The future of Zoos

NZ Jeremy

NZ Jeremy

Well-Known Member
I wanted to start a thread to discuss the future of 'Western' Zoos. During my post I'm going to make a few statements based on inductive reasoning (reasoning based on what I assume the facts to be), if you could confirm them with deductive reasoning (reasoning based on fact and/or scientific study) or refute them using the same that would be much appreciated, with that said let me begin.

In general:
- Western Zoos have master plans
- These master plans usually arrange animals in "themed" areas of enclosures by; geography, biome, or phyla
- Enclosures are as 'open plan' as possible
- Smaller animals are in 'houses'
- Birds are increasingly in mixed species walk through aviaries or paired in single species aviaries if they cannot be kept in walk throughs
- Zoos generally are not solely economic and require sponsorship, either; ratepayers rates, some form of sale, property, state, federal or muncipal taxes, donations or a combination of the above, stand alone aquariums are economic
- New enclosures or attraction animals drive gate sales

So where do other users see Zoos heading..?

Generally I see the above happening, namely; Western Zoos working toward completing their master plans over the next 30 years and having open plan areas arranged by whatever the zoos system of arrangement happens to be...

What happens then if gate sales are driven by new exhibits..? Creating new exhibits solely for the sake of gates..? Shouldn't we be designing these new open enclosures to last a 100, if not 100s of years..?

What do you think..? Where is my thinking right or wrong - and why..?
 
I haven't studied zoos as much as you have, but it seems to me that zoo attendence (and therefore revenue) doesn't pick up so much with new exhibits... rather, the crowds come when there are attractive bouncy babies. Panda babies. Lion cubs. Cute little orangutans with hair sticking up.

To be financially viable, zoos need the healthy animal populations that support captive breeding, to have the babies that attract crowds. The design of the zoos, therefore, should depend on what is necessary to keep their populations healthy, keeping in mind the sensibilities of a public that doesn't want to see bars and cement floors.

Just my thoughts. I'd like to hear the zoo professionals on this.
 
I have a feeling within the next few years the amount of domestics and common animals in zoos will go down. How many people go to the San Diego Zoo or Animal Kingdom to see the goats? Right now, the goats in most zoos are just for looks and have no conservational or attraction benefit
 
LizardInsanity said:
I have a feeling within the next few years the amount of domestics and common animals in zoos will go down. How many people go to the San Diego Zoo or Animal Kingdom to see the goats? Right now, the goats in most zoos are just for looks and have no conservational or attraction benefit
Click to expand...

I have a feeling you are right, at least about the domestics. Smithsonian National Zoo just announced closure of their Zoo Farm, due to federal budget cutbacks, and maybe two dozen moms came out to protest on a Saturday morning. They liked the babysitting aspect of the farm, giving kids a safe place to play. They didn't get a lot of sympathy from the press or other visitors.

What animals are you talking about when you say "common"?
 
I have a feeling that the more charismatic animals, will soon be replacing rarer animals, as the public couldn't care less about a jaguarundi, but they love the lions and tigers. But I also think the two types of zoos will split further apart. Ones like San Diego, who focus mainly on family entertainment, and serious zoos, like Saint Louis or Woodland Park (Not saying San Diego isn't serious, just seems much more like a tourist trap).
 
KCZooFan said:
But I also think the two types of zoos will split further apart. Ones like San Diego, who focus mainly on family entertainment, and serious zoos, like Saint Louis or Woodland Park (Not saying San Diego isn't serious, just seems much more like a tourist trap).
Click to expand...

I think the split in the road -- emphasis on entertainment vs emphasis on conservation -- is a legitimate observation.

I wonder how far the "serious" zoos will go in pursuing the conservation aspect? I wrote a blog at Chimp Trainers Daughter, that suggests that zoos stop breeding great apes for human exhibition. Am I totally out of bounds? I welcome debate -- even anonymously!
 
By common I mean animals found around the area the zoo is in. Instead of having a North America section where I live with beavers,deer, and racoons, it would be more affordable to have a nature walk through the woods.
 
A nature walk through the woods where you probably won't see anything except native birds. I doubt it, but I could be wrong.

New North American exhibits are still opening up (Cameron Park, Oklahoma City) so I don't think they will be gone.
I would think that the indoor rainforest buildings will become even more common and larger over the years as well...
 
True they are,but I meant animals you see on a weekly/monthly basis like you do here in PA. An exhibit here with alligators,pumas,wolves, and bison is more likely to atract a crowd then an exhibit with Racoons,Possums,Groundhogs,White tailed Deer etc.
 
Oh ok, I understand now. I think White-tailed Deer will stay because they can be mixed with other species, and could also be included in a South American section. But I guess it depends on the zoo. Many zoos don't have North American sections at all.
 
One of the excellent exhibits at Brookfield Zoo -- at least it was in the mid 1990s -- was a North American indoor exhibit with the best collection of river otters ever. It gave Chicagoans a wonderful sense of the magic they never see. The music, signage and interactives told wonderful stories. I truly enjoyed that exhibit more than watching the poor neurotic polar bear pace back and forth, back and forth, in his small outdoor enclosure.
 
Great idea for a thread NZJeremy, I have wondered what will happen when the master plans of zoos are complete, and the zoo is 'finished'.

My thoughts:

-I would expect new exhibits will continue to open, with older enclosures continually renovated/updated/replaced, as new exhibits are key gate sale drivers.

-Enclosure design will continue to improve, with more suitable, stimulating and natural enclosures constantly evolving. Animal welfare and breeding will also improve with research.

-In urban zoos, as expansion into adjacent or undeveloped land becomes more difficult, I would expect new enclosures to be make more use of all available space. As such, smaller species will become more common, as will mixed species exhibits. Underground exhibits, such as for reptiles, fish and invertebrates may also appear under other exhibits. Underground car parks may also be found.

-Invertebrate exhibits will become more common, eg. Butterfly houses, etc, which are (at least in NZ) very rare.

-The homogenisation of the exotic species in zoos (at least in Australiasia)will continue, unfortunately, and result in much lower exotic diversity than exists now. However, once most zoos share the same basic collection, new species will be imported and managed (eg. giant anteater, coati, fishing cat, squirrel monkey, etc). Ultimately diversity will decline in the short-term as species are phased-out and management improves, and then it will slowly increase as more species are brought in.

-I disagree that rarer species will be replaced with high profile, popular species. While the popular species will be cemented in place, increasing numbers of endangered, small, or unusual species will be found alongside the traditional favourites.

-Species management will see subspecies maintained distinctly, with hybrid individuals (eg. giraffe, zebra, chimpanzee, etc) phased out and pure populations kept.

-Research in reproduction biology will allow unwanted males to be aborted early in pregnancies, and result in a much easier to manage captive populations of large mammals such as elephant, rhino, gorilla etc, where excess males take up valuable resources and do not contribute much to conservation efforts.

-Zoos will become more commercial, with more shops, food outlets, etc, as well as more unique money-making schemes (tours, encounters, etc). Open entry plazas, with food outlets and some animal views available without buying a ticket and actually entering the zoo, will become the norm.

-Overall, zoos will become smarter at maintaining useful populations of species (that can be used for future reintroduction - which will begin to occur more frequently with a greater number of species) in naturalistic enclosures which are stimulating and interesting for both the animals and the visitors.
 
I hope your right zooboy, sounds like an optimistic future and positivity is good..!
 
NZ Jeremy said:
I hope your right zooboy, sounds like an optimistic future and positivity is good..!
Click to expand...

Well theres no point being negative! :D

I think zoos can only improve, and Im sure they will. Would be very interested to hear other peoples ideas though.
 
My thoughts...

The trend in Australia has been to create open range zoos linked to the main city ones. Western Plains Zoo and Werribee Open Range Zoo are linked with Tooronga and Melbourne Zoos respectively. This has freed up valuable space in the Metropolitan Zoos for the new encloures that zooboy28 was talking about which spark interest... although it is the babies that draw the most interest as dawnforsyth suggested as they make great pics for new services.

Speaking to the Keepers at Mogo and Canberra Zoos they also support what zooboy28 was saying about subspecies... Mogo has decided to focus on one species of Tiger for example, which allows the to display tigers for the public but also play their part in saving this species.

The big money spinners for zoos now is the Keeper for a Day experiences, overnight stays and animal encounters. I have spent a small fortune on these activites for myself and my wife and they were worth every cent.

Finally I agree with the "homogenisation of the exotic species in zoos (at least in Australiasia)" - every Zoo here seems to have Red Pandas! :p
 
Certainly a trend over the last decade that most ZooChatters do not like is the increase in non-animal related money making attractions. I just finished reading a good book from the director emeritus of the Topeka Zoo (Kansas, USA) about his decision to retire at the end of 1989. (Book is titled Hey Mister Your Alligators Loose). This was right about the same time I started visiting zoos (as an adult), yet even at that time he noticed how zoos were going in this direction. I think it has only increased since then. I will quote directly from the book.

Yet, zoos were changing - drastically. The American mind-set on entertainment over learning experiences, competition from shopping malls and self-centered video games, the preponderance of sugar-coated theme parks - all contributed to zoos acting out of character. People visited zoos to see costumed, cartoon personalities instead of live animals, to see Spider Man rather than a real spider, to see robotic dinosaurs as opposed to living prehistoric crocodiles. Why throw this artificiality to the public when zoos were already fascinating and enjoyable?
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top