What is the purpose of a zoo?
A zoo gives people, who would otherwise not get a chance, to see exotic animals up close and personal in hopes that they would care about the animals enough to not let them die off. Zoos also do research in order to provide a better understanding of wildlife and give endangered species a chance at remaining on the planet.
The zoo (a shorted form of the term zoological society) has been around in some form for 2500 years or more and its purpose has changed with time. Originally, owning and displaying exotic animals was a way of showing off wealth, power, and status for royalty and the political elite. The animals’ owners usually referred to the collect of animals as a menagerie.
In the 1800’s the purpose began to change. First these collections of animals were displayed for a combination of entertainment and educational value, used to expand the general public’s knowledge of the world. Later zoological societies became interested in the conservation of endangered species and in scientific research.
Although animal rights groups and nature advocates often scoff at the claim, today the thousand or so major zoos in the world generally say that entertainment is a secondary purpose, and that they exit primarily for conservation and research purposes.
