See also: Zoo

A zoological gardens , more commonly called zoo , is a space where are joined together many Espèce S Animal are alive in closed spaces or with the state of semi-freedom. One counts more than 2.000 zoos in the world, attracting a whole of almost 350 million visitors per annum.

Evolution

The collections of alive wild animals evolved/moved of the Ménagerie S with the zoological gardens while having for objectives for XXIe century to transform itself into centers of nature conservation.

In the beginning, the zoos had for only function to maintain in captivity exotic species for the pleasure of the visitors and the glory of the authority. Today, they have as a main mission the conservation of the species and the sensitizing of the public to the various problems which the animal world knows (danger of extinction, reduction in the natural environment, Braconnage, etc)

If the zoos created in years 1960-1970 contained animals taken in the natural environment, this action of direct taking away is regulated or prohibited, according to the species, since the signature in 1973 of the Convention of Washington. Some of these captured animals still alive and are maintained in captivity. They are at the origin of a more or less important descent. Some thus allowed the creation of lines known as “pure” in captive medium, in the hope to carry out later Réintroduction S in the Natural environment. The zoos can thus be regarded as “genetic” concerning these species threatened of extinction.

Animal wellbeing

The world of the zoos faces multiple problems from the point of view of the wellbeing of the animal. Among those, one counts “  the ennui  ”, Stress causes. A current policy tends to carry out enclosures the closest possible natural environment (sometimes delicate thing to make: problem of space, ecology, social environment…). Vis-a-vis this trouble and with the behaviors known as stereotyped (repetition ad infinitum of a precise behavior: to turn in round, continuation of gesture…), of the studies of enrichments of the medium are set up with more or less success. It is indeed difficult to estimate the stress via the behaviors stereotyped of the fact, amongst other things, of the lack of data on the natural behaviors of certain species.

Another problem (strongly related to the precedent) is that of the reproduction. How to make reproduce a couple in captivity? Indeed, the reproduction in natural environment depends on many environmental, social, physiological factors…, which are not inevitably reproducible in captivity. Vis-a-vis that, many studies are undertaken and certain parks specialize in the reproduction of a precise group, for example the zoo of the Mont Faron in France which deals mainly with the reproduction of large the Fauve S.

But, as a whole, the development of the ethology (study of the animal behavior) made it possible to control the reproduction of many species in zoo, including species at one time considered as difficult to even raise to maintain in captivity (Gorilla, Rhinocéros, Okapi…).

Objectives for the 21e century

The zoological gardens have four functions:

1. recreation
2. education
3. research
4. conservation

To ensure their missions the 21e century, the world of the zoological gardens is in full reorganization. This one passes by the creation and the federation of national associations (SNDPZ, ANPZ, CEPA to France, CAZA in Canada) and international (EAZA for Europe, AZA for North America, WAZA on a world level) and the installation of European Plans of breeding (EEP) in 1985 and North-Americans (SSP) in 1981. These organizations tend to gather the parks in their will of conservation. Thus of many exchanges of animals between the zoos (in particular at the European level) are organized so as to make reproduce important individuals from the genetic point of view not to lose genes “  naturels  ” and thus to maintain the line purest possible for a given species. The international system of inventory of species ISIS, developed in the United States in 1973, since was extended to the whole of the world.

Beside these total organizations, certain zoos create their own association (the such Zoo of Gifted-the-Fountain in partnership with that of the Sables of Olonne with their association “  Animale  embassy; ”), or take an active part in projects of protection of the natural environment (Help Congo, for example).

This will is not however easy to set up because of the lack of financing to allow the parks an effective reorganization (as for the Zoo of Vincennes) or of the reserve of private parks which do not want to change their manner of making. Indeed, a private zoo which makes an important receipt, even very important, does not want inevitably to change its enclosures (to make them more roomy with niches so that the animals can hide of the public), which could displease to the visitors!

Nevertheless, certain zoos are restructured little by little and offer to the animals of the suitable enclosures, i.e. nearest possible to the natural environment of the species given. Besides the majority of the French zoos and Europeans makes efforts in this direction (with height of their financial means), in spite of the persistence of retrograde establishments. Certain zoos are particularly famous for the quality of their installations, the such Zoos of Doué, Asson, Saint-Martin-the-Plain, CERZA in Normandy, etc…

And some associate, more and more, the traditional presentation of animals with the development of a historical framework (case of the Château of Thoiry), landscape (the such Zoo of Gifted-the-Fountain, built on old arranged careers of shelly sand) or botany (for example the Zoo of Saint-Jean-Cape-Ferrat where develops a rich person Flore tropical and subtropical).

See too

Random links:

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