Zoos have been present for thousands of years but have evolved and changed in many ways to become the modern idea of zoos. At first private collections of exotic and difficult to tame animals were collected by the wealthiest individuals to show off. Back as far as 2500 BCE these types of zoos first began, and the depictions can be found in wall carvings. Evidence points to the use of handlers to create an environment for the animals to thrive and reproduce, much like the modern zoo-keeper.
Later civilizations at the height of their empires had had zoos as well. Rome, Greece, China and even the Aztec. As these great civilizations fell from prosperity and power, their zoos too began to fade. The Aztec zoos were destroyed by Cortes in 1520 along with the rest of the western native civilizations. The early form of zoos were referred to as "menageries" meaning a collection of exotic animals. In these types of collections the fate of the animals was entirely up to the person who paid for the collection. Animals could be mistreated or used for anything the owners felt that they wanted. So it is easily assumed that much like the modern zoo there are good examples where the animals were kept as happy as possible and bad ones where they were kept in tight cages and not treated with respect. For example lions could have been displayed in enclosures inside a palace or released into a large specially designed park to roam and live. Great leaders throughout history have often erected zoos in their name as show of power and prestige. Some famous leaders and conquers who founded zoos or menageries include: Alexander the Great, Kublai Khan, Constantine, Charlemagne, Louis XIV, and Montezuma. Alexander was the first to use zoos as an educational attraction. While Henry I kept "sport animals" in the famous Tower of London to host contests of power. The two seemingly conflicting ideas for zoos shown by Henry I and Alexander describes our modern zoo experience, entertainment and education. |
*Highlight responses from our twitter chat question:Should zoos focus on rehabilitation and release of animals, or long term captivity for education?
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