Zoos have a history much longer than that of European settlement in Australia - human interest in keeping animals dates back to at least 1500 BC when Queen Hatshepsut of Egypt built a zoo. Many zoos were created by rulers in Africa, India and China to demonstrate their wealth and power. Global exploration by the British and Europeans in the 18th and 19th centuries and their discovery of what they considered unusual animals encouraged the keeping of animals as exotica in Europe and Britain. The idea of zoos as places of entertainment also developed. The role of the zoo today The role of today's zoo is as much about conservation and education as it is about entertainment.
Many zoos take their roles seriously as repositories of species diversity.
Human attitudes towards the keeping of animals have also changed over time so that animals tend to be kept in environments similar to their natural habitat rather than in concrete or metal cages. Australia has a wealth of public and private zoos. Some emphasise their breeding programs for endangered animals. Zoo Month provides an opportunity for zoos to promote particular features of their animal collections and also to provide the community with access to information about animals, their environments and the challenge of maintaining zoos. We also hope Zoo Month will help us achieve increased recognition for many of the projects we support - such as conservation programs for endangered native orchids and the plants of the Western Victorian Basalt Plains.