Zoo

Dr. Vipin Maurya, M.V.Sc. Ph.D.

Assistant Professor,
Livestock Production Management
FVAS, BHU, Varanasi.
 ZOO

 Zoo is the collection of number of wild animals in captivity

and is an organized non-profit and stationary institution set
by state governments in majority, local administrations,
trustee bodies and registered scientific societies that own
and maintain captive wild animals under the direction of
professional staff and provide appropriate care for the
purpose of conservation and breeding of different wild
animal species especially in endangered wild animals.
 Historical zoos of the world

Place Year of starting of Zoo

Vienna zoo 1752

Paris zoo 1793

London zoo 1826

Philadelphia zoo 1874

Calcutta zoo 1854

Trivandrum zoo 1857

 Central Zoo Authority of India

 Seeing the mushroom growth of many unplanned zoos in India, in

order to have a better control and assessment of the conditions
suitable for the living of the confined wild animals, all the zoos were
brought accordingly under the purview of the WILDLIFE PROTECTION
ACT 1972, the Central Zoo Authority of India was set up, later and it
helps in the overseeing the management of zoos in India.
Central Zoo Authority of India came into existence in February, 1992.
 This organization grants recognition to various zoos maintained in
this country, keeping due regards to the norms and standards
codified time to time and it often associated with the setting up of
minimum standard for the upkeep and the management of zoos.
 Zoo and it's function

 Zoo is a place wherein the collection and breeding of wild animals

including birds are carried out in a systematic manner under captivity
with the permission of appropriate authorities with the functions that
are associated with education, captive breeding, basic and applied
research, conservation, protection, health care and management and
displaying in addition to the recreation.
 Significant ones are given below:

 Education.

 Captive breeding.

 Research.

 Recreation.
 Education
 The purposes of education are linked to the followings

 Interpretation of wild animals and conservation to persons

visiting the zoos or zoological parks or zoological gardens.
 Acting as a central area for the purpose of dissemination
of the biological information and evolving of educational
programme for visitors, school/biology teachers and
students in order to create awareness for
the wildlife conservation .
 The common persons who visit the zoos start asking many
questions subsequent to the sighting of the concerned
wild animal species.
 Interpretation

 More emphasis is being provided for “interpretation” which is

defined as the educational activity that aims to reveal meaning
and relationships through the use of the original objects, by
first hand experience and by illustrative media, rather than
simply to communicate the factual information.
 Flat work or double dimensional exhibits, objects or three
dimensional exhibits, dioramas media, signages, models,
publications etc. are being used for the interpretation activities.
 Captive breeding

 Imbalance in eco-system occurs due to the

following reasons.
 Poaching and hunting.

 Death due to diseases.

 Death due to poisoning.

 Death due to natural hazards like earth quakes.

 Habitat destruction due to multiple reasons (natural and

man-made)
 Hence, the wild animal species may become extinct in the course
of time and it is a fact that many species of wild animals are in the
stage of extinction if the management does not have a scientific
type of management features. Hence, captive breeding becomes
one of the important objectives in case of zoos.
 It is often becoming a mandatory one for the captive wild animal
places like zoos to have both male and female wild animals of the
particular wild animal species under threat.
 Such a type of management under ex-situ conditions helps for the
prevention of number of wild animals of particular species in an
area.
 Zoos, zoological parks and zoological gardens become the better
places for the captive breeding of the selected species of wild
animals for which the available infrastructures are being utilized.
 Research

 Both the basic and applied research features are required for
an effective conservation of wild animals.
 Research areas comprise microbiology, pathology, physiology,
clinical sectors, nutrition, ethology, genetics, biotechnology,
reproduction, meat hygiene, anatomy etc.
 Such research features may be of more helpful in the health
and disease management of wild animals in both captive and
free ranging regions.
 Awareness is being created among the common public about
the conservation and the value of wildlife protection and value
of individual wild animal species.
 Recreation

 Aged persons, children, common man, disabled persons

and others visiting the zoos get attracted to the sighting of
various species of wild fauna in one place.
 Wild animals in the zoos often comprise both the exotic and
natural wild animal species.
 Particularly visiting the zoo is a full day recreational activity
to the younger group of people and children in particular.
 Classification of zoos in general
 Zoos are classified according to different factors associating
the area, No. of species etc.
Category Large zoo Medium zoo Small zoo Mini zoo

Area in
>75 50-75 20-50 <20
Hectares

No. of animals
>750 500-750 200-499 200
exhibited

No. of species
>75 50-75 20-49 20
exhibited

No. of
endangered
>15 10-15 5-9 >5
species
exhibited
 Staff pattern in a zoo-setup

 Large zoos have in general more departments and more employees in

addition to more number of wild animals and wild animal species,
unlike the small or min zoos.
 Director of the zoo is the executive and a chief person in any zoo.

 Management plan is prepared actively by the zoo director about

various issues prevailing in the zoos. Master plan is also prepared in a
detailed manner.
 Various group of personnel like range officer, forester, animal keepers,
veterinarians , administrative staff etc. are closely associated with the
provision of required inputs for the up keeping of zoo and it becomes
a team work with a director as a chief person
 Deputy Director and Assistant Director

 Deputy director helps directly the Director of the zoo in the

routine management of zoo and Assistant Director assists
the Deputy director in this regard.
 Generally both the Deputy Director and
Assistant Director are responsible for the public affair and
maintenance of the zoo in particular.
 They assume much of the burden for the day –to-day
function of the Director.
 Range Officer

 Range officer looks after the wild animals in their range

under control.
 They actively associate with any activities pertaining to the
care of wild animals falling in their range.
 They apprise (inform) to the higher officials about the
welfare measures required for the up keeping of the health
status in the wild animals.
 Administrative activities are being assisted in a systematic
manner.
 Animal keeper
 The animal keepers are entrusted with the cleanliness of cages,
enclosures, animal houses, moats, their surroundings including
removal of excreta, removing of weeds and bushes.
 They are involved with discouraging of teasing activities by the
visiting persons or public.
 Reports on any damage to the structure of enclosure or cage
are immediately made by these persons to the concerned
range officers or other officials when they are visiting the
enclosures, cages etc.
 Reports about anorectic wild animals or finding of wound on
the wild animal’s body or any kind of visible sickness condition
is immediately reported to the veterinarian in particular.
 Animal keeper
 They generally ensure that no materials remain in the animals
vicinity that are likely to hurt the wild animal maintained under
captive conditions like wire bits, mesh, ropes, plastic materials,
sharp pieces, nails etc.
 Security of the cages or enclosures are given more priority by
these group of personnel and they need to offer assistance
during the treatment of wild animals by the zoo veterinarian and
 it is an accepted one that animal keepers are familiar with the
habits and vices of the wild animals that are under direct care in
the cages or enclosures.
 They offer information associated with birth, death, abnormality
if any like intensive vomiting, diarrhoea etc.
 Veterinarian

 Health and Disease management are given utmost

priorities by the zoo veterinarian in general.
 Technical suggestions need to be offered with regard to the
management of health and diseases in case of the captive
wild animals belonging to various species.
 Veterinarians in the zoos have multitasks in general.

 Director will be assisted in the fields of health and disease

management effectively.
 Healthcare of newly arrived wild animals

 The newly arrived wild animals whether it is a herbivore or

carnivore or omnivore has to be properly taken care of by
taking the wild animal in a safe manner to the quarantine
unit and the related health care measures may be carried
out in a planned manner.
 Clinical observation, sampling etc. may be carried out
depending on the wild animal species under investigation.
 Prophylaxis and therapy

 Prevention is given much emphasis in addition to the treatment of the sick

wild animals.
 Due vaccination has to be carried out in order to prevent the occurrence of
diseases in case of wild animals.
 Periodical examination of wild animals has to be carried out in a systematic
manner in order to find out any disease in the beginning stage itself.
 Surgeries have to be performed whenever required as the case with in
fighting incidence.
 Whenever wild animal becomes sick, he needs to give the right kind of
therapy subsequent to the diagnosis of the case.
 Parasitic conditions need a special monitoring and therapy in all species of
wild animals.
 Post-mortem

 When animals die due to diseases or other reasons, post-

mortem has to be carried out in a systematic manner.
 Post mortem is one of the important components that is to be
taken with more care and cautions.
 Veterinarians involving post mortem of wild animals should
take care of the features related to the Zoonotic diseases in
particular like anthrax or salmonellosis.
 Hence, wearing cover and gloves in addition to the
spectacles to protect the ocular regions are most significant
features to be taken care of.
 Feed and meat inspection

 Spoiled feeds if found may be discarded.

 The meat received needs to be inspected in a systematic

manner and the diseased ones if any have to be discarded.
 Any nodular growths or worms affected regions may be
discarded.
 Fish also needs to be inspected for the healthy status.

 Rotten fish if any has to be immediately discarded.

 Display of wild animals in zoos

 Wild animals are displayed in an informative manner to the visiting

persons or public and followings are undertaken in general for the
display of wild animals in zoo set up:
 Taxonomic arrangement (Non-human primates as first unit).
 Zoo geographical arrangement (wild animals of India and Australia
or other country).
 Ethological arrangement (Common langurs and Chital in a group).
 Mixed species exhibits (eg. Spotted deer and black bucks).
 Ecological arrangement (Common animals of desert system).
 Miscellaneous arrangement.
 Important captive wild animal places in India

Location Name

Vandalur, Tamilnadu state Arignar Anna Zoological Park

Trvandrum, Kerala state Trivandrum zoo

Hyderabad , Andhra Pradesh state Nehru Zoological Park,

Sri Chamarajendra Zoological

Mysore , Karnataka state
Garden

New Delhi National Zoological Park

 Common wild animals in Indian zoos
 Commonly held carnivores: Lion, tiger, panther, jungle cat, hyena, jackals,
wild dog, otter, fox, wolf, jaguar etc.
 Other wild animals: Gaur, wild pig, nilgai, spotted deer, sambar deer,
porcupine, sloth bear, giant squirrels, zebra, Indian pangolin, hog badger,
kangaroo, rhinoceros, giraffe etc.
 Reptiles: Cobra, king cobra, Russels wiper, rat snake, green snake, krait,
reticulated python, rock python, monitor lizard, Indian soft shelled turtle,
mugger, gharial etc.
 Aviary species: Peacocks, cockatoo, cockatiel, African grey parrot, grey
horn bills, rosy pelicans, painted storks, budgerigars, love birds, swan,
sarus crane, egrets, born owls, vultures, kites, shikara etc.
 zoos and sanctuaries

 Animal rights advocates oppose keeping animals in zoos because imprisoning

the animals for our entertainment violates their right to live free of human
exploitation. Even if the animals are of an endangered species, keeping them
in a zoo for the sake of the species violates their rights because the good of the
species cannot be put above the rights of the individual. On the other hand,
sanctuaries rescue animals who cannot live in the wild and can survive only in
captivity .
 A zoo might buy, sell, breed, or trade animals, or even capture animals from
the wild. Animals are often overbred because zookeepers like having a
constant supply of baby animals to attract the public. Excess animals are sold
to other zoos, circuses, or even canned hunting.
 A sanctuary does not breed, buy, sell or trade animals. A sanctuary also does
not capture animals from the wild but acquires only animals who can no longer
survive in the wild. These might include injured wildlife, confiscated illegal
exotic pets, exotic pets who are surrendered by their owners, and animals from
zoos, circuses, breeders, and laboratories that close down.
 zoos and sanctuaries
1. Zoo is a place where animals and birds are in captivity of artificially created
habitat. A sanctuary is the natural habitat of wild animals and birds.
2. The public can see animals and birds in their captivity without any
restrictions. But people cannot throng a sanctuary of their own and they
have to go through certain procedures.
3. When the animals and birds are kept inside cages or open enclosures in a
zoo, the animals and birds in a sanctuary live a natural and normal life.
4. In a zoo, the animals are not free to roam about as they like. But in a
sanctuary, they can freely roam about as the place is their natural habitat.
5. In a zoo, animals are provided lifetime care and are also bred. But in a
sanctuary, the animals take care of themselves and they breed on their
own.
 National parks
 National parks are the reserved places used to protect flora and fauna
of an area. National parks are large and diverse reserves which help in
protection of different ecosystems. Different wild animals like are
protected from getting extinct in national park. Zoological parks are the
areas where animals are kept in special enclosures or cages with
restricted area. Zoological parks serve as an amusement places for
public. these help in providing education about wildlife to children. They
act as commercial aids of raising income by serving as tourist spots.
 National park is an area that has more legal status in general. A wildlife
sanctuary may be elevated to the status of national park in the course
of time, depending on the extent of additional protection, the value of
the concerned wild animal species etc. They are developed for the
purpose of conservation of wildlife in their natural environment. Drastic
manipulation of the wildlife habitat is not favored in general.