Zoos are our islands of alive nature in bid cities

Contents

Introduction                                                                                              - 2

Chapter 1. The history of  the development of the zoos                    - 4

                  1.1. The beginnings of the zoos                                               - 4

                  1.2  The development of the zoos                                           - 4

                  1.3. Zoos in our days                                                              - 6

Chapter 2. The characteristics of the Moscow Zoo                                   - 7

Chapter 3.  The characteristics of the London Zoo                                    - 9

Chapter 4. The comparison characteristic of the Moscow Zoo

                   and of the  London Zoo                                                           - 11

Chapter 5. The role of the zoos in big cities                                               - 12

Conclusion                                                                                                 - 14

Bibliography                                                                                              - 15

Introduction

Modern zoos, having gone through a centuries-old process of development, have turned into a territory where the problems of interaction between nature and society reveal themselves with extreme sharpness.  They are real museums of living nature, which coexist at the borders of urban development with parks and other recreation areas.  These are places where people go, together with family and friends, in order to rest from the noise of the city and every day’s stress.

The objects of this research are two zoos: Moscow’s and London’s.  Moscow’s is the oldest zoo in Russia, it was founded in 1864 by the Russian Emperor, acclimatizing animals and plants within.  London’s is the oldest existing zoo in Europe, and was founded in 1828.

The objective of this research is the study of the particularities of the animal world and the nature of the zoos, specifically their technical and social connections.

The theme of our investigation is especially actual nowadays, as we are residents of a big city. Me often visit The Zoo and we always get a lot  of pleasure, after resting there with our friends and parents. The Zoo is one of the first places, which we can visit with little children and even adults go there till their old age. There ate zoos in almost all big cities nowadays.

In the middle of the XX century, 4 tasks were outlaid for the zoos:

1. To bring up and breed wild animals
2. To be able to show them to the people
3. To preserve living nature
4. To inform the people about the ecological problems suffered by animals and the extinction of certain species

The aim of our study is to compare the zoos of London and Moscow and to determine their conformity to the modern world standards, and also to find out about behavior of their visitors.

Hypothesis: we propose that notwithstanding the age difference between both zoos, their different location and climate conditions, the zoos of London and Moscow do conform to modern world standards and play an important role in the education and cognitive activeness of children.

In order to achieve the aim, certain tasks have to be fulfilled:

1. Study of the history of the plants of the zoos around the world;
2. Excursion to Moscow’s zoo;
3. Study of the particularities of London’s zoo based on scientific journals and its web site;
4. Comparison of the characteristics of both zoos and extracting conclusions;
5. Making standards of behaving at  Zoos;
6. Making our own guide books about Moscow’s zoo;

Photo №1. The view on Moscow State Zoo.

Chapter 1. The history of the development of the zoos.

1.1. The beginnings of the zoos.

In the times of the Roman emperors, many wild animals, mainly carnivores, were kept for the purpose of  fighting against the gladiators.  Of course, on doing this, hundreds and thousands of animals were killed.  Because of this massive carnage, by the turn of the century some species of Northern African animals began to become extinct.  However, this did not worry anybody –new kinds of animals could be easily found in nature- “there are so many of them”.  This attitude towards animals existed for a long, long time.  None of the institutions that entertained people by the display of animals took good care of them.  Animals were not given a moment’s rest –anybody could throw rocks at them or poke them with a stick in order to wake them up or make them run away, so that they could laugh at them as they roared, and pull on their collar to get them out of their hiding spots.  Nobody cared that the animals would lose appetite and weight out of stress, until they would eventually die.  The feeding of imprisoned animals was not given any special attention.

 Nobody paid attention to dead animals because they could always get a new one.  Hunters took them by hundreds, not paying attention to the tens that died during their transportation.  Sadly, this behavior is still common today, as wild animals continue to be smuggled from time to time.  

Thus, analyzing the characteristics of the zoos from their very first steps of development, we reached the following conclusions:

1. Zoos existed only for the happiness of the owners, and not for a wide mass of people
2. Zoos were founded without any effort to understand the animals’ behavior, not trying to recreate the adequate conditions for each of the species
3. The contact between humans and animals was limited exclusively to those spheres where animals would entertain humans, and show the power and wealth of their owners.

 1.2  The development of the zoos

This situation started to change in the beginning of the XVIII century, when people began to realize that there were not so many animals in nature after all, and some of them had already disappeared for good, despite their “huge numbers”, like the Kvag zebra, the Stellerow cow, the Tarpan and many others.

The founding of the zoo “Jardin des Plants” has an important meaning in the history of zoos.  The director de Saint Pierre paid attention not only to dying animals in Versailles, but also to the possibility of teaching biology to the population visiting the park.  Until then, animals were shown to the people in moving menageries, where they presented them as something interesting and out of the ordinary.

It was ordered that street carnivals were against the law that is why they began to make zoos.  One after another, zoos were made in the 19th century:  

In 1829- London, 1831 -  Dublin, 1835 – Bristol, 1839 – Manchester, 1838 – Amsterdam, 1845 – Antwerp, 1844 – Berlin, 1857 – Rotterdam, 1858 – Frankfurt, 1859 – Copenhagen, 1959 – Philadelphia, 1861 – Dresden, 1862- Melbourne, 1864 – Moscow, 1864 – New York (Central Park), 1865 – St. Petersburg, 1865 – Hannover, 1865 – Breslow, 1868 – Millhouse, 1870 – Buffalo, 1874 – Basil, 1874 – Posen, 1874 – Chicago, 1874 – St. Louise, 1875 – Munster, 1875 –Calcutta, 1875 – Cincinnati, 1875 – Leipzig, 1882 – Cleveland, 1882 – Tokyo, 1899 – New York (Bronx).

Karl Hagenbeck was the first person to make the first zoo in the world and came up with a system to take care of the animals.  The animals of his zoo died, but new animals were born.  Even those animals who were about to become extinct.  This was a real revelation, but the street carnivals were still more popular.  The reason for making the zoos was to show the animals in their natural habitat to people.  

The biggest sensation in the world of zoos was the Karl Hagenbeck’s zoo in Gamberstellen.  He acquired more animals in the 10 years of the existence of the zoo than were born in their natural habitat.  

 We have analyzed the development of zoos from the beginning of the 18th century to the Second World War and  have decided that zoos began to change:

• Street Carnivals were strictly illegal, so they made more zoos.
• They changed the maintenance system of the animals.
• They let the animals live in together, not separately like in the street carnivals where each animal was in one cage.

1.3. Zoos in our days

After the Second World War, zoos began a new era.  The directors of the zoos in Bern, Basil  made strict task for the maintenance of the animals:

1. The first and most important task of zoos is to make it a place for people to rest from the noise of the city.  

2. The second is to let the people know how we have damaged the earth.

3. Zoos have to be secure for the animals.

4. Zoo workers need exact knowledge, so they should study such sciences as biology, zoology, ecology, psychology, physiology and many others.

Therefore, you can save the nature you have to know.  Zoos have to study all animals.  The population of animals is disappearing everyday so we have to do three projects.

1.  Ecological – to know more.

2. Research of the animals.

3.  Zoos are also a place where people can rest

Using these mechanisms of development we’ll continue making our research in future.

Drew Gerald have played a very important role in the development of zoos.

Drew Gerald collected animals all his life and made a zoo.  The zoo is located in the island of Jersey.  It is not very big but it has many animals and it was a success.

Zoos are not only parks that have animals; they are islands for saving the animals from extinction.  Maybe the day is not very far when all zoos will do this task.

Chapter 2. The characteristics of the Moscow zoo

The Moscow zoo is one of the biggest and oldest zoos of Russia. This zoo was made in 1864.  In its collection, there are more than 1000 type of animals, with 6000 exemplars (at end of 2005). The purpose of Moscow zoo is to save nature, and educational matters.

There are excursions and work-studies with schoolchildren.  The zoo collaborates in International programs, and studies many of their animals, changing their animals with other zoos.  In the territory of this zoo, there is a Children’s zoo park, where you can see animals from fairy tales. (Attachement 1)

The Russian Emperor’s community of climate, animals and nature organized the Moscow Zoo in 1864.  One of the most important people, who developed it, was the Professor of The Moscow University, Anatoli Petrovich Boganov.   He called the zoo “a live museum in the open air”.  The Emperor’s family helped to finance the zoo.

Photo 2. Moscow Zoo at the beginning of the 19th century.

At the time of the historical occurrence of 1905 – 1917, the zoo was at the center of the Revolutionary conflict.  During this time, it suffered a lot of damage, buildings were destroyed, the library was burnt, and a lot of animals died and the Moscow Aquarium was destroyed.  After the October Revolution Victory, the zoo was nationalized.  Its size was two times bigger than before, there were more animals, laboratories and Veterinary Centers were made.  The zoo kept working during the time of the Second World War.  In 1990, they began to reconstruct the zoo.  

Nowadays it is very hard to get new animals from nature.   If you have more animals, you have more chances of success.  Zoos do not only keep rare animals but also control their natural habitat.  The Moscow Zoo is frequently in contact with the zoos in Northern America and Europe and other places of the world.  One of the biggest and best zoos of the USA – The San Diego Zoo.  

In Europe, the zoo is in contact with zoos in Germany, Holland, Britain and other zoos. (Attacment 2)

                                                  The collection, dated by 01.01.2004.

Squared meters of the zoo - 21.4676 h.

Squared meters of exposition- 21.365 m. square

Amount of customers- 1.290 385 p.  ( children are not free )

Chapter 3. The characteristics of the London Zoo

The London zoo was made the 27 of April 1828.  First, they used the collection of animals to study them.  In 1847, it was opened to the public.  Now the zoo has one of the best collections of animals in Brittan.  It has 755 different types of animals with 15,140 types of species.  

The zoo is in the north of Region Park.

  It was established as part of the London’s community of zoos (made in 1826).  In this community, you also have a big territory in the Bedfordshire Zoo, where there are very big animals, like elephants and rhinoceros.  

The London Zoo was the first zoo to have scientific studies.  In 1849, they opened the first pavilion of reptiles.  In 1853, they opened an aquarium.  In 1881, the first pavilion of insects was constructed and in 1938, the first children’s zoo.  

The government did not finance ZNL (ZNL London Zoo); it is financed by <>, sponsors and other people.  From 2008, the zoo has been in reconstruction, making it a better place for animals and people.  In 2005, the African Zoo Safari and Meet the Monkeys Expositions.  In 2008-Into Africa and a butterfly paradise were constructed.  For Easter of 2007, Dirk Edgerski opened new pavilions, Gorilla Kingdom and Panoramas of a Tropical Forest Expositions.  These were made for Millennium of the Tropical Forest.  In the Ester of 2008, they also opened new pavilions.  

 In the zoo, many other animals are not included in the expositions like tigers, lions, monkeys, lemurs, tapirs, and parrots.  

The Zoo is currently a renovation project aimed at replacing cages with enclosures which recreate animals' natural environments, giving a better lifestyle to the animals, and a more realistic experience to visitors. In 2005 the "African Bird Safari" and "Meet The Monkeys"] walkthroughs opened and in 2006 "Into Africa"  and "Butterfly Paradise" exhibits opened, while in Easter 2007  was officially opened the new "Gorilla Kingdom" and "Clore Rainforest Lookout" a walkthrough rainforest replacing the small mammals building. During Easter 2008 the Bird House reopened as a tropical rainforest called the "Blackburn Pavilion".

The Children's Zoo closed in September 2008, and was replaced by the 'Animal Adventure' in April 2009.

Adults (16-59) 15.40 fonts

Children (3-15) 11.90 fonts

Age 3 and under- Free

Students, invalids – 13.90 fonts

Family ticket (2 Adults + 2 Children, or 1 Adult with 3 Children) 49.10 fonts

Photo 3. The view on the London zoo.

Chapter 4.The comparison characteristic

of the Moscow Zoo and of the London Zoo.

Studying these two modern zoos, Moscow’s and London’s, we are sure that:

1) Both zoos are places where people can rest.

2)  Both are very active, and are always in contact with other zoos of the world.

3) In both zoos they try to make the conditions almost exact to natural.

5)Both save animals that are about to disappear.

We can say with confidence, that these two zoos are very excellent modern zoos, though they were different in the past.  

Chapter 5. The role of the zoos in big cities.

Why do we need zoos?  People usually ask this very interesting question.  We had a very big work about zoos and with a strong a certainty we can say that today zoos are needed because:  They allow us to know more about animals.  People are very curious and like to learn about everything around them, especially about animals and plants.  

However, most of the people cannot afford to go to other countries to see different animals.  Zoos let them see the animals and the conditions of their life.  They are also places where we can save rare species that are in danger, so they can still exist.

We have to try everything with all our strength because we are the ones that did this.  People only like what they understand and defend what they love.  A zoo is a place where they let children and adults feel like they are in nature.  

When we went to the Moscow Zoo, we cared with all our heart for the people and the animals that were there.  That is why we invented these laws for children.

5.1. Standards of behavior in zoos.

1. You NEED to have a good time.

2. You NEED to stay in your group.  At least one adult HAS TO take care of five children.

3. If you get lost, you HAVE TO have a place where you know you can meet.

4. You NEED to stay in places where the guests are allowed.

5. You MUST keep the park clean.

6. You NEED to understand that animals have to rest and sleep.  If you really want to see, the animals come and see it later.
7. You NEED to respect all the animals in the zoo (including humans) and the caretakers of the zoo.

8. You NEED to give the animals space.  Some animals like ducks and other birds, walk freely in the territory of the zoo.  Please do not get to close to the birds or they might get scared and run away from you or even get aggressive.

9. You NEED to speak very quietly.  The animals may get scared

10.   DO NOT throw coins and food into the animal’s cage.  They might get sick

11.  DO NOT roller-skate or bicycle in the zoo or bring your house pet.

Conclusion

We are very interested in this investigation about zoos. We have learnt a lot of new things about the history of their creation and development. Having compared the London Zoo and the Moscow Zoo we understood, that our zoo is technically absolutely equal  to the London Zoo. But in London climate conditions are different and winter is rather warm. The temperature of January is about +2+3°, but in Moscow winter is severe, we usually have frosts and a big number of animals are being moved to their winter flats.

There are a lot of different specialists in zoos. Animals are sometimes ill and special doctors-veterenarians or vets have to treat them. Dietitians make special food rations for animals. If they want to get a healthy posterity they  may carry animals to date with their relatives from zoos of other countries or take guests at home. Cubs are brought up in special rooms like kindergartens. Yardmen clean their cages and change water in ponds. Guards protect their sleep. And zoologists study the behavior and the life of different animals, obtain the reproduction of  animals and play an important role in the education and cognitive activeness of children.

The result of our work is the following.

• We have analyzed and summarized the history of development of the zoos, have revealed the stages of development and their special traits;
• We have characterized the nature, the animality and presence of necessary facilities of the Moscow Zoo and of The London Zoo.
• We have made the comparison both of the zoos  with the analyze
• We have defined the role and the place of a zoo in a big city
• We have estimated the standards of the visitors’ behavior at the zoos
• We have made our own guide-books about the Moscow Zoo

Bibliography

1. V.V.Spisin “Annual report 2008”, Moscow, 2008

2. “Research activities in zoos. The 24th  emission”, Moscow, 2008

3. www.wwf.org - World Wildlife Fund

4. www.biaza.org.uk  - the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums

5. www.cza.nic.in - Central Zoo Authority

6. www.moscowzoo.ru  - The Moscow Zoo

7. www.zsl.org – The London Zoo

8. www.wikipedia.ru