How to tell whether a zoo is good or bad has no concept.

△Children who carefully observe animals in the zoo/ TripAdvisor

Because she loves animals, Flower Eclipse chose to do bird dialect research at the university. For the first time, she seriously visited the zoo. “I suddenly realized that how did the animals in it live so miserably?

At the end of 2018, the erosion spent four months in 56 domestic zoos.

He has seen the advanced operation concept of Guangzhou Chimelong Wildlife Park, and he has also seen that Xining Wildlife Park strives to provide animals with a dignified life in the absence of funds and manpower.

He knows Yunnan Wildlife Park, which has made great achievements in displaying native animals, and is also launching an incredible fee-charging project such as bamboo poles tied to meat and tigers;

The Guiling Mountain Zoo in Guiyang was once one of the worst provincial capital city zoos, but after rectification and reform it has reached the upper middle level, letting people see the power of shame and bravery—

The more money, the more money, the less money, the less money, the key is to find a solution.

First, what is a good zoo like?

Many friends of the flower eclipse hate the zoo, hate the animals being kept idle in bare cages or look sick, and hate the twisted circus performance.

“A good zoo, the most basic thing is to keep the animals well, guarantee the basic welfare of the animals, and let the animals live with dignity.”

Hua eclipse likes the Singapore Zoo and the Taipei Zoo best: “The whole zoo feels very good. It is pleasing to the eyes. You can see the efforts made by the park to protect animals.A lot of work has also been done on scientific research and the breeding of rare species.”

△Singapore Zoo staff are taking care of elephants/ TripAdvisor

In addition to the “editing” animals, the Singapore Zoo has also shown its full interest in the wildlife that come here to settle.

In the park, local wild bats are often infested, and the park has specially set up an introduction card for them to encourage tourists to pay attention to the existence of this species.

Wild animals are also part of a zoo. If a zoo is in a good environment, it will become a shelter and habitat for wild animals. Domestic zoos also have rich wildlife resources, but they don’t pay much attention.

“The former zoo had only one purpose, that is entertainment. The earliest zoo was the back garden of the noble master, collecting various animals to meet the viewing needs.” Hua Eclipse believes that modern zoos bear more responsibilities, and entertainment is still among them One purpose is that people in the city are generally suffocating, and visiting the zoo will feel cured.

△ An elephant with a mouth, as if smiling at you/ Unsplash

The second level is protection and breeding of rare species. For example, northern white rhinocerosclass=”text-remarks” label=”Remarks”> (a subspecies of white rhinoceros) on the verge of extinction, a zoo in the Czech Republic has done a lot of conservation work, delaying the extinction of this species for decades.

The third is for scientific research purposes. Animal behavioral research depends on long-term observation of animals. But in the wild, it is not easy to observe the natural behavior of animals, especially before the appearance of infrared cameras.

In contrast, the zoo is easier to observe. Living in a zoo, the animals may show different conditions than in the natural environment, but this is not necessarily bad.

In the zoology, Dewar believes that captive chimpanzees are easier to observe for their behavior.

Because of enough food, chimpanzees spend less time foraging and eating, and they spend more time playing with their politics. Such complex and intelligent natural behaviors are more interesting to observe.

△Compared to the wild, captive chimpanzees are easier to observe behavior / LAZoo

The fourth purpose is nature education, which makes people like nature and animals through the zoo.

Zoo Enquan, the zoo designer, understands the meaning of nature education in this way: good zoos, visitors gain not only pleasure and knowledge, but also a sense of responsibility and mission, and finally reflect all the gains and perceptions in the improvement of daily behaviors .

This change in behavior will reduce the pressure on the environment and allow humans and these cute wild animals to survive on Earth for a long time.

Of course, to achieve these four points is a particularly ideal state.

△Lanzhou Zoo’s old-fashioned cages/ video screenshot

For small animals who naturally like to dig and dig holes, the concrete floor limits their natural behavior; also because the ground is not suitable for hard and soft, the takin hooves of Lanzhou Zoo wear too slowly and the length is too long- This part is equivalent to human shoes. If it is too long, it will be uncomfortable to exercise. The amount of takin’s exercise will be reduced and enter a vicious circle.

Good venue design and abundance can enhance animal welfare and allow animals to better demonstrate natural behavior.

Full capacity is to use all available means to make animals live more naturally.” For example, do some hands and feet when feeding food, so that the animals can eat it not so easy.

The Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Base will hang an apple on a bamboo pole and wave it up and down several times when feeding to pandas. It is commonly known as “panda fishing” to exercise the strength of the panda’s hind limbs.

△The breeder is fishing for pandas / video screenshot

The breeder prepares more types of food to make the animals eat more abundantly, which is also food rich.

Sometimes ago, the Wuhan Zoo, where the Eclipse worked, deliberately made a sack mixed with food and herbivore feces. The two bears were immediately excited, and their behavior became rich. This is the rich smell.

Sichuan Longqiao Black Bear Rescue Center is thinking about sound abundance: the staff puts a few stones in a PVC pipe and blocks them at both ends to make a sound toy. The bear kept turning after getting it, just like playing a rattle, especially happy.

△The breeder will often play abundance toys for animals/ screenshots on Weibo

Sometimes, the breeder’s thoughts and efforts can eliminate the backwardness of the cage, and they are more like product managers in charge of an exhibition area.

Hua eclipse often tells volunteers that a lot of what we do now is to make toys for animals and help them find something to do. In an ideal situation, the effect of abundance is immediate, but sometimes it may not be ideal.

The breeder has a set of enrichment database. They will list each enrichment method and evaluate the effect. Even if the effect is very good, it will be worse if you use it a few times. You need to replace it with a new one.

“Everyone thinks that abundance is just to improve the environment, in fact it is more than that. Abundance is not the same as the decoration, the day that does not end. There is a saying in our industry that’Important abundance is equal to no abundance ‘.’ Flower Eclipse said.

△The panda breeders at the Berlin Zoo made a ball with twine, which can help them strengthen their masticatory muscles when they bite/ Video screenshot

Every zoo thinks differently about showing natural behavior.

For the older parks, for the purpose of risk control, they will “one size fits all” and prevent certain natural behaviors from happening. Many zoos saw off antlers in order to prevent the stags from colliding with each other, especially in small parks.

“If the venue is relatively large and the animal density is not so high, there is a place where you can avoid it, which is a state where the risk is controllable. You only need to isolate the male during the courtship period.Instead of allowing risk completely. In doing so, the horns of the stag can be displayed well. Seriously, the deer without horns is too ugly. “Hua eclipse said.

The display of natural behavior can bring more fun to the public, but the zoo can’t force the animals to show the natural behavior.All that can be done is to provide conditions for them to show natural behavior.

For example, if you want to show how a rock sheep jumps and climbs between cliffs, make a cliff for it, “What you need to do is give it a possibility to express itself. And it does not do This behavior is its own choice“.

In many venues, animals are displayed in 360 degrees, with no cover at all, which means that animals have to be inspected in 360 degrees.

In this case, animals tend to feel fear, and their desire to express natural behavior is low. Even if there is, it is mostly due to the stress response of fear.

△360-degree display can easily make animals feel afraid/ Unsplash

There are also some zoos that deliberately allow animals to behave. The Tianshan Safari Park once let the orangutan “gaku” smoke, and another criticized institution has trained the orangutan to make smiles. These are not real natural behaviors.

Hua eclipse explained: “Some look like spontaneous behavior, but what it shows at this time is not the same as it behaves in the natural environment. The smiling face of the orangutan means fear, which makes it imitate human happiness. Come pay attention, just a circus show.”