Their enclosures permit the animals to behave as much like they do in the wild as possible. Zoo exhibits are designed to show animals in natural social groups living in naturalistic habitats, while graphics and interactives that accompany the exhibits teach, inspire, and, yes, entertain. Zoos are the only places most American children will ever experience, in the flesh, an elephant, a tiger, or a bird-eating spider. Most zoos offer education programs for school children that capitalize on this unique capability to teach biology, environmental science, and related scientific subjects. Some go further, using zoo-based projects to enhance humanities curricula.
Animals permeate the myths, metaphors, arts, and literature of virtually all human cultures.
The broader goal of zoo education, however, is to teach not just about animals, or even our relationship with animals, but rather to teach about the entire natural world and our place in it. Concern for the environment is no longer the province only of green fringe groups. Not when forest fires burn out of control in Asia, affecting the economy of entire regions. Not when new and deadly diseases emerge from once-remote wilderness. Not when one of three people will face water shortages by the year 2025.