Cultural Aspects Within Zoos

F

foz

Well-Known Member
Often parts of themed exhibits, have cultural displays from the area of the exhibit. what do people think of this inclusion of world cultures within zoos? as religion has already been debated within zoochat with generally a negatove response to the inclusion of religion within zoos, is the use of culture the same? as culture and religion are not toooo far apart.

for example the use of traditional african sheilds, the use of massai dancers (must mention the dancers are only a one off each year). The use of an asian story area in the elephant house at Chester zoo. The use of temples within rainforest exhibits (these seem to be everwhere :eek: ) some visual examples:

ZooLex Picture 2
(I know i used this in the religion debate but I couldn't help myself :p )

http://www.zoochat.com/1150/lost-city-atlantis-statue-neptune-111932/

http://www.zoochat.com/43/statue-winnie-bear-81162/

http://www.zoochat.com/574/range-jaguar-exhibit-84520/

the use of these cultural items are often not connected to the animals (some times they are), so I was wondering what people made of them.
 
I think that we must connect wildlife to human life at this point in history. Humanity is encroaching on every last wild corner so to present animals as if in some human-free utopia misses vital discussions that the general public needs to have if animals and plants are to survive. (Will they have those discussions? That's a different issue!)

But all too often what is presented is some 1930s fantasy of cultures... ruined Mayan temples or primitive huts and artifacts. That's just exhibit bric-a-brac. (Of course its also often a means to disguise holding buildings and other mechanical buildings.) It doesn't help the general public think about what our societies and economies are doing to animals and plants. And zoos have made it their mission to do just that. Zoos need to be more creative about how they show the inter-connectivity of wildlife and humanity, IMO.
 
I'm really upset that Marwell has taken down the two yurts (actually created in Nepal) that stood either end of the snow leopard enclosure in Roof of the World. It was just like one inside with interpretation in each, Snow Leopards in general in the first one and how the Tibetan people live alongside them in the second. Getting a sense of a human connection to the animal world is very important in my opinion, as I feel it gives a greater sense of being. Marwell's new brand motto is to connect people with nature, so I hope it can do so in ways like the yurts (if they put them up again).
 
I think the only use of culture at my home zoo, Lincoln Park, is at Regenstein African Journey which opened in 2003. It's intended to be an immersion exhibit so there's a thatched hut way up high, there's piped in African chanting and music, but I think that's the extent of it. All of the signage and the videos are about animals.

At the tropical rainforest water display, I had a visitor, BTW, who asked me where the tropical rain forest was in Africa because she had never seen it and had been to Africa several times.
 
Zambar said:
I'm really upset that Marwell has taken down the two yurts (actually created in Nepal) that stood either end of the snow leopard enclosure in Roof of the World. It was just like one inside with interpretation in each, Snow Leopards in general in the first one and how the Tibetan people live alongside them in the second. Getting a sense of a human connection to the animal world is very important in my opinion, as I feel it gives a greater sense of being. Marwell's new brand motto is to connect people with nature, so I hope it can do so in ways like the yurts (if they put them up again).
Click to expand...

I loved the Yurt (I only saw the one) as well. The smell of the felted wool is wonderful. I think Marwell bought their Yurts from the Snow Leopard Trust, they certainly used to sell their products in the shop. In the recent past I've sold items from the SLT sourced from SL range countries - I can recommend their stuff, it's all unique and beautifully made. The Snow Leopard Enterprises project is a great example of how local ethnic skills can be channelled to empower people (and women in particular who do most of the felting) in a way that is beneficial to them and to wildlife at the same time, while protecting the legacy of traditional crafts that have grown up over centuries - if one generation loses these skills they could be gone forever. The households (often whole villages) on the scheme have in effect been given the chance to value their wildlife in the modern world by making it economically valuable, and the Trust have done practical things like updating corral fencing to keep the Leopards out, and offering compensation schemes for lost livestock. With the Snow Leopards in the enclosure next door to the Yurts it was a great example of ex- and in-situ conservation working together.
 
Zambar said:
I'm really upset that Marwell has taken down the two yurts (actually created in Nepal) that stood either end of the snow leopard enclosure in Roof of the World.
Click to expand...

I also noticed they had gone this year. Do you know why?
 
I don't know why, and I know Marwell still has them; I've seen them stored on the top floor of the Science & Learning Centre. For a zoo that doesn't have enough good interpretation in my opinion, it's a stupid thing to do.
 
Given that all good zoos are promoting conservation of all animals, representing the local cultures is very improtant as well. You cannot achieve any kind of successful conservation without engaging the local people. You tend to find they hunt many of the endangered species to make a living. By turning things around and showing them how to make a better living through conservation, research into the animals and, possibly, eco-tourism saving animals can slowly begin to work. By understanding the full story as to why an animal is endangered and how that animal effects the local area, how it is seen in that area and the role it plays within that environment we can learn, not only about that animal, but our world. For many cultures the environment around them is important, not just the animals but the trees and other plants shared by humans and other animals alike.
 
It's so easy to do this badly. The SeaLife centre's Atlantis rubbish is just so bad that the word kitsch is too good for it. I think there can be good educational contexts for including some cultural aspects if they help people to appreciate the animals in new or better ways.
Chester's elephant stories drove me mad as I was waiting for the pig-nosed turtles to pose for me, but I think the idea is good and could be applied more widely. Music works too, if used with restraint (silent spells and limited volume are good). I don't like fake ethnic materials or museum type displays of artefacts (I am thinking of Twycross's Bornean longhouse) - but graphics are fine.
I think I draw the line at any of these things inside the animal enclosures, except perhaps in a children's zoo situation with domestic animals, where it can be appropriate - I think there is a reconstruction of a thorn boma next to the lions at Whipsnade.

Alan
 
Zambar said:
I'm really upset that Marwell has taken down the two yurts (actually created in Nepal) that stood either end of the snow leopard enclosure in Roof of the World. It was just like one inside with interpretation in each, Snow Leopards in general in the first one and how the Tibetan people live alongside them in the second. Getting a sense of a human connection to the animal world is very important in my opinion, as I feel it gives a greater sense of being. Marwell's new brand motto is to connect people with nature, so I hope it can do so in ways like the yurts (if they put them up again).
Click to expand...

I agree Zambar my friend , it is important to instill an awareness of the indigenous peoples who often coexist alongside the animal in its natrual habitat usually (not always!)
quite peacefully. It adds a human and anthropological element to any zoological garden , at the same time i am not very fond of jaguar enclosures with gigantic and elaborate Mayan temples and Tigers with indian buddhist plazas that i find quite ridiculous. I think cultural artifacts and carvings are fine but in small quantities , a zoo is a zoo not a mueseum of anthropology or an archive. In the national zoo here in Mexico ciy in the section of the zoo in which are kept species endemic to the country there are many signs which explain to the zoo visitor the particular species significance and symbolism to the Prehispanics. ( the Aztecs and the Mayans) In a country like mine where many Mexicans do not have the vaguest idea of their noble ancestors due to the spanish conquest, hundreds of years of colonial oppression , and of course television (have anyone heard that Frank Zappa song?) i think it is very important to educate the younger generations about their ancestors and how they lived in harmony with and worshiped the natrual world. It saddens me somewhat to think of the Aztecs and Mayans who considered every aspect of the natrual world to be profoundly sacred from the sun, moon, jaguars to the humble axolotl and coyote , now the only thing that is sacred in Mexico is money unfortunately, like most of the world.
 
I think it's great to learn about how the animals we look at in Zoos are included in their native country's culture. I think the most obvious one is the American Bison's involvement in Native American life. If people want to save wildlife habitats then I think it's important to learn about the people who live side-by-side with these animals. I also think that a lot of the wealthier countries (especially Britain) are quite ignorant about other cultures and peoples. Therefore this sort of information may actually be very beneficial for the people who live by and work to save their local wildlife.
 
While the various discussions in this thread of education about other cultures and ther interrelationships of animals and people have their points (and are exemplified in the barnyard/domestic farm animal exhibits), I think the real reason that cultural buildings are built is because the general zoo going public don't know anything about the world's vegetation and biomes. To them one forest looks like any other. But put in a Pygmy Hut, or a Longhouse, or a Mayan temple and it adds to the immersion because it's something they can relate to (most people have seen movies set in other countries, or travel documentaries, and indigenous architecture is more easily recognisable than a vegetation assemblage). It adds to the experience.

That's why Lions and a broken down jeep work well with the masses - they've seen it in movies and can relate to it.

Should also note that back in the 1800's Hagenbeck (and others) used to actually display ethnographic peoples in his zoo with great success- Lapps, Nubians, Eskimos, Somalis, Hottentots, Patagonians, Kalmucks and Singalese.

:p

Hix
 
Hix said:
While the various discussions in this thread of education about other cultures and ther interrelationships of animals and people have their points (and are exemplified in the barnyard/domestic farm animal exhibits), I think the real reason that cultural buildings are built is because the general zoo going public don't know anything about the world's vegetation and biomes. To them one forest looks like any other. But put in a Pygmy Hut, or a Longhouse, or a Mayan temple and it adds to the immersion because it's something they can relate to (most people have seen movies set in other countries, or travel documentaries, and indigenous architecture is more easily recognisable than a vegetation assemblage). It adds to the experience.

That's why Lions and a broken down jeep work well with the masses - they've seen it in movies and can relate to it.

Should also note that back in the 1800's Hagenbeck (and others) used to actually display ethnographic peoples in his zoo with great success- Lapps, Nubians, Eskimos, Somalis, Hottentots, Patagonians, Kalmucks and Singalese.

:p

Hix
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I think its relevant to this thread that i add the famous case of Ota Benga an indigenous African pygmy kept by the Americans in the now famous and one of the most well loved American zoological gardens the "Bronx zoo" in 1906 . He was kept in a cage with an orangutang called "Dohong" and a tame Macaw parrot where a sign read:

The African Pigmy, "Ota Benga."
Age, 23 years. Height, 4 feet 11 inches.
Weight, 103 pounds. Brought from the
Kasai River, Congo Free State, South Cen-
tral Africa, by Dr. Samuel P. Verner. Ex-
hibited each afternoon during September.

An example of a very dark past in the history of zoological gardens ,(One the Bronx and no doubt the American zoological and anthropological societies would like to forget!) the African was subject to racial abuse nearly every day from thousands of American men, women and children this is an extract from the New york times:

"There were 40,000 visitors to the park on Sunday. Nearly every man, woman and child of this crowd made for the monkey house to see the star attraction in the park-the wild man from Africa. They chased him about the grounds all day, howling, leering, and yelling. Some of them poked him in the ribs, others tripped him up, all laughed at him and mocked him" (Sept. 18, 1906, p. 9).

Eventually he escaped this racist torment he was subjected to by Americans though as he committed suicide by shooting himself in the head with a revolver he had stolen. It is interesting to note that the exhibit which kept the pygmy actually had full backing from the American zoological society and also the American Anthropological society who organized exhibitions where Native Americans including the famous and noble Geronimo and chief sitting bull were called "savage beasts" and encouraged men ,women and children to consider them as subhuman and to shout racist verbal abuse, Lynch mobs were even formed outside the exhibitions by angry white citizens determined to "give the redskins a seeing to". I was horrified by this piece of history about the history of American zoological gardens , a very sad,poignant story of "scientific" racism in the mighty USA , and very relevant to this particular thread.


Ota Benga: The Story of the Pygmy on Display in a Zoo
[ame=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ota_Benga]Ota Benga - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]
Ota Benga - The Pygmy in the Zoo
 
CiaranDUK said:
I think it's great to learn about how the animals we look at in Zoos are included in their native country's culture. I think the most obvious one is the American Bison's involvement in Native American life. If people want to save wildlife habitats then I think it's important to learn about the people who live side-by-side with these animals. I also think that a lot of the wealthier countries (especially Britain) are quite ignorant about other cultures and peoples. Therefore this sort of information may actually be very beneficial for the people who live by and work to save their local wildlife.
Click to expand...

I also think the American Bison and its siginificance to the noble Native american tribes is a very important species to learn from and more zoological gardens should be informative about this particular part of American history. The buffalos were actually exterminated in their millions in order to starve to death the Native American tribes such as the Sioux and other plains "indians" in an genocidal American government campaign to wipe out the original inhabitants of the United States to make room for American settlers, their cattle and livestock and "civilization". It is clear that this tactic of the Americans was intended to cause the displacement, death, and practical annihilation of Native Americans and their cultures + the quasi-extinction of the buffalo. But i am glad now that the US is the biggest contributor and funder of Conservation worldwide.:) I would reccomend the book "Bury my heart at wounded knee" by Dan Brown to anyone who is interested in finding out more about the fascinating and noble Native Americans (The original inhabitants of the United states) it is without a doubt one of the most powerful and thought provoking books i have ever had the pleasure of reading.

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Bury-My-Heart-Wounded-Knee/dp/0805086846/ref=pd_sim_b_1"]Amazon.com: Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West (9780805086843): Dee Brown, Hampton Sides: Books[/ame]

V. Related Information and Sources

"In 1874, Secretary of the Interior Delano testified before Congress, "The buffalo are disappearing rapidly, but not faster than I desire. I regard the destruction of such game as Indians subsist upon as facilitating the policy of the Government, of destroying their hunting habits, coercing them on reservations, and compelling them to begin to adopt the habits of civilization."

"they killed the animals in sheer wantonness and from boredom, and when reproached, they said with amusement: ‘better kill buffalo than have him feed the Sioux.'" Although Sheridan added that "if I could learn that every buffalo in the the northern herd were killed I would be glad,"
 
Jose

Do you want to discuss zoos or spew anger at Americans?
Your political feelings are one thing, but do you have any thought of the members of this friendly forum and their response? We are left with the choice to ignore you or to be baited into your jingoism. We'd prtefer to have a friendly discussion of zoos.
If you want to have a fight with Americans, or rally other nationalities to your anger, why not start a separate thread for it in the Zoo Cafe section?
 
Jose was bringing up a very important point; and the fact Ota was 'held' in an American zoo does not apply when these horrible human exhibits were actually in zoos all over the world. It raises an important point and reminds us of just how injustified racism is, and serves a dark issue of the past when racism was scientific: The nazis created concentration camps, but you can't forgive the original camps created by the British during the Boer War. What Jose is explaining is fact linked in from previous posts, explaining viable points yet being responded with slur. Sometimes I don't blame him when I see the comments made against his country by other US members.
 
Zooplantman said:
Jose

Do you want to discuss zoos or spew anger at Americans?
Your political feelings are one thing, but do you have any thought of the members of this friendly forum and their response? We are left with the choice to ignore you or to be baited into your jingoism. We'd prtefer to have a friendly discussion of zoos.
If you want to have a fight with Americans, or rally other nationalities to your anger, why not start a separate thread for it in the Zoo Cafe section?
Click to expand...

I am and do want to discuss zoos , and i am not "spewing my anger at americans" ,or "rallying other nationalities to my anger" niether am "i trying to start a fight with americans", i find that funny because it sounds like you are a fan of J.R.R Tolkien and are comparing me to Some evil power and this forum as the battle for middle earth. I am just stating two historical facts that i thought was very relevant to this thread. I must admit both of these events in history frankly horrify me but why shouldnt i mention them here on this thread? The thread is about "Cultural aspects within zoos" am i right ? i have given 1 example of an atrocious event in which a culture was portrayed as inferior which happened within a zoo , and i have given my hopes that the importance of the history of the native americans and their relationship with the American bison achieve recognition in zoos worldwide whilst congratulating the United states for their efforts in conservation in the modern world. I do not see how i am starting a war here on zoochat simply by stating historical facts , should i tell a nicer example from history of a cultural abuse ? well i dont think so because history is cruel and brutal ,i am not fond of rose colored spectacles and i prefer to see things as they happened in their entirety. These kind of disgusting things happened all over the planet not just the USA, but the most famous and controversial example happened in the US, Bronx zoo , im sorry if that offends you friend , but its an undisputed fact which cannot be changed or rewritten no matter how bad the bitter taste in the mouth. The examples i have given are real they are not made up propaganda against your country , they are well founded historical facts ever heard the expression "The truth sets you free". Sorry if it also offends the reputation of your local zoo and the history of US expansion into the praries but if that is why you are so angry then your problem is not with me but with 2 men long dead: General Custer and Samuel Phillips Vener (whose idea it was to exhibit Ota as an ape in the zoo). They are controversial indeed but i stick to my opinion that they are relevant to this thread and to this topic.
 
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Jose said:
They are controversial indeed but i stick to my opinion that they are relevant to this thread and to this topic.
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Yes, they are relevant to this thread. But you have to sit down and wade through all the extraneous commentary to actually find the relevance. If you had kept it concise and to the point then there would be no problem, but all the extra stuff certainly looks like American-bashing.

Especially the second post - all you had to say was "I'd like to see more zoos in the States have an American Indian theme with their bison exhibits, as the bison was such an important part of their life".

Hix
 
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