Zoo Life

Stephanie Lacy

In recent years zoos have become the target of many animal rights groups. These groups argue that the goal of zoos is not to preserve and care for exotic or endangered animals, nor to educate the public about those animals, but is to find the most unique and well liked animals and make a profit off of them rather than seeking to provide them with “an actual haven or home.” I recently read an article published by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) focusing on zoo animals and their care. I’ve pulled out a few sections of the article to discuss. The following is an excerpt from the article, “Zoos: Pitiful Prisons:”


“Even under the best of circumstances at the best of zoos, captivity cannot begin to replicate wild animals’ habitats. Animals are often prevented from doing most of the things that are natural and important to them, like running, roaming, flying, climbing, foraging, choosing a partner, and being with others of their own kind. Zoos teach people that it is acceptable to interfere with animals and keep them locked up in captivity, where they are bored, cramped, lonely, deprived of all control over their lives, and far from their natural homes.”

This is a perspective that needs to be, and has been, taken into consideration by zoos across the country. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) has a strict set of guidelines on zoo animal enrichment and in order to be accredited by them the zoos must meet their criteria. Enrichment is part of the daily zoo procedures. There are several types of enrichment listed by the AZAs website including: environmental enrichment devices, habitat enrichment, sensory enrichment, and food enrichment. These types of enrichment are used to stimulate the animals and to keep as many of their natural activities and instincts as natural as possible in a confinement situation.

The environmental enrichment devices (EED) are in essence toys provided to the animal. The animal can manipulate the toys themselves and these objects range from things that would be naturally found in the habitat such as branches and grasses, to man made objects such as car wash brushes and large tires. The EEDs must be evaluated in terms of safety to make certain there is no possible way the animals can injure themselves with the device.

Habitat enrichment is largely the construction of the habitat. AZA suggests that habitats should be designed to both resemble the animals’ natural environment and to enhance the animals’ instincts and normal physical abilities.

Sensory enrichment as a whole is “designed to address the animal’s sense of smell, touch, hearing, vision, and taste and elicit species-specific response, territorial, reproductive or hunting behaviors.”

Food enrichment is essentially the use of food to enhance the animals’ natural behaviors, problem solving skills, and instincts such as the hunting instinct.

On another note, the AZA has reintroduction programs in which they either raise animals that have difficulty birthing and surviving on their own in the wild or they rehabilitate animals and release them back into their natural environment. There is a group within the AZA known as the Reintroduction Scientific Advisory Group that handles and regulates all components of the reintroduction process.

The AZA also funds conservation research to preserve both captive and non-captive animal species. They have funded conservation research in over 100 countries globally and in approximately 4000 studies. They provide nearly $90 million annually for “conservation initiatives.” The AZA Conservation Endowment Fund was founded in 1984 and “supports the cooperative conservation-related scientific and educational initiatives of AZA and AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums and their collaborators.”

In another portion of the article the author says:

“…and many animals who naturally live in large herds or family groups are kept alone or, at most, in pairs. Natural hunting and mating behaviors are virtually eliminated by regulated feeding and breeding regimens. Animals are closely confined, lack privacy, and have little opportunity for mental stimulation or physical exercise. These conditions often result in abnormal and self-destructive behavior, known as “zoochosis.”” (Zoochosis is a term used to describe “obsessive, repetitive behavior.”)

The issue of social groupings and behavioral conditioning are also addressed by the AZA in their enrichment program. In reference to the social groupings the AZA states that “social groupings should resemble those observed in the wild to facilitate feeding, grooming, and social, territorial, and courtship behaviors. Mixed species exhibits may also provide symbiotic or complementary activities between the species.” Behavioral conditioning is designed to enhance the animals “intellectual focus” and is only done on a voluntary basis (the animal volunteers for the training sessions and is not forced).



Full articles and other pertinent information can be found at these sites:

http://www.peta.org/mc/factsheet_display.asp?ID=67 http://www.animalliberationfront.com/Practical/Entertainment/zoochosis.htm

http://www.aza.org/enrichment/