These open-range zoos give animals more territory to roam and provide more natural habitats. Urban zoos are common in Europe, while many zoos in the United States developed as sprawling parks in suburbs outside cities. Some animal activists argue that keeping animals in urban settings is cruel because of cramped conditions, noise, and pollution. In many urban zoos, animals are kept in relatively small enclosures. There is little room for urban zoos to grow, and many of the zoo’s buildings are historic landmarks that cannot be destroyed or redesigned. Often, these zoos sit in the middle of cities, making expansion difficult. Types of Zoos Urban and Suburban Zoos Urban zoos, located in large cities, still resemble the smaller zoos that were popular 200 years ago. Zoos are usually regulated and inspected by the government. There is a trend toward giving animals more space and recreating natural habitats. Today, zoos are meant to entertain and educate the public but have a strong emphasis on scientific research and species conservation. Animals were kept in small display areas, with as many species as space would allow. Early zoos like the Menagerie du Jardin des Plantes were more like museums of living animals than natural habitats. The facility is still a busy and popular zoo in downtown Paris. The menageries of French aristrocrats, including the king and queen, were taken by leaders of the French Revolution and relocated to the Ménagerie du Jardin des Plantes. The first modern zoo, built in 1793, opened in Paris, France. To do this, scientists and zookeepers had to keep animals in places that were close to, or resembled, the animals’ natural habitats. Scientists wanted to research animal behavior and anatomy. During this time, people started wanting to study animals for scientific reasons. The scientific focus of the Age of Enlightenment extended to zoology. The Age of Enlightenment was a period in European history when science, reason, and logic were promoted as ideals of society and government. Modern Zoos The model of the modern, public zoo became popular in 18th century, during the Age of Enlightenment. It was destroyed by Hernan Cortes during the Spanish conquest in 1520. The Aztec emperor Montezuma II, in what is today Mexico, maintained one of the earliest animal collections in the Western Hemisphere. Zoos also existed in later civilizations, including China, Greece, and Rome. There is evidence that ancient zoo owners hired animal handlers to make sure their animals thrived and reproduced. They left records of expeditions to distant places to bring back exotic animals such as giraffes, elephants, bears, dolphins, and birds.
Wall carvings found in Egypt and Mesopotamia are evidence that rulers and aristocrats created menageries as early as 2500 BCE. These private collections were called menageries. The first zoos were created as private collections by the wealthy to show their power. Though people have kept wild animals for thousands of years, those collections have not always resembled modern zoos. The word “zoo” is short for “ zoological park.” Zoos contain wide varieties of animals that are native to all parts of the Earth. A zoo is a place where animals live in captivity and are put on display for people to view.
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