What is zoo etiquette?

Animals have feelings, too! Please respect our friends - do not yell, tease or taunt them, bang on exhibit glass, or throw things into animal habitats. 4. Please don't feed the animals. Zoo animals are on scientific diets designed to closely match the nutrition they would receive in the wild.



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Respect your Boundaries. Never cross any fence or barrier in the Zoo. Do not try to touch the animals— if an animal has teeth, it can bite; if an animal has claws, it can scratch. This is for the safety of both our visitors and our animals.

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  • Zoo animals are wild. ...
  • Please do not throw things at the animals.
  • Please do not feed or touch the animals.
  • Making loud noises may startle the animals.
  • Please do not pick flowers or plants, climb trees or walk through the flower beds.


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One of the most common forms of mistreatment is inadequate and limited living conditions. For example, tigers and lions have about 18,000 times less space in their captive enclosures than what they would have in the wild, and polar bears have one million times less space.

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In zoos, keepers mix bamboo with other food. Animals also get vitamins and other supplements to keep them healthy. Most big zoos have a fulltime staff of veterinarians and other health experts. They examine the animals and treat them in case they become ill.

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One of the most common forms of mistreatment is inadequate and limited living conditions. For example, tigers and lions have about 18,000 times less space in their captive enclosures than what they would have in the wild, and polar bears have one million times less space.

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Without stimulation, animals become restless or bored. They can also develop depression or anxiety when their mental health deteriorates. Mental health is equally important as physical health, so zoos that don't provide mental enrichment adversely affect their animals' health.

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More than three-quarters of British zoos are failing to meet minimum animal welfare standards, according to a recent study. Elephants in zoos generally live less than half as long as their wild counterparts.

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Animals in zoos are forced to live in artificial, stressful, and downright boring conditions. Removed from their natural habitats and social structures, they are confined to small, restrictive environments that deprive them of mental and physical stimulation.

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One of the most common forms of mistreatment is inadequate and limited living conditions. For example, tigers and lions have about 18,000 times less space in their captive enclosures than what they would have in the wild, and polar bears have one million times less space.

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Do not feed the animals, throw objects, tap or bang on exhibit glass. Respect walls and fences throughout the zoo.

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Most big zoos have a fulltime staff of veterinarians and other health experts. They examine the animals and treat them in case they become ill. However, even in zoos, animals can get hurt. Small hospitals stand by if operations are necessary.

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The vast majority of the animals held captive inside their compounds are depressed. They live in perpetual captivity and lack access to all of the things that make life interesting and enjoyable. And, often, they die far earlier than they would if they lived in nature. As it turns out, zoos do far more harm than good.

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What is the least ethical zoo in the UK? International wildlife charity the Born Free Foundation launched an investigation into South Lakes Safari Zoo, Cumbria, after concerns were raised about the animals.

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Over a century ago, the London Zoo banned all live-feeding of animals. By the 1980s, live-feeding was not considered good practice. Even in the rare instances when live-feeding was absolutely necessary, suffering for prey was minimized as much as possible.

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What we do know so far is that evidence suggests wild animals can be as happy in captivity as they are in nature, assuming they are treated well. Confinement alone doesn't mean an animal is automatically worse off.

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Zoo visitors are often aspects of a zoo animal's environment that animals cannot control and as such can be stressful, although some species appear to show good adaptability for the changing conditions of visitors, said Dr Samantha Ward, from Nottingham Trent University.

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