My attitude toward zoos

This is a very important hot button topic, with issues way beyond sentimentality. There have been many instances of both terrible overall zoo conditions and specific examples of certain animal exhibits in otherwise reasonable zoo settings who are confined in far too small spaces for their well being. I am sympathetic toward the part of the public and animal rights supporters who demand the closing down of entire zoos or of the exhibiting of certain animals whom compassion and common sense can tell us are living in unhappy circumstances.

However, this means that zoos must be also recognized for two vital and essential services that they provide. One is that it is essential that animals ambassadors continue to be made available to the public around the world. Yes, you read that right: ambassadors. I view zoo animals as an essential part of the human development experience. As such they are like foreign ambassadors who go to a country in order to live and represent their interests. Therefore, they should life in circumstances that an ambassador requires and deserves. It is a sacrifice to have a herd of elephants taken from their habitat and placed in a limited space. But it is a sacrifice that is for the greater good. These elephants are ambassadors for their entire species. People must see real animals and have real education, not just through sentimental cartoon movies and wildlife adventure DVDs. Too many animal rights advocates are rich self indulgent people who can afford safari vacations or "adventure" trips. Zoos are for everyone else. They are for the children. They are for the poor and middle class. They are for the disabled and the elderly. They are for the people who cannot travel to the "real ecosystem" to "appreciate the animal in its natural setting." Animals are both educational and soothing. They are part of making humans more humane. They are ambassadors for not just their species but for the joy of life, something that is under attack and thus in very short supply.

The second essential purpose of zoos is the continuation of the species. It is no surprise or secret that without zoos and associated breeding programs that many species would be in even more peril and dire diminishing of numbers than they are now. Zoos are the first and last defense against future extinctions of further animal species. For example, I sure wish that the Chinese dolphins which have gone extinct were "cramped" in some "zoo" condition somewhere in the world today, rather than totally dead and gone.

What is the value of a life, of any life? Each life is precious, whether animal or human, whether long and happy or short and sad.... or short and happy or long and sad. We don't kill humans who have lives that "do not live up to their full potential." Likewise we don't go up to grieving parents who lost a child and say, "Well, that life wasn't worth living was it?" Similarly, one must recognize this same trade off with animals. Some animal ambassadors will have a lower quality of life than they would have had if they were still living in the wild. But others will live longer and better than they would have in the wild, subject to predations, disease and killing by humans. Animals who can be ambassadors can provide benefits for their species and the human race that are exceptional and essential. Like guide dogs for the blind, living animal ambassadors bring to humans an essential part of the global life experience of being alive and understanding the marvelous diversity of life. People do not live on farms anymore, for the large part, or in wildernesses. Zoos are positive contributors to the quality of life and the valuing of life, both human and animal, for everyone.

I grew up in a city with a terrible zoo, but as a child, I also saw one of the world's best zoos. I have seen the extremes. This is not rocket science here. People who care and put their dollars and volunteer time where their mouths are (and who are allowed to do so, since many wildlife and zoo organizations are incestuous and clannish in their hiring or allowing of citizen involvement) can cultivate brilliant zoos filled with relatively happy animal ambassadors. In Australia for example I have marveled at their great work in bringing the platypus to levels of contentment where they will breed, an outstanding breakthrough, and I wish them even more success. They are a shining example of where the zoo provides not only the ambassador (one that is hard to view in exhibit by that way, ha!) but also the bulwark against extinction of the species. People can build and maintain great zoos, even marvelous zoos.

Zoos need to be discerning and understand their limitations. People will be more understanding of them, even their critics, if they do their homework and recognize what is within their reasonable means and what is not. My home city was terribly traumatized by one of the most stupid errors imaginable that cost the life of a much loved baby elephant. The arrogance and just plain dumbness of some highly paid zoo "professionals" angers me. They did not know their limits. A human parent could have given them better advice about the risks to a newborn or toddler elephant than these idiots seemed to possess in common sense. When I see things like that I am so outraged. There is no excuse because there are so many people who truly know what they are doing who could advise and assist, but they become little defense fiefdoms. I hate that. It harms everyone. A city does not need to be scarred through some zoo oligarch's arrogance and negligence.

But having seen the worse I've also seen the best. As a child I walked through the Berlin zoo when real "habitat" exhibits were still very rare in the world and I marveled at what I saw: a bridge through a building with crocodiles underneath in their natural setting, elephants separated from people by only a moat. My ex husband and I donated to the building of the snow leopard exhibit in the Bronx Zoo, and now many generations of this endangered and so beautiful animal has thrived there.

I think that as those who manage zoos think about their core constituency and their missions, it will help if they think of their animal residents as ambassadors. Just as you would treat a human ambassador, one must recognize that while there are limits because they are "assigned" to that "posting," that they provide an essential and often under appreciated role as ambassadors of life, and so deserve quarters and conditions that such a responsibility and honor demand. And that includes safety, because there are thefts of animals from zoos such as some of the smaller ones in England that are just terrible and result in the animal's death. Naturalness, comfort, space and security are firm requirements that all zoo animals have and if you cannot provide them, then you should not display that animal. Zoos and serious wildlife sanctuaries need to be reasonable about their strengths and limitations and plan and budget accordingly. The display of elephants is the obvious example of where real discernment must take place. Don't be idiots and hang on to unhappy elephants if you can't give them the ambassador treatment. But likewise, critics need to recognize that some zoos really must display elephants. It's ironic that we expect all sorts of scientific and medical breakthroughs from our society, but then think that the kind and generous display of elephants is a problem too difficult to solve. Huh?

I think that zoos should actually be even more mainstream in our society than they really are. Our society really needs places of nature for contemplation. There is no reason that zoos cannot become multipurpose, with aspects of art and park settings mixed with the classical zoo activities. I often walked through the Albuquerque Zoo as an exercise regiment (a mile or two) and as a place for contemplation and peacefulness. For example, I like mixed botanical garden and zoo settings. Why go to one or the other if you can have both in a multi use landscape? It's all good if people keep their positive attitudes and not be churlish. Why not try some new things too, like mixing a zoo with a demonstration farm? Kids could learn about animals and also about cultivation. It's all good.

I hope this helps. I sure could design some good zoos!