am not a huge fan of "children's farm" style exhibits, I suppose the serve a purpose for the more casual zoo visitor but would not be of any use to enthusiasts such as the folk on this site. However, the animals exhibited do present nicely as secondary animals alongside traditional "abc" species. Small farm settings can nicely set the scene when their a part of bigger themed areas. For example, at Chester Zoo sheep and goats are held in a small, themed rustic style pen in a sort of Indian village setting along the walkway to the zoos asiatic lions.
Click to expand...

Yes the African goats fit very well with the Asian lions at Chester, but each to their own if you think it works then fair play to you, but for me it should have been Indian long eared goats there.
But overall I don't mind a good domestic if they enhance the theme of an area, the species in the farm at tierpark Berlin are all species you don't see too often elsewhere and some of the other German zoo's showcase rare native breeds as well and it's good to see.
 
Ok the african goats were a poor example but I was trying to show that it created a farm setting. I do agree with your point about domestic species but I do believe that, here on this site, you wouldn't find many people who like full on petting zoo areas full of domestic species in just one space. It'd probably be a better question for a group of 5 year olds :D
 
ZooTripper365 said:
Ok the african goats were a poor example but I was trying to show that it created a farm setting. I do agree with your point about domestic species but I do believe that, here on this site, you wouldn't find many people who like full on petting zoo areas full of domestic species in just one space. It'd probably be a better question for a group of 5 year olds :D
Click to expand...

Are you 100% sure about that I know a good number of zoo nerds and most of them would not miss a farm area just in case it has something. But if you are so sure about your statement why don't you create a poll asking the question, you might be surprised by the results because I suspect it could be an age thing.
 
I dont care if a zoo has a petting or farm animals and have not gone to zoos, which have mostly farm animals with only a few zoo animals.
 
Laboratory 7 said:
Are you 100% sure about that I know a good number of zoo nerds and most of them would not miss a farm area just in case it has something. But if you are so sure about your statement why don't you create a poll asking the question, you might be surprised by the results because I suspect it could be an age thing.
Click to expand...
I'm more talking in a general consensus. In a zoo, I think most zoochatters would miss the petting zoo area if the whole park wasn't doable in one day.
 
ZooTripper365 said:
I'm more talking in a general consensus. In a zoo, I think most zoochatters would miss the petting zoo area if the whole park wasn't doable in one day.
Click to expand...

Looking at how many photographs of domestic species there are in the gallery, you might well be surprised!

Speaking purely for myself (with the strong suspicion that others would echo my sentiments) I know that I have a definite soft spot for a well-presented selection of rare domestic breeds native to the region/country where a given zoological collection is located - German, Austrian and Czech collections are particularly good in this regard!
 
basically what @Aardwolf said

I think in education-centric zoos a domestic area could be an interesting opportunity. Particularly rare breeds or more unusual domestic animals - something like those that challenge preconceived notions; like mangalitsa pigs. And even in conservation zoos smaller domestics make for great interactive displays.
One concept I think more inventive domestic areas could execute more is that in many places different animals were domesticated for the same reasons. Cows were domesticated in Europe and later brought to the Americas; where Africa developed the Ankole, tropical Asia developed the Zebu from the aurochs; central Asia did the same with the yak, and the northern regions did so with reindeer. [Though I suppose rutting males could make reindeer breeding in such a manner more difficult than other domestics?]
And perhaps an investigation into newer domestication efforts - like those of the emu and rhea which have lower fat than familiar stock - and how some domestics like water buffalo and goats are used to regulate plant growth in some areas! And of course the story of culture makes domestics a great idea in that regard - I recall that there is some national pride in Ukraine for the rewilding projects featuring water buffalo - a reclaimation of the national heritage that had been usurped before by the Soviets.

I do think that fallow deer are one particular animal of potential for an interesting exhibit but has yet to be fully executed ... how they are now rare in their native area of the Middle East; but through translocation are now found on 6 continents. I think it's a more compelling story for an exhibit than 'pet the cute deer'.
 
Last edited:
I think farm or native breed exhibits are a useful addition to zoos, as others have mentioned they have a good education message and they also offer opportunities for kids, who may not have much patience, to see active animals close up which can be engaging.

Despite not being 5 years old myself, I quite like a rare breed exhibit in particular. Some breeds of domesticated animals are just as endangered as some exotics (take the Suffolk Punch as a case in point) and are deserving of protection and good exhibitry.
 
HTZ said:
I've heard some people complain about exhibits of farm animals in zoos and others praise them, so I just wanted to know what the general consensus is for them here. I've never really liked farm exhibits and usually omitted them from all the imaginary zoos I've designed since I entered the "business" around 6-7yo. Does anyone else feel that domestic animals aren't really necessary in zoos, or do you enjoy them and the petting/feeding interactions as a big part of your zoo visit?
Click to expand...
Here are some reasons why I think farm exhibits are a good idea for zoos:
- Some people (particularly young children) are actually big fans of farm animals so even just getting to see them is really cool and getting to pet or feed the farm animals is just icing on the cake.
- It is great to learn some new interesting information that you didn't about farm animals too.
- If the zoo has the space for it then why not have it?
- Some domestic species are actually endangered too and you can learn about domestic animal conservation.
- It teaches people about the relationships with us human beings.
 
ZooTripper365 said:
I'm more talking in a general consensus. In a zoo, I think most zoochatters would miss the petting zoo area if the whole park wasn't doable in one day.
Click to expand...

Hmmm let me think about that a minute, miss the farm area of tierpark Berlin to make sure that you see the rest,er no and I visited before they cut the collection to what it is now and only just saw most of it in a day, and I wouldn't have missed that area of the tierpark if you paid me to miss it.

I think you have made a massive assumption based on what you would do when visiting a place, and you are now guessing that everyone is the same.
 
Are there any zoos which use a farm exhibit as a conservation education tie-in? There could be a lot of great ways to connect farm sections of zoos to sustainability issues, and many conservation issues are either directly or indirectly connected to agriculture (e.g., slash-and-burn farming, deforestation, human-wildlife conflict). Given that food is something which everyone has a connection to, it could be a great way to create a relatable and memorable exhibit on conservation topics.
 
Prochilodus246 said:
Apologies for going widely off topic but are there any non domestic species in the Farmyard at the tierpark?
Click to expand...

Laboratory 7 said:
There was when I went but I believe that the dingo's have gone now
Click to expand...

As L7 said, the dingos are gone now - however, from memory there *are* a few exotics in that area still, including raccoon and (I think) striped skunk.
 
Neil chace said:
Are there any zoos which use a farm exhibit as a conservation education tie-in? There could be a lot of great ways to connect farm sections of zoos to sustainability issues, and many conservation issues are either directly or indirectly connected to agriculture (e.g., slash-and-burn farming, deforestation, human-wildlife conflict). Given that food is something which everyone has a connection to, it could be a great way to create a relatable and memorable exhibit on conservation topics.
Click to expand...
Tiergarten Hellabrunn does have conservation messages and educational materials about local biodiversity. Albeit I don’t recall if there was anything mentioned about conservation issues connected to agriculture.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top