[MUSIC] When I introduced this module, which examines animals in sport, entertainment, and education, I mentioned that although we can think about these topics separately, they often intersect in practice. This lesson and the next, in which we discuss captivity and zoos, provide a good example of the intersection of education and entertainment. Although few zoos today see their mission as one solely based on entertainment value, that was the primary purpose of the collections of animals or menageries that preceded today's zoos. Evidence of the earliest menagerie was found in Egypt, and it dates to 3,500 BC. Although we don't definitively know how the animals were regarded, it's thought that they were captured for their spiritual power and used for sacrificial offerings. The practice of collecting animals continued throughout antiquity, with rulers of countless empires from China to Greece and Rome keeping menageries. Their purpose varied, from display for onlookers to providing bait and victims for staged hunts and other spectacles. During the Middle Ages, European nobility often established menageries. Charlemagne's collection of animals included an elephant. English royals kept vast menageries stocked with exotic animals given to them by foreign monarchs. The Royal Menagerie built at Schoenbrunn Palace in Vienna originally served as the court's recreational hunting ground. In the mid-18th century, its animal enclosures were open to the public, and it remains the oldest continually operating zoo in the world. During the 19th century, amid growing interest in natural history and zoology, London Zoological Society was founded for scientific study. Scientists, including Charles Darwin, paid a membership fee for access. It was opened to the public in 1847. It's during the 19th century that we see zoos evolve from formal displays of royal wealth to public places for education and entertainment. Following the model of the London Zoo, other cities began to locate zoos within their centers. As urbanization left increasing numbers of city dwellers looking for amusement, zoos became destinations for social outings. Before the 1970s, zoos typically housed animals in barren concrete cages, often behind bars. Although many zoos were situated within park-like settings, the space was for human recreational activities such as picnicking. The animals had minimal space and none of the habitat found in today's zoos. This only began to change once advances in knowledge of animal behavior and interest in conservation fueled efforts to make conditions for captive animals more humane. Innovations in architectural design and building technology made it possible to create housing that addressed animals' needs, while still ensuring that the public could see the animals they had paid to see. It's important to point out that many types of zoos exist today. And the large zoological park staffed by trained caretakers and visited by millions of people each year represent only one type. Legitimate zoos and aquariums too are accredited by organizations such as the Association of Zoos and Aquariums in the United States, and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, which is a global umbrella organization. Moreover, legitimate accredited zoos are nonprofit organizations. Accredited zoos are in a separate category from what are called roadside zoos, which are private collections of animals kept to attract people who want to bottle-feed bear cubs or swim with tigers. The animals often spend their entire lives in cages or chained up. There are also petting zoos and traveling zoos, which you'll often find at festivals and fairs. These are also private collections, but of domesticated animals usually tame enough for children to touch and interact with. These zoos are not accredited, and they often violate animal welfare laws. In addition, unlike accredited zoos, roadside zoos and petting zoos don't purport to have any educational value. With that clarification in mind, the zoos I'm talking about in the rest of this lesson, as well as the next, are those that are fully licensed and accredited. Although these zoos too must provide a satisfying and unique experience for visitors, today's zoos claim to have benefits beyond mere amusement. The benefits they claim to provide fall under three headings, education, research, and conservation. One of the primary contribution zoos claim to make is in education. By learning about animal behavior and especially about the human-caused threats that some species face, people might consider their roles in environmental problems. They might then make better choices in the products they consume and the causes they support. Children make up a large proportion of the visitors to zoos, and many zoos make outreach to children a priority, in hopes of sparking a lifelong interest in animals. Many urban children would never see wild animals if not for visits to the zoo. Since the 19th century, zoos have also claimed to support research. Zoos make animals that would otherwise be in inaccessible to scientists available for study. Unlike wild animals, captive animals don't live with fear of predators, so they purportedly exhibit a wider range of behaviors than do their wild counterparts. Knowledge gained through research on animals in captivity can lead to innovations that improve their housing and enrich their lives. Finally, zoos claim to support conservation through breeding programs. Some of the species held in captivity face threats of extinction. Breeding programs in zoos often have the goal of reintroducing animals back into nature. There have been several success stories. In the 1980s, only 22 California condors remained in the wild. Birds raised in a captive breeding program were reintroduced starting in 1992. And the population has grown in several parts of California and Arizona. The Arabian oryx was declared extinct in 1972. After successful captive breeding and reintroduction in 1981, their status has been changed from endangered to vulnerable. Some zoos work directly with local populations where animals are endangered to educate them about conservation. Zoos are a controversial topic. While some people point out that they contribute the benefits we've discussed, others think they shouldn't exist at all. We'll examine that view in the next lesson.
