All About Zoo
Zoo is the collection of number of wild animals in captivity and is an organised non-profit and stationary institution set by state governments in majority, local administrations, trustee bodies and registered scientific societies that own and maintain captive wild animals under the direction of professional staff and provide appropriate care for the purpose of conservation and breeding of different wild animal species especially in endangered wild animals.
History of Zoos
The earliest recorded zoological collections associate with cheetah that are currently extinct in India. Emperor Ashoka in third century B.C. respected the ashrams of saints that always had deer and birds. Manageries were the places meant for the collection of animals in earlier periods.
Documentations are available about the fight between the lions or tiger and man in a captive state. Even mythical five headed cobra was mentioned in earlier records. Hunting of lions and cheetah and tigers was carried out in large numbers once upon a time.
Central Zoo Authority of India
Central Zoo Authority of India seeing the mushroom growth of many unplanned zoos in India, in order to have a better control and assessment of the conditions suitable for the living of the confined wild animals, all the zoos were brought accordingly under the purview of the WILDLIFE PROTECTION ACT 1972, the Central Zoo Authority of India was set up, later and it helps in the overseeing the management of zoos in India. Central Zoo Authority of India came into existence in February,1992.
Central Zoo Authority of India organisation grants recognition to various zoos maintained in this country, keeping due regards to the norms and standards codified time to time and it often associated with the setting up of minimum standard for the upkeep and the management of zoos.
Zoo and it’s Function
Zoo is a place wherein the collection and breeding of wild animals including birds are carried out in a systematic manner under captivity with the permission of appropriate authorities with the functions that are associated with education, captive breeding, basic and applied research, conservation, protection, health care and management and displaying in addition to the recreation.
Objectives of Modern Zoos
Zoo has got multiple functions that basically associate with the health care and management of the captive wild animals. Significant ones are given below:
- Education
- Captive breeding
- Research
- Recreation
Education
The purposes of education are linked to the followings:
- Interpretation of wild animals and conservation to persons visiting the zoos or zoological parks or zoological gardens.
- Acting as a central area for the purpose of dissemination of the biological information and evolving of educational programme for visitors, school/biology teachers and students in order to create awareness for the wildlife conservation.
- The common persons who visit the zoos start asking many questions subsequent to the sighting of the concerned wild animal species.
Interpretation
More emphasis is being provided for “interpretation” which is defined as the educational activity that aims to reveal meaning and relationships through the use of the original objects, by first hand experience and by illustrative media, rather than simply to communicate the factual information.
Flat work or double dimensional exhibits, objects or three dimensional exhibits, dioramas media, signages, models, publications etc. are being used for the interpretation activities.
Captive Breeding
Imbalance in eco-system occurs due to the following reasons:
- Poaching and hunting
- Death due to diseases
- Death due to poisoning
- Death due to natural hazards like earth quakes
- Habitat destruction due to multiple reasons (natural and man-made)
Hence, the wild animal species may become extinct in the course of time and it is a fact that many species of wild animals are in the stage of extinction if the management does not have a scientific type of management features. Hence, captive breeding becomes one of the important objectives in case of zoos.
It is often becoming a mandatory one for the captive wild animal places like zoos to have both male and female wild animals of the particular wild animal species under threat.
Such a type of management under ex-situ conditions helps for the prevention of number of wild animals of particular species in an area.
Conservation efforts are directed mostly in that direction to protect the wild animals that belong to various species. Hence, zoos, zoological parks and zoological gardens become the better places for the captive breeding of the selected species of wild animals for which the available infrastructures are being utilized.
Research
Both the basic and applied research features are required for an effective conservation of wild animals. Research areas comprise microbiology, pathology, physiology, clinical sectors, nutrition, ethology, genetics, biotechnology, reproduction, meat hygiene, anatomy etc.
Such research features may be of more helpful in the health and disease management of wild animals in both captive and free ranging regions. Awareness is being created among the common public about the conservation and the value of wildlife protection and value of individual wild animal species.
Recreation
Aged persons, children, common man, disabled persons and others visiting the zoos get attracted to the sighting of various species of wild fauna in one place.
Wild animals in the zoos often comprise both the exotic and natural wild animal species. Particularly visiting the zoo is a full day recreational activity to the younger group of people and children in particular.
Classification of Zoos in General
Zoos are classified according to different factors associating the area, number of species etc.
