We took our grandson to the Cincinnati Zoo today, my first excursion to any zoo since our own kids were young. The Cincinnati Zoo, long ranked among the best in the U.S., was one of the first to begin naturalizing their exhibits and significant improvements have occurred since my last visit. Nevertheless, most of the caged wildlife seemed sluggish and bored and my mixed feelings about zoos were reinforced; the educational value of these institutions is undeniable but that benefit is balanced by the unfortunate incarceration of wild creatures.
Indeed, it is impossible to learn much about the natural behavior of animals once they are removed from their native habitat, however successful we might be in replicating its physical characteristics. The educational value of zoos is primarily through introducing visitors (especially children) to the diversity of wildlife on planet Earth and, hopefully, instilling a commitment to protecting their native ecosystems. Unless those goals are achieved, zoos, however visually appealing, are little more than show and tell menageries.
The most abundant and varied animal at the zoo today was the human being, represented by a variety of age groups, races, sizes and shapes. Traveling about in family and social groups, they, like the caged wildlife, were on display for all to see but their behavior was unencumbered by walls and fences. Capable of complex communication, their voices echoed through the park, at times distant and muted but often close, shrill and distracting. Though also children of nature, highly dependent upon the health of her varied ecosystems , humans, convinced as we are of our innate superiority, lend a zoo-like feel to any natural environment.
