A more expansive mandate for zoos

A more expansive mandate for zoos


The time of zoos as menageries for public entertainment is in the dark, distant past along with the concrete jails that housed these broken animals. In their place, modern zoos celebrate animals for who they are: valued in their own right and representatives of habitats worth saving.

Along with this increased commitment to conservation, zoos have shifted their focus from strictly animal care to the much broader mandate of animal welfare. The gold standard for today’s zoos is the landscape immersion model that houses animals in settings akin to their natural habitats. Here, environmental enrichment is just as important as disease prevention. In fact, it’s now required for zoo accreditation.

Zoos educate us about animals we may never see in the wild. Once we learn about them, it’s natural to be passionate about their preservation.

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