Sunday, June 01, 2008

Zoo Culture: Superficial Relationships of Domination and Control

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  1. As a zookeeper, I have several reactions to the descriptions of this book.  First, it seems like the author didn’t take the time to talk with anyone who actually worked at a zoo.  Jensen might have been surprised having taken this simple step, to learn that the zoo field is full of people with a great fondness for animals and the natural world; people who have given a great deal of thought to the ethics of zoos.

    Second, zoos do have educational goals, but these are realized through educational programs, not through walk-in traffic.  The goal of inviting walk-in guests to the zoo is to inspire wonder, awe, and interest in animals and the natural world.  It’s disingenuous to suggest that the fact that zoo guests don’t leave the zoo knowing scientific terminology means that zoos fail at their missions.

    Third, you can’t blame zoos for the laws of grammar that state that animals are referred to by the pronoun ‘that’ instead of whom.

    It’s easy to take a bunch of pictures of animals in cages and make people feel sad.  This book disparages the work of animal experts, educators and conservationists working in zoos, apparently without doing any actual research or talking to anyone who actually works in zoos.

    We’re out there, we love animals, try talking to us!

    Posted by urbpan from  on  06/01  at  06:03 PM
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