What is a zoo? This is a place of keeping wild animals in conditions as close as possible to the natural habitat. The main feature of the zoo is the ability to observe animals, including exotic ones. Most often, zoos are located on the territory of the city, in a specially equipped place and with created conditions for a comfortable life of all types of animals.
What is it
What is a zoo? Zoological Park is an institution in which animals are kept in captivity for demonstration, study, conservation and reproduction. Zoos are created for scientific and educational purposes. They help to spread knowledge about the diversity of the animal world, promoting the conservation and preservation of the gene pool of rare, endangered individuals.
Features
The limited territory where animals are kept is the main distinguishing feature of the zoo (photos of zoological parks and animals are in the article). The zoo has similarities with recreation areas, because it has clear boundaries. Specially created premises with approximate natural conditions for life become the habitat of many animal species. As a rule, the territory of the zoo is huge, unlike the zoo. Many institutions were organized on the basis of private collections, circuses and exhibitions. In Russia, the oldest zoos founded in the 19th century include Kazan, Penza, St. Petersburg and Moscow.
Pros and cons
What is a zoo? Does it have advantages and disadvantages? In the world there are many people who oppose the maintenance of wild animals in captivity. It is not necessary to challenge such an opinion, because, in fact, zoos are created for the entertainment of people, and are also informative. The advantages of zoological parks include:
- Safety. If the zoo contains rare species, this helps preserve the population.
- Availability. Such parks allow anyone to see near exotic animals collected on the same territory.
- The study. Zoos allow scientists to observe animals and study species.
- Comfort zone. Animals that grew in captivity will not be able to survive in the wild. This also applies to predators.
- Visit mode. The convenient schedule of the zoo and its location allow visitors to look at the animals at any convenient time.
The minuses of keeping animals in captivity include:
- Lack of freedom. Unlike zoological parks, animals live and breed in nature reserves in nature reserves.
- Stress. In the parks, wild inhabitants experience constant stress due to city noise and the environment of people.
- Limitations Compared to the natural habitat and freedom in the zoo, animals live in cages and aviaries.
- Lack of offspring. Many species lose their ability to breed in captivity.
- Short life. For example, lions, being in artificially created conditions, live less than in natural ones.
Goals
What is a zoo, what goals and objectives does it pursue? The main and most important aspect of the activity of this institution is the maintenance of various species of animals for demonstration to humans, as well as enlightenment, development and creation of ideas about the environment and wildlife. In addition, zoological parks aim to instill a sense of responsibility for those whom they tamed. Zoos pursue the task of preserving and increasing the population of endangered species, helping to restore the animal world.
Most parks participate in various programs for the conservation and restoration of rare species of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians.
Contact
Relatively recently (the seventies of the last century) a new type of zoological parks appeared - contact. Zoo in Moscow Forest Embassy is the first contact institution in the capital. It is positioned as an educational, interactive platform where different types of animals live (sheep, rabbits, cats, dogs, lizards, raccoons, chinchillas and others). Visitors are allowed to stroke, pick up, feed, photograph, study their habits, observe them.
As a rule, contact zoos contain harmless individuals that cannot attack a child or an adult and cause harm to health. The main feature of this park is pet therapy. It is recommended for children with special needs. Feeding animals is allowed here, but with special food purchased on the spot. In Russia today there are more than twenty networks of contact institutions. The working hours of the Forest Embassy zoo are comfortable for visitors. Doors are open for children and adults seven days a week, from 10 to 21 hours.
The contact zoo teaches benevolence, respect and love for our smaller brothers, educates the best in kids, and arouses a sense of responsibility in adults. The average price per hour of communication with an animal is 400 rubles. Some institutions allow you to take animals home for a period of time, feed and provide them with care.
Moscow Zoo
One of the oldest zoological parks in Europe. It was founded in the middle of the 19th century. More than three million people visit it annually. Here you can see 1,132 species of animals. For a long time the taiga cat - manul - was a symbol of the park. Later the character was changed. Now this is a stylized image of pigeons, squirrels, pelicans and dolphins. The schedule of the zoo is selected so that visitors can get around the entire park. You can watch animals here seven days a week, from 10 to 20 hours.
Moscow Zoo is considered one of the main attractions of the capital. Here you can feed fish, look at flamingos, cheetahs, lynxes, bears, wild boars, snow leopards, white-headed vultures, steppe eagles, Bengal tigers, elephants, raccoons, monkeys, polar bears, giraffes, camels, lions, polar bears and other animals . Reptiles and marine life live in the park. The zoo is equipped for active family vacations. On a large territory there are children's attractions. In addition, a contact zone was created in the Moscow Zoological Park where children can pet and feed small animals: rabbits, monkeys, raccoons, goats, sheep, deer. In the future, they plan to expand it.