A zoo (short for zoological garden ; also called an animal park or menagerie ) is a facility in which animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition and often bred for conservation purposes.
115-556: The Washington Park Zoo is a zoo located in Washington Park , Michigan City, Indiana , which covers 15 acres (61,000 m) on a hilly sand dune close to the southeastern tip of Lake Michigan. The park and zoo were listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. The zoo exhibits more than 220 animals of 90 species originating throughout the world. Under the zoo's new assessment and initiatives plan,
230-537: A bear and a bull , chained together, rolled in fierce combat across the sand ... Four hundred bears were killed in a single day under Caligula ... Under Nero , four hundred tigers fought with bulls and elephants. In a single day, at the dedication of the Colosseum by Titus , five thousand animals perished. Under Trajan ... lions , tigers, elephants, rhinoceroses , hippopotami, giraffes, bulls, stags, even crocodiles and serpents were employed to give novelty to
345-518: A "house of animals" with a large collection of birds, mammals and reptiles in a garden tended by more than 600 employees. The garden was described by several Spanish conquerors, including Hernán Cortés in 1520. After the Aztec revolt against the Spanish rule, and during the subsequent battle for the city, Cortés reluctantly ordered the zoo to be destroyed. The oldest zoo in the world still in existence
460-400: A Congolese pygmy , displayed in a cage with the chimpanzees, then with an orangutan named Dohong, and a parrot. The exhibit was intended as an example of the "missing link" between the orangutan and white man. It triggered protests from the city's clergymen, but the public reportedly flocked to see Benga. Humans were also displayed at various events, especially colonial expositions such as
575-482: A consequence, various management tools are used to preserve the space for the genetically most important individuals and to reduce the risk of inbreeding . Management of animal populations is typically through international organizations such as AZA and EAZA . Zoos have several different ways of managing the animal populations, such as moves between zoos, contraception , sale of excess animals and euthanization (culling). Contraception can be an effective way to limit
690-610: A difference in wildlife conservation and education. Humans were occasionally displayed in cages at zoos along with non-human animals, to illustrate the differences between people of European and non-European origin. In September 1906, William Hornaday , director of the Bronx Zoo in New York—;with the agreement of Madison Grant , head of the New York Zoological Society —had Ota Benga ,
805-676: A gas station. The animals may be trained to perform tricks, and visitors are able to get closer to them than in larger zoos. Since they are sometimes less regulated, roadside zoos are often subject to accusations of neglect and cruelty . In June 2014 the Animal Legal Defense Fund filed a lawsuit against the Iowa-based roadside Cricket Hollow Zoo for violating the Endangered Species Act by failing to provide proper care for its animals. Since filing
920-458: A greenhouse with an aviary, aquarium, and museum of stuffed animals and birds), a pond, a bridge over a waterfall, an artificial lake with a fountain, a wood-ornamented greenhouse, a forest area, and enclosures and buildings. The first zoological garden in Australia was Melbourne Zoo in 1860. In German states leading roles came Berlin (1841), Frankfurt (1856), and Hamburg (1863). In 1907,
1035-609: A laboratory setting. Ethologists have been particularly concerned with the evolution of behavior and the understanding of behavior in terms of the theory of natural selection . In one sense, the first modern ethologist was Charles Darwin , whose book, The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals , influenced many future ethologists. A subfield of ethology is behavioral ecology which attempts to answer Nikolaas Tinbergen 's four questions with regard to animal behavior: what are
1150-509: A lack of natural wild habitat in which to reintroduce animals. This highlights the importance of in situ conservation, or preservation of natural spaces, in addition to the utility of zoo captive breeding and reintroduction programs. In situ conservation and reintroduction programs are key elements to obtaining certification by reputable organisations such as the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Efforts to clone endangered species in
1265-461: A matter of public interest in the 1970s, a few zoos began to consider making conservation their central role, with Gerald Durrell of the Jersey Zoo , George Rabb of Brookfield Zoo , and William Conway of the Bronx Zoo ( Wildlife Conservation Society ) leading the discussion. From then on, zoo professionals became increasingly aware of the need to engage themselves in conservation programs, and
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#17327879026881380-448: A model of cooperation for conservation. Loaned animals usually remain the property of the original park, and any offspring yielded by loaned animals are usually divided between the lending and holding institutions. For decades the capture of wild animals or purchasing of animals has been broadly considered unethical and has not been practiced by reputable zoos. Especially in large animals, a limited number of spaces are available in zoos. As
1495-413: A new footing, by explaining the processes by which it can occur, and providing observational evidence that it had done so. Darwin's theory was rapidly accepted by the scientific community and soon became a central axiom of the rapidly developing science of biology. The basis for modern genetics began with the work of Gregor Mendel on peas in 1865, although the significance of his work was not realized at
1610-406: A new perspective on the fundamental basis of life. Having previously been the realm of gentlemen naturalists, over the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, zoology became an increasingly professional scientific discipline . Explorer-naturalists such as Alexander von Humboldt investigated the interaction between organisms and their environment, and the ways this relationship depends on geography, laying
1725-418: A new strategy that sets out the aims and mission of zoological gardens of the 21st century. When studying behaviour of captive animals, several things should however be taken into account before drawing conclusions about wild populations. Including that captive populations are often smaller than wild ones and that the space available to each animal is often less than in the wild. Conservation programs all over
1840-434: A place of refuge . Today, many zoos are improving enclosures by including tactile and sensory features in the habitat that allow animals to encourage natural behaviors. These additions can prove to be effective in improving the lives of animals in captivity. The tactile and sensory features will vary depending on the species of animal. There are animals that are injured in the wild and are unable to survive on their own, but in
1955-481: A population's breeding. However it may also have health repercussions and can be difficult or even impossible to reverse in some animals. Additionally, some species may lose their reproductive capability entirely if prevented from breeding for a period (whether through contraceptives or isolation), but further study is needed on the subject. Sale of surplus animals from zoos was once common and in some cases animals have ended up in substandard facilities. In recent decades
2070-709: A process involving the union of a male and female haploid gamete , each gamete formed by meiosis . Ordinarily, gametes produced by separate individuals unite by a process of fertilization to form a diploid zygote that can then develop into a genetically unique individual progeny. However, some animals are also capable, as an alternative reproductive process, to reproduce parthenogenetically. Parthenogenesis has been described in snakes and lizards (see Misplaced Pages Parthenogenesis in squamates ), in amphibians (see Misplaced Pages Parthenogenesis in amphibians ) and in numerous other species (see Misplaced Pages Parthenogenesis ). Generally, meiosis in parthanogenetically reproducing animals occurs by
2185-475: A retired animal trainer moved his brown bear "Jake" to the Washington Park lakefront in the hopes that the bear would get more visitors in the park and not be so isolated. Some additional animals and birds were brought to the park by the fire department, which at the time occasionally sheltered abandoned exotic animals, and the city had the beginnings of a zoo. Planning for a zoo board started in 1927, and
2300-713: A small number of zoos. To solve this organizations like EAZA and AZA have begun to develop husbandry manuals. Many modern zoos attempt to improve animal welfare by providing more space and behavioural enrichments . This often involves housing the animals in naturalistic enclosures that allow the animals to express more of their natural behaviours, such as roaming and foraging. Whilst many zoos have been working hard on this change, in some zoos, some enclosures still remain barren concrete enclosures or other minimally enriched cages. Zoology Zoology ( UK : / z u ˈ ɒ l ə dʒ i / zoo- OL -ə-jee , US : / z oʊ ˈ ɒ l ə dʒ i / zoh- OL -ə-jee )
2415-547: A suitable alternative. Off-site conservation relies on zoos, national parks, or other care facilities to support the rehabilitation of the animals and their populations. Zoos benefit conservation by providing suitable habitats and care to endangered animals. When properly regulated, they present a safe, clean environment for the animals to increase populations sizes. A study on amphibian conservation and zoos addressed these problems by writing, Whilst addressing in situ threats, particularly habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation,
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#17327879026882530-553: A suitable environment for wild native animals such as herons to live in or visit. A colony of black-crowned night herons has regularly summered at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. for more than a century. Some zoos may provide information to visitors on wild animals visiting or living in the zoo, or encourage them by directing them to specific feeding or breeding platforms. In modern, well-regulated zoos, breeding
2645-589: A year and have special programs for schools. They are organized by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums . Japan's first modern zoo, Tokyo's Ueno Imperial Zoological Gardens , opened in 1882 based on European models. In World War II it was used to teach the Japanese people about the lands recently conquered by the Army. In 1943, fearing American bombing attacks, the government ordered the zoo to euthanize dangerous animals that might escape. When ecology emerged as
2760-992: Is "the advancement of Zoology and Animal Physiology and the introduction of new and curious subjects of the Animal Kingdom." It maintains two research institutes, the Nuffield Institute of Comparative Medicine and the Wellcome Institute of Comparative Physiology. In the United States, the Penrose Research Laboratory of the Philadelphia Zoo focuses on the study of comparative pathology . The World Association of Zoos and Aquariums produced its first conservation strategy in 1993, and in November 2004, it adopted
2875-422: Is a creation of a steel faced with limestone and the roof is topped with a spherical ornament reported to be a compression chamber from the city's first fire engine. A feline house was constructed in 1977 using artificial artwork to create more naturalistic surroundings for the animals. A new elephant house opened in 1978 and housed the zoo's elephants until 1990 when a decision was made to stop exhibiting them, and
2990-458: Is a form of scientific taxonomy . Modern biological classification has its root in the work of Carl Linnaeus , who grouped species according to shared physical characteristics. These groupings have since been revised to improve consistency with the Darwinian principle of common descent . Molecular phylogenetics , which uses nucleic acid sequence as data, has driven many recent revisions and
3105-665: Is administered by the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature . A merging draft, BioCode, was published in 1997 in an attempt to standardize nomenclature, but has yet to be formally adopted. Vertebrate zoology is the biological discipline that consists of the study of vertebrate animals, that is animals with a backbone , such as fish , amphibians , reptiles , birds and mammals . The various taxonomically oriented disciplines i.e. mammalogy , biological anthropology , herpetology , ornithology , and ichthyology seek to identify and classify species and study
3220-480: Is an integrative field of study, uniting concepts and information from evolutionary biology , taxonomy , ecology , physical geography , geology , paleontology and climatology . The origin of this field of study is widely accredited to Alfred Russel Wallace , a British biologist who had some of his work jointly published with Charles Darwin . Molecular biology studies the common genetic and developmental mechanisms of animals and plants, attempting to answer
3335-402: Is being studied. For example, what is learned about the physiology of yeast cells can also apply to human cells. The field of animal physiology extends the tools and methods of human physiology to non-human species. Physiology studies how, for example, the nervous , immune , endocrine , respiratory , and circulatory systems function and interact. Developmental biology is the study of
3450-414: Is controlled to maintain a self-sustaining, global captive population. This is not the case in some less well-regulated zoos, often based in poorer regions. Overall "stock turnover" of animals during a year in a select group of poor zoos was reported as 20%-25% with 75% of wild caught apes dying in captivity within the first 20 months. The authors of the report stated that before successful breeding programs,
3565-406: Is done on both the microscopic and molecular levels for single-celled organisms such as bacteria as well as the specialized cells in multicellular organisms such as humans . Understanding the structure and function of cells is fundamental to all of the biological sciences. The similarities and differences between cell types are particularly relevant to molecular biology. Anatomy considers
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3680-443: Is likely to continue to do so. Biological classification belongs to the science of zoological systematics . Many scientists now consider the five-kingdom system outdated. Modern alternative classification systems generally start with the three-domain system : Archaea (originally Archaebacteria); Bacteria (originally Eubacteria); Eukaryota (including protists , fungi , plants , and animals ) These domains reflect whether
3795-462: Is of primary importance; for many amphibian species in situ conservation alone will not be enough, especially in light of current un-mitigatable threats that can impact populations very rapidly such as chytridiomycosis [an infectious fungal disease]. Ex situ programmes can complement in situ activities in a number of ways including maintaining genetically and demographically viable populations while threats are either better understood or mitigated in
3910-415: Is partly based on paleontology , which uses the fossil record to answer questions about the mode and tempo of evolution, and partly on the developments in areas such as population genetics and evolutionary theory. Following the development of DNA fingerprinting techniques in the late 20th century, the application of these techniques in zoology has increased the understanding of animal populations. In
4025-406: Is quantitative, and recently a significant amount of work has been done using computer science techniques such as bioinformatics and computational biology . Molecular genetics , the study of gene structure and function, has been among the most prominent sub-fields of molecular biology since the early 2000s. Other branches of biology are informed by molecular biology, by either directly studying
4140-703: Is reflected in zoology by the presence of animals in Egyptian hieroglyphics. Although the concept of zoology as a single coherent field arose much later, the zoological sciences emerged from natural history reaching back to the biological works of Aristotle and Galen in the ancient Greco-Roman world . In the fourth century BC, Aristotle looked at animals as living organisms, studying their structure, development and vital phenomena. He divided them into two groups: animals with blood, equivalent to our concept of vertebrates , and animals without blood, invertebrates . He spent two years on Lesbos , observing and describing
4255-584: Is the Tiergarten Schönbrunn in Vienna , Austria. It was constructed by Adrian van Stekhoven in 1752 at the order of Emperor Francis I , to serve as an imperial menagerie as part of Schönbrunn Palace . The menagerie was initially reserved for the viewing pleasure of the imperial family and the court, but was made accessible to the public in 1765. In 1775, a zoo was founded in Madrid, and in 1795,
4370-564: Is the genus, and sapiens the specific epithet, both of them combined make up the species name. When writing the scientific name of an organism, it is proper to capitalize the first letter in the genus and put all of the specific epithet in lowercase. Additionally, the entire term may be italicized or underlined. The dominant classification system is called the Linnaean taxonomy . It includes ranks and binomial nomenclature . The classification, taxonomy , and nomenclature of zoological organisms
4485-448: Is the scientific study of animals . Its studies include the structure , embryology , classification , habits , and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct , and how they interact with their ecosystems . Zoology is one of the primary branches of biology . The term is derived from Ancient Greek ζῷον , zōion ('animal'), and λόγος , logos ('knowledge', 'study'). Although humans have always been interested in
4600-614: Is the subfield of biology that studies the evolutionary processes (natural selection, common descent, speciation) that produced the diversity of life on Earth. Evolutionary research is concerned with the origin and descent of species , as well as their change over time, and includes scientists from many taxonomically oriented disciplines. For example, it generally involves scientists who have special training in particular organisms such as mammalogy , ornithology , herpetology , or entomology , but use those organisms as systems to answer general questions about evolution. Evolutionary biology
4715-690: The Africarium , the only themed oceanarium devoted solely to exhibiting the fauna of Africa , comprehensively presenting selected ecosystems from the continent of Africa . Housing over 10 thousand animals, the facility's breadth extends from housing insects such cockroaches to large mammals like elephants on an area of over 33 hectares . In the United States, the Philadelphia Zoo , opened on July 1, 1874, earning its motto "America's First Zoo." The Lincoln Park Zoological Gardens in Chicago and
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4830-541: The American Zoo Association soon said that conservation was its highest priority. In order to stress conservation issues, many large zoos stopped the practice of having animals perform tricks for visitors. The Detroit Zoo , for example, stopped its elephant show in 1969, and its chimpanzee show in 1983, acknowledging that the trainers had probably abused the animals to get them to perform. Mass destruction of wildlife habitat has yet to cease all over
4945-740: The Middle Assyrian Empire created zoological and botanical gardens in the 11th century BCE. In the 2nd century BCE, the Chinese Empress Tanki had a "house of deer" built, and King Wen of Zhou kept a 1,500-acre (6.1 km ) zoo called Ling-Yu, or the Garden of Intelligence. Other well-known collectors of animals included King Solomon of the Kingdom of Israel and Judah , Queen Semiramis and King Ashurbanipal of Assyria , and King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia . By
5060-529: The National Register of Historic Places . Monkey Island was completed in 1934. This was an island with a surrounding moat, a high exterior wall, an access tunnel for the animals from their indoor enclosures. Currently, the island houses a family of Ringtail lemurs and there are plans to renovate the exhibit in the future. An observation tower east of the zoo that overlooks the lake, and the "castle" that houses small mammals followed by 1937. The tower
5175-598: The Wildlife Conservation Society and re branded the zoos under its jurisdiction as "wildlife conservation parks". The predecessor of the zoological garden is the menagerie , which has a long history from the ancient world to modern times. The oldest known zoological collection was revealed during excavations at Hierakonpolis , Egypt in 2009, of a c. 3500 BCE menagerie. The exotic animals included hippopotami , hartebeest , elephants , baboons and wildcats . King Ashur-bel-kala of
5290-1025: The Zoological Society of London in 1931 which today (2014) covers 600 acres (2.4 km ). Since the early 1970s, an 1,800 acre (7 km ) park in the San Pasqual Valley near San Diego has featured the San Diego Zoo Safari Park , run by the Zoological Society of San Diego. One of two state-supported zoo parks in North Carolina is the 2,000-acre (8.1 km ) North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro. The 500-acre (2.0 km ) Werribee Open Range Zoo in Melbourne, Australia, displays animals living in an artificial savannah . The first public aquarium
5405-545: The anatomy of different groups. It is closely related to evolutionary biology and phylogeny (the evolution of species). Physiology studies the mechanical, physical, and biochemical processes of living organisms by attempting to understand how all of the structures function as a whole. The theme of "structure to function" is central to biology. Physiological studies have traditionally been divided into plant physiology and animal physiology , but some principles of physiology are universal, no matter what particular organism
5520-554: The proximate causes of the behavior, the developmental history of the organism, the survival value and phylogeny of the behavior? Another area of study is animal cognition , which uses laboratory experiments and carefully controlled field studies to investigate an animal's intelligence and learning. Biogeography studies the spatial distribution of organisms on the Earth , focusing on topics like dispersal and migration , plate tectonics , climate change , and cladistics . It
5635-399: The taxonomist . Originally it was thought that species were immutable, but with the arrival of Darwin's theory of evolution, the field of cladistics came into being, studying the relationships between the different groups or clades . Systematics is the study of the diversification of living forms, the evolutionary history of a group is known as its phylogeny , and the relationship between
5750-552: The 16th century. During the Renaissance and early modern period, zoological thought was revolutionized in Europe by a renewed interest in empiricism and the discovery of many novel organisms. Prominent in this movement were Andreas Vesalius and William Harvey , who used experimentation and careful observation in physiology , and naturalists such as Carl Linnaeus , Jean-Baptiste Lamarck , and Buffon who began to classify
5865-517: The 1931 Paris Colonial Exposition , with the practice continuing in Belgium at least to as late as 1958 in a "Congolese village" display at Expo '58 in Brussels. These displays, while sometimes called "human zoos", usually did not take place in zoos or use cages. Zoo animals live in enclosures that often attempt to replicate their natural habitats or behavioral patterns, for the benefit of both
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#17327879026885980-470: The 1980s, developmental biology re-entered evolutionary biology from its initial exclusion from the modern synthesis through the study of evolutionary developmental biology . Related fields often considered part of evolutionary biology are phylogenetics , systematics , and taxonomy . Ethology is the scientific and objective study of animal behavior under natural conditions, as opposed to behaviorism , which focuses on behavioral response studies in
6095-571: The 4th century BCE, zoos existed in most of the Greek city states; Alexander the Great is known to have sent animals that he found on his military expeditions back to Greece. The Roman emperors kept private collections of animals for study or for use in the arena, the latter faring notoriously poorly. The 19th-century historian W. E. H. Lecky wrote of the Roman games , first held in 366 BCE: At one time,
6210-480: The Avian Adventure exhibit (2009) where visitors can feed parakeets and cockatiels. The zoo generally houses about 250 animals representing between 85 and 100 species. Several are Species Survival Plan (SSP) animals, members of designated endangered species groups. The zoo also acts as a sanctuary for misplaced or illegally obtained wild pets from the area and takes in local animals too injured to survive in
6325-552: The Cincinnati Zoo opened in 1875. In the 1930s, federal relief programs provided financial aid to most local zoos. The Works Progress Administration and similar New Deal government agencies helped greatly in the construction, renovation, and expansion of zoos when the Great Depression severely reduced local budgets. It was "a new deal for animals." The Atlanta Zoo , founded in 1886, suffered neglect. By 1984 it
6440-1025: The U.S. and Canada by Species Survival Plans; in Australasia, by the Australasian Species Management Program; in Europe, by the European Endangered Species Program; and in Japan, South Asia, and South East Asia, by the Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the South Asian Zoo Association for Regional Cooperation , and the South East Asian Zoo Association. Besides conservation of captive species, large zoos may form
6555-793: The United Kingdom around 1847, when it was used for the Clifton Zoo , but it was not until some 20 years later that the shortened form became popular in the rhyming song " Walking in the Zoo " by music-hall artist Alfred Vance . The term "zoological park" was used for more expansive facilities in Halifax, Nova Scotia , Washington, D.C. , and the Bronx in New York, which opened in 1846, 1891 and 1899 respectively. Relatively new terms for zoos in
6670-550: The United States, Europe, and Asia are frequently embedded in zoos and zoological parks. The position of most modern zoos in Australasia , Asia , Europe , and North America , particularly those with scientific societies, is that they display wild animals primarily for the conservation of endangered species , as well as for research purposes and education, and secondarily for the entertainment of visitors. The Zoological Society of London states in its charter that its aim
6785-693: The advent of the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA), that Civil Works Administration (CWA), and later the Works Progress Administration (WPA), the zoo was completely redesigned. It is believed to be the only zoo in Indiana completely designed and landscaped by these agencies, with the WPA supplying labor as long as the zoo board could find the materials. Eleven buildings in the zoo are on
6900-449: The animals and plants, considering the adaptations of different organisms and the function of their parts. Four hundred years later, Roman physician Galen dissected animals to study their anatomy and the function of the different parts, because the dissection of human cadavers was prohibited at the time. This resulted in some of his conclusions being false, but for many centuries it was considered heretical to challenge any of his views, so
7015-737: The animals and visitors. Nocturnal animals are often housed in buildings with a reversed light-dark cycle, i.e. only dim white or red lights are on during the day so the animals are active during visitor hours, and brighter lights on at night when the animals sleep. Special climate conditions may be created for animals living in extreme environments, such as penguins. Special enclosures for birds , mammals , insects , reptiles , fish , and other aquatic life forms have also been developed. Some zoos have walk-through exhibits where visitors enter enclosures of non-aggressive species, such as lemurs , marmosets , birds, lizards , and turtles . Visitors are asked to keep to paths and avoid showing or eating foods that
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#17327879026887130-493: The animals might snatch. Some zoos keep animals in larger, outdoor enclosures, confining them with moats and fences, rather than in cages. Safari parks , also known as zoo parks and lion farms, allow visitors to drive through them and come in close proximity to the animals. Sometimes, visitors are able to feed animals through the car windows. The first safari park was Whipsnade Park in Bedfordshire, England, opened by
7245-671: The animals were moved to the Bulwark, renamed the Lion Tower, near the main western entrance of the Tower. It was opened to the public during the reign of Elizabeth I in the 16th century. During the 18th century, the price of admission was three half-pence, or the supply of a cat or dog for feeding to the lions. The animals were moved to the London Zoo when it opened. Aztec emperor Moctezuma had in his capital city of Tenochtitlan
7360-434: The animals' needs, but constraints such as size and expense can complicate this. The type of enclosure and the husbandry are of great importance in determining the welfare of animals. Substandard enclosures can lead to decreased lifespans, caused by factors as human diseases, unsafe materials in the cages and possible escape attempts (Bendow 382). However, when zoos take time to think about the animal's welfare, zoos can become
7475-689: The building was converted into an education facility. The three elephants resident at that time were relocated to the North Carolina Zoo , Have Trunk Will Travel , and the Riddles Elephant and Wildlife Sanctuary . In 2004, the zoo opened a new main entrance, a new gift shop and initiated repairs on the observation tower and the walk-through aviary (2005), opened the North American Carnivore exhibit with grizzly bears, mountain lion, and river otters (2007), and opened
7590-427: The cells have nuclei or not, as well as differences in the chemical composition of the cell exteriors. Further, each kingdom is broken down recursively until each species is separately classified. The order is: Domain ; kingdom ; phylum ; class ; order ; family ; genus ; species . The scientific name of an organism is generated from its genus and species. For example, humans are listed as Homo sapiens . Homo
7705-434: The clades can be shown diagrammatically in a cladogram . Although someone who made a scientific study of animals would historically have described themselves as a zoologist, the term has come to refer to those who deal with individual animals, with others describing themselves more specifically as physiologists, ethologists, evolutionary biologists, ecologists, pharmacologists, endocrinologists or parasitologists. Although
7820-654: The classical zoo, such as stage shows, roller coasters, and mythical creatures. Some examples are Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Tampa, Florida , both Disney's Animal Kingdom and Gatorland in Orlando, Florida , Flamingo Land in North Yorkshire, England , and Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, California . By 2000 most animals being displayed in zoos were the offspring of other zoo animals. This trend, however
7935-525: The culling proceeded. Although zoos in some countries have been open about culling, the controversy of the subject and pressure from the public has resulted in others being closed. This stands in contrast to most zoos publicly announcing animal births. Furthermore, while many zoos are willing to cull smaller and/or low-profile animals, fewer are willing to do it with larger high-profile species. Many animals breed readily in captivity. Zoos frequently are forced to intentionally limit captive breeding because of
8050-517: The determination of the double helical structure of the DNA molecule by Francis Crick and James Watson in 1953, the realm of molecular biology opened up, leading to advances in cell biology , developmental biology and molecular genetics . The study of systematics was transformed as DNA sequencing elucidated the degrees of affinity between different organisms. Zoology is the branch of science dealing with animals . A species can be defined as
8165-512: The different organizing principle of geography, as opposed to taxonomy. The Wrocław Zoo ( Polish : Ogród Zoologiczny we Wrocławiu ) is the oldest zoo in Poland, opened in 1865 when the city was part of Prussia , and was home to about 10,500 animals representing about 1,132 species (in terms of the number of animal species, it is the third largest in the world ). In 2014 the Wrocław Zoo opened
8280-647: The discovery of the structure of DNA by Francis Crick and James Watson in 1953, the realm of molecular biology opened up, leading to advances in cell biology , developmental biology and molecular genetics . The history of zoology traces the study of the animal kingdom from ancient to modern times. Prehistoric people needed to study the animals and plants in their environment to exploit them and survive. Cave paintings, engravings and sculptures in France dating back 15,000 years show bison, horses, and deer in carefully rendered detail. Similar images from other parts of
8395-456: The diversity of life and the fossil record , as well as studying the development and behavior of organisms. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek did pioneering work in microscopy and revealed the previously unknown world of microorganisms , laying the groundwork for cell theory . van Leeuwenhoek's observations were endorsed by Robert Hooke ; all living organisms were composed of one or more cells and could not generate spontaneously. Cell theory provided
8510-568: The enclosures and come into close proximity with the animals. The Zoological Society of London was founded in 1826 by Stamford Raffles and established the London Zoo in Regent's Park two years later in 1828. At its founding, it was the world's first scientific zoo. Originally intended to be used as a collection for scientific study , it was opened to the public in 1847. The Zoo was located in Regent's Park —then undergoing development at
8625-537: The entrepreneur Carl Hagenbeck founded the Tierpark Hagenbeck in Stellingen, now a quarter of Hamburg . His zoo was a radical departure from the layout of the zoo that had been established in 1828. It was the first zoo to use open enclosures surrounded by moats, rather than barred cages, to better approximate animals' natural environments. He also set up mixed-species exhibits and based the layout on
8740-424: The first board was appointed by City Manager Albert R. Couden in 1928. Hopes were that the zoo would provide recreation and education not only for residents of Michigan City but also to the thousands who spent their summers at nearby resorts. The zoo was moved to its current location in the sand dunes overlooking the lake, and the zoo board began building new exhibits using only "scrounged" and donated materials. With
8855-458: The food is supplied by the zoo, either from vending machines or a kiosk nearby. An animal theme park is a combination of an amusement park and a zoo, mainly for entertaining and commercial purposes. Marine mammal parks such as Sea World and Marineland are more elaborate dolphinariums keeping whales , and containing additional entertainment attractions. Another kind of animal theme park contains more entertainment and amusement elements than
8970-404: The forms of macroscopic structures such as organs and organ systems. It focuses on how organs and organ systems work together in the bodies of humans and other animals, in addition to how they work independently. Anatomy and cell biology are two studies that are closely related, and can be categorized under "structural" studies. Comparative anatomy is the study of similarities and differences in
9085-431: The foundations for biogeography , ecology and ethology . Naturalists began to reject essentialism and consider the importance of extinction and the mutability of species . These developments, as well as the results from embryology and paleontology , were synthesized in the 1859 publication of Charles Darwin 's theory of evolution by natural selection ; in this Darwin placed the theory of organic evolution on
9200-463: The hands of the architect John Nash . What set the London zoo apart from its predecessors was its focus on society at large. The zoo was established in the middle of a city for the public, and its layout was designed to cater for the large London population. The London zoo was widely copied as the archetype of the public city zoo. In 1853, the Zoo opened the world's first public aquarium . Dublin Zoo
9315-410: The high mortality rate was the reason for the "massive scale of importations." One 2-year study indicated that of 19,361 mammals that left accredited zoos in the U.S. between 1992 and 1998, 7,420 (38%) went to dealers, auctions, hunting ranches, unaccredited zoos and individuals, and game farms. The welfare of zoo animals varies widely. Many zoos work to improve their animal enclosures and make it fit
9430-424: The importance of animal conservation, often through letting visitors witness the animals firsthand. Some critics, and the majority of animal rights activists, say that zoos, no matter their intentions, or how noble these intentions, are immoral and serve as nothing but to fulfill human leisure at the expense of the animals (an opinion that has spread over the years). However, zoo advocates argue that their efforts make
9545-476: The interactions of molecules in their own right such as in cell biology and developmental biology , or indirectly, where molecular techniques are used to infer historical attributes of populations or species , as in fields in evolutionary biology such as population genetics and phylogenetics . There is also a long tradition of studying biomolecules "from the ground up", or molecularly, in biophysics . Animals generally reproduce by sexual reproduction ,
9660-404: The largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sex can produce fertile offspring; about 1.5 million species of animal have been described and it has been estimated that as many as 8 million animal species may exist. An early necessity was to identify the organisms and group them according to their characteristics, differences and relationships, and this is the field of
9775-473: The late 20th century are " conservation park" or "bio park". Adopting a new name is a strategy used by some zoo professionals to distance their institutions from the stereotypical and nowadays criticized zoo concept of the 19th century. The term "bio park" was first coined and developed by the National Zoo in Washington D.C. in the late 1980s. In 1993, the New York Zoological Society changed its name to
9890-520: The lawsuit, ALDF has obtained records from investigations conducted by the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services; these records show that the zoo is also violating the Animal Welfare Act. A petting zoo, also called petting farms or children's zoos, features a combination of domestic animals and wild species that are docile enough to touch and feed. To ensure the animals' health,
10005-831: The natural history of the animals they saw around them, and used this knowledge to domesticate certain species, the formal study of zoology can be said to have originated with Aristotle . He viewed animals as living organisms, studied their structure and development, and considered their adaptations to their surroundings and the function of their parts. Modern zoology has its origins during the Renaissance and early modern period, with Carl Linnaeus , Antonie van Leeuwenhoek , Robert Hooke , Charles Darwin , Gregor Mendel and many others. The study of animals has largely moved on to deal with form and function, adaptations, relationships between groups, behaviour and ecology. Zoology has increasingly been subdivided into disciplines such as classification , physiology , biochemistry and evolution . With
10120-496: The practice of selling animals from certified zoos has declined. A large number of animals are culled each year in zoos, but this is controversial. A highly publicized culling as part of population management was that of a healthy giraffe at Copenhagen Zoo in 2014. The zoo argued that his genes already were well-represented in captivity, making the giraffe unsuitable for future breeding. There were offers to adopt him and an online petition to save him had many thousand signatories, but
10235-517: The processes by which animals and plants reproduce and grow. The discipline includes the study of embryonic development , cellular differentiation , regeneration , asexual and sexual reproduction , metamorphosis , and the growth and differentiation of stem cells in the adult organism. Development of both animals and plants is further considered in the articles on evolution , population genetics , heredity , genetic variability , Mendelian inheritance , and reproduction . Evolutionary biology
10350-493: The questions regarding the mechanisms of genetic inheritance and the structure of the gene . In 1953, James Watson and Francis Crick described the structure of DNA and the interactions within the molecule, and this publication jump-started research into molecular biology and increased interest in the subject. While researchers practice techniques specific to molecular biology, it is common to combine these with methods from genetics and biochemistry . Much of molecular biology
10465-494: The results of his own investigations. His general approach was surprisingly modern, and he wrote, "For it is [the task] of natural science not simply to accept what we are told but to inquire into the causes of natural things." An early pioneer was Conrad Gessner , whose monumental 4,500-page encyclopedia of animals, Historia animalium , was published in four volumes between 1551 and 1558. In Europe, Galen's work on anatomy remained largely unsurpassed and unchallenged up until
10580-503: The rise of the germ theory of disease , though the mechanism of inheritance remained a mystery. In the early 20th century, the rediscovery of Mendel's work led to the rapid development of genetics , and by the 1930s the combination of population genetics and natural selection in the modern synthesis created evolutionary biology . Research in cell biology is interconnected to other fields such as genetics, biochemistry , medical microbiology , immunology , and cytochemistry . With
10695-654: The spectacle. Charlemagne had an elephant named Abul-Abbas that was given to him by the Abbasid caliph. King Henry I of England kept a collection of animals at his palace in Woodstock which reportedly included lions, leopards, and camels. The most prominent collection in medieval England was in the Tower of London , created as early as 1204 by King John I . Henry III received a wedding gift in 1235 of three leopards from Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor , and in 1264,
10810-499: The structures and mechanisms specific to those groups. The rest of the animal kingdom is dealt with by invertebrate zoology , a vast and very diverse group of animals that includes sponges , echinoderms , tunicates , worms , molluscs , arthropods and many other phyla , but single-celled organisms or protists are not usually included. Cell biology studies the structural and physiological properties of cells , including their behavior , interactions, and environment . This
10925-529: The study of anatomy stultified. During the post-classical era , Middle Eastern science and medicine was the most advanced in the world, integrating concepts from Ancient Greece, Rome, Mesopotamia and Persia as well as the ancient Indian tradition of Ayurveda , while making numerous advances and innovations. In the 13th century, Albertus Magnus produced commentaries and paraphrases of all Aristotle's works; his books on topics like botany , zoology, and minerals included information from ancient sources, but also
11040-569: The study of animal life is ancient, its scientific incarnation is relatively modern. This mirrors the transition from natural history to biology at the start of the 19th century. Since Hunter and Cuvier , comparative anatomical study has been associated with morphography , shaping the modern areas of zoological investigation: anatomy , physiology , histology , embryology , teratology and ethology . Modern zoology first arose in German and British universities. In Britain, Thomas Henry Huxley
11155-433: The time. Darwin gave a new direction to morphology and physiology , by uniting them in a common biological theory: the theory of organic evolution. The result was a reconstruction of the classification of animals upon a genealogical basis, fresh investigation of the development of animals, and early attempts to determine their genetic relationships. The end of the 19th century saw the fall of spontaneous generation and
11270-463: The tremendous expansion in the urbanization of London, led to a heightened demand for a greater variety of public forms of entertainment to be made available. The need for public entertainment, as well as the requirements of scholarly research, came together in the founding of the first modern zoos. Whipsnade Park Zoo in Bedfordshire , England, opened in 1931. It allowed visitors to drive through
11385-513: The wild The breeding of endangered species is coordinated by cooperative breeding programmes containing international studbooks and coordinators, who evaluate the roles of individual animals and institutions from a global or regional perspective, and there are regional programmes all over the world for the conservation of endangered species . In Africa, conservation is handled by the African Preservation Program (APP); in
11500-432: The wild. The landscaping for the zoo and park was initially a major focus. The original building was supplied with watering systems that could provide the water necessary for the sand dune environment of the zoo, and with plants provided by city greenhouses, the landscaping was often as much of an attraction as the animals. Starting in 1994, many of the existing flower beds were replanted or redesigned, while other areas of
11615-403: The world and many species such as elephants , big cats, penguins , tropical birds, primates, rhinos , exotic reptiles, and many others are in danger of dying out. Many of today's zoos hope to stop or slow the decline of many endangered species and see their primary purpose as breeding endangered species in captivity and reintroducing them into the wild. Modern zoos also aim to help teach visitors
11730-516: The world fight to protect species from going extinct , but many conservation programs are underfunded and under-represented. Conservation programs can struggle to fight bigger issues like habitat loss and illness. It often takes significant funding and long time periods to rebuild degraded habitats, both of which are scarce in conservation efforts. The current state of conservation programs cannot rely solely in situ (on-site conservation) plans alone, ex situ (off-site conservation) may therefore provide
11845-494: The world illustrated mostly the animals hunted for food and the savage animals. The Neolithic Revolution , which is characterized by the domestication of animals , continued throughout Antiquity. Ancient knowledge of wildlife is illustrated by the realistic depictions of wild and domestic animals in the Near East, Mesopotamia, and Egypt, including husbandry practices and techniques, hunting and fishing. The invention of writing
11960-563: The zoo have been replanted to attract native birds and insects, or to provide dietary enrichment for the animals. Footnotes Zoo The term zoological garden refers to zoology , the study of animals. The term is derived from the Ancient Greek ζῷον , zōion , 'animal', and the suffix -λογία , -logia , 'study of'. The abbreviation zoo was first used of the London Zoological Gardens , which
12075-556: The zoo inside the Jardin des Plantes in Paris was founded by Jacques-Henri Bernardin , with animals from the royal menagerie at Versailles, primarily for scientific research and education. The planning about a space for the conservation and observation of animals was expressed in connection with the political construction of republican citizenship. The Kazan Zoo , the first zoo in Russia
12190-438: The zoo is being modernized so animals are exhibited in natural settings, surrounded by botanical plantings. Among the exhibits are grizzly bears and Bengal tigers . The Castle building exhibits various educational species like fennec fox, corn snakes, and a living beehive. The Winged Wonders has a walk through aviary . The Farm exhibits miniature domestic horses, donkeys, pigs, and goats which may be fed by guests. In 1925,
12305-432: The zoos they can live out the rest of their lives healthy and happy (McGaffin). In recent years, some zoos have chosen to move out some larger animals because they do not have the space available to provide an adequate enclosure for them (Lemonic, McDowell, and Bjerklie 50). An issue with animal welfare in zoos is that best animal husbandry practices are often not completely known, especially for species that are only kept in
12420-502: Was a prominent figure. His ideas were centered on the morphology of animals. Many consider him the greatest comparative anatomist of the latter half of the 19th century. Similar to Hunter , his courses were composed of lectures and laboratory practical classes in contrast to the previous format of lectures only. Scientific classification in zoology , is a method by which zoologists group and categorize organisms by biological type , such as genus or species . Biological classification
12535-571: Was and still is somewhat species-specific. When animals are transferred between zoos, they usually spend time in quarantine, and are given time to acclimatize to their new enclosures which are often designed to mimic their natural environment. For example, some species of penguins may require refrigerated enclosures. Guidelines on necessary care for such animals is published in the International Zoo Yearbook . Animal exchanges between facilities are usually made voluntarily, based on
12650-530: Was founded in 1806 by the Professor of Kazan State University Karl Fuchs . Until the early 19th century, the function of the zoo was often to symbolize royal power, like King Louis XIV 's menagerie at Versailles . Major cities in Europe set up zoos in the 19th century, usually using London and Paris as models. The transition was made from princely menageries designed to entertain high society with strange novelties into public zoological gardens. The new goal
12765-609: Was opened at the London Zoo in 1853. This was followed by the opening of public aquaria in continental Europe (e.g. Paris in 1859, Hamburg in 1864, Berlin in 1869, and Brighton in 1872) and the United States (e.g. Boston in 1859, Washington in 1873, San Francisco Woodward's Garden in 1873, and the New York Aquarium at Battery Park in 1896). Roadside zoos are found throughout North America , particularly in remote locations. They are often small, for-profit zoos, often intended to attract visitors to some other facility, such as
12880-603: Was opened for scientific study in 1828, and to the public in 1847. The first modern zoo was the Tierpark Hagenbeck by Carl Hagenbeck in Germany . In the United States alone, zoos are visited by over 181 million people annually. The London Zoo , which was opened in 1828, was initially known as the "Gardens and Menagerie of the Zoological Society of London", and it described itself as a menagerie or "zoological forest". The abbreviation "zoo" first appeared in print in
12995-583: Was opened in 1831 by members of the medical profession interested in studying animals while they were alive and more particularly getting hold of them when they were dead. Downs' Zoological Gardens created by Andrew Downs and opened to the Nova Scotia public in 1847. It was originally intended to be used as a collection for scientific study. By the early 1860s, the zoo grounds covered 40 hectares with many fine flowers and ornamental trees, picnic areas, statues, walking paths, The Glass House (which contained
13110-439: Was ranked among the ten worst zoos in the United States. Systematic reform by 2000 put it on the list of the ten best. By 2020, the United States featured 230 accredited zoos and aquariums across 45 states, accommodating 800,000 animals, and 6,000 species out of which about 1,000 are endangered. The zoos provide 208,000 jobs, and with an annual budget of $ 230 million for wildlife conservation . They attract over 200 million visits
13225-485: Was to educate the entire population with information along modern scientific lines. Zoos were supported by local commercial or scientific societies. The modern zoo that emerged in the 19th century in the United Kingdom , was focused on providing scientific study and later educational exhibits to the public for entertainment and inspiration. A growing fascination for natural history and zoology , coupled with
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