A Different Nature
Subtitle: The Paradoxical World of Zoos and Their Uncertain Future
Edition: 1 edition
Publisher: University of California Press
Published: May 29, 2001
Language: eng
Format: Hardcover
Number of pages: 301
ISBN-13: 9780520218796
Subjects: Conservation of wildlife & habitats; Zoology & animal sciences; Zoos & wildlife parks; Zoos; Science; Nature; Science/Mathematics; Life Sciences - Zoology - General; Wildlife; Nature / General; History
First sentence: he elephant destined to become the most famous animal in the world was captured as a youngster, probably in Ethiopia in 1861, sold to a Bavarian animal dealer, sold again to the menagerie at the Jardin des Plantes in Paris, then exchanged for an Indian rhinoceros and shipped to London Zoo, where he arrived on 26 June 1865, half-starved, incredibly filthy, and covered with sores (Bartlett, 1900).3
Description: "Humanity has had an enduring desire for close contact with exotic animals - from the Egyptian kings who kept thousands of animals, including monkeys, wild cats, hyenas, giraffes, and oryx, to the enormously popular zoological parks of today. This book, the most extensive history of zoos yet published, is a fascinating look at the origins, evolution, and - most importantly - the future of zoos." "David Hancocks, an architect and zoo director for thirty years, is passionately opposed to the poor standards that have prevailed and still exist in many zoos. He reviews the history of zoos in light of their failures and successes and points the way toward a more humane approach, one that will benefit both the animals and the humans who visit them. This book, replete with illustrations and full of moving stories about wild animals in captivity, shows that we have only just begun to realize zoos' enormous potential for good."--Jacket.