Zoos of the Incas

[Aardwolf]

I searched and didn't see a thread on this topic (and if there was one, it was buried among all of the mentions of Inca terns and Inca jays), so I thought I'd ask here

I'm sure that many zoo history buffs are familiar with the zoo that the Spanish under Cortes encountered when he and his men entered the Aztec capital Tenochitlan; we have a lot of detail about it from first-hand accounts, and it comes up pretty often in many zoo histories. What I'm interested in is whether anyone knows of any Incan equivalents? Were their Incan zoos with pumas and Andean bears and condors and mountain tapirs, perhaps some species from the lowlands? It would be very strange if the Inca, among all of the other empire builders in the world, DIDN'T have some sort of menagerie, but I haven't found much to back up that hunch.

There is a very brief mention of Incan menageries if Kisling's Zoo and Aquarium History. I asked a historian who specialized in the pre-conquest Andes about it, and he seemed to think that there was no evidence to back up that claim... but didn't give me much beyond that. Has anyone here come across anything?

Thanks!

 

[Pacu]

I'm pretty sure 'Zoo: a History of Zoological Gardens in the West' by Eric Baratay, Elisabeth Hardouin-Fugier has a reasonable write up of the famous collection. Given the Incan hierarchy, I think it is unlikely that there were others like it but I have no doubt that 'wild' animals were being kept as status symbols by other Incans.

 

[twilighter]

You can try to search in those two books:

The Medici giraffe : and other tales of exotic animals and power : Belozerskaya, Marina, 1966- : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

A different nature : the paradoxical world of zoos and their uncertain future : Hancocks, David : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

 

[Aardwolf]

You can try to search in those two books:

The Medici giraffe : and other tales of exotic animals and power : Belozerskaya, Marina, 1966- : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

A different nature : the paradoxical world of zoos and their uncertain future : Hancocks, David : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

I've read both of those, and I'm afraid neither mention the Inca. Thanks for the suggestions, though

 

[Aardwolf]

I'm pretty sure 'Zoo: a History of Zoological Gardens in the West' by Eric Baratay, Elisabeth Hardouin-Fugier has a reasonable write up of the famous collection. Given the Incan hierarchy, I think it is unlikely that there were others like it but I have no doubt that 'wild' animals were being kept as status symbols by other Incans.

Are you sure? I did a google book search of it, and I found hits for the Aztec, but none for Inca, Peru, Pizarro, etc. Thanks for the suggestion, though

 

[Pacu]

Are you sure? I did a google book search of it, and I found hits for the Aztec, but none for Inca, Peru, Pizarro, etc. Thanks for the suggestion, though

Apologies, you are correct; however, I am sure something in my collection references the Incan zoo, and I didn't think it was Kisling. I'll try to find it for you next time I am able to.