When did zoos gain popularity?

The model of the modern, public zoo became popular in 18th century, during the Age of Enlightenment. The Age of Enlightenment was a period in European history when science, reason, and logic were promoted as ideals of society and government.



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As zoos became more popular in the 1920s and 30s, monumental buildings were built to house their burgeoning animal collections. Many of the conditions for the animals in those early years were appalling. Cages were small, and animals were treated as objects of amusement.

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The 1900s saw the emergence of the modern zoo concept. Since the 1980s, zoos developed coordinated breeding programmes that brought dozens of animals (for example the golden lion tamarin of Brazil), back from the brink of extinction.

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Until the 20 th century, there was little or no concern for the welfare of zoo animals. It was not until the late 1970s and early 1980s that the appearance of zoos began to change to reflect the public opinion; this transition took place as people were educated about the true conditions endured by zoo animals.

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Although 700 million people worldwide visit zoos and aquariums each year, many zoos have found their attendance numbers going down in recent years.

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The development of housing exotic animals in zoos has progressed dramatically from pits, cages of metal bars, and fenced or concrete paddocks. Now these are being replaced with larger enclosures that attempt to reproduce the animal's natural habitat.

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Six Species Saved From Extinction by Zoos As of 2017, 1,000 animals had been restored to the wild, while thousands more were living in zoo environments. Przewalski's Horse: The only truly wild species left in the world, Przewalski's Horse is native to the grasslands of Central Asia.

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AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums have collaborated on breeding and reintroduction programs that have helped save at least nine species like California condors, black-footed ferrets, Przewalski's horse, golden lion tamarins, American red wolves, and more from the brink of extinction.

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Many zoos have improved enormously; the better ones being crucial in saving species that would have otherwise gone extinct. Nonetheless, for some people the mere word zoo carries impressions of old zoos, bad zoos, circuses, and theme-park shows that many find distasteful. Good zoos know they must innovate forward.

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Afterward, leftover parts of the animal—think a shell from a tortoise or the skeleton of a cheetah—might go to a museum or education center. In fact, the National Museum of Natural History has several skeletons from the zoo in its collection. Anything remaining will be cremated, including even the tiniest of animals.

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The economically conservative city government was unable to provide relief within its budget; as people were waiting in food lines, the decision to provide care for animals at the zoo raised a few eyebrows. The animal population dwindled, and existing structures and exhibits deteriorated.

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According to the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA), there are over 10,000 zoos worldwide.

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8 Zoos Helping Animals Edge Out of Extinction
  • Phoenix Zoo: Arabian Oryx. ...
  • National Zoo: Golden Lion Tamarin. ...
  • Lincoln Park Zoo: Puerto Rican Parrot. ...
  • Columbus Zoo: Freshwater Mussels. ...
  • Cheyenne Mountain Zoo: Black-Footed Ferret. ...
  • San Diego Zoo: California Condor. ...
  • Toledo Zoo: Kihansi Spray Toad. ...
  • National Zoo: Przewalski Horse.


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5 animals that wouldn't exist without zoos
  • Chicken frog. The population has decreased with over 90% the last 10 years which makes it critically endangered. ...
  • Scimitar-horned oryx. Scimitar-horned oryx are extinct in the wild. ...
  • European bison. ...
  • Lesser White-fronted Goose. ...
  • Przewalskis wild horse.


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Only in very special circumstances do zoos obtain animals from the wild, which is illegal in many nations. Thus, zoos are not in the practice of actively capturing animals in the wild from their natural habitats.

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Most animals confined in zoos are not endangered, nor are they being prepared for release into natural habitats. In fact, it is nearly impossible to release captive-bred animals, including threatened species like elephants, polar bears, gorillas, tigers and chimpanzees into the wild.

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Reintroduction programs, by which animals raised or rehabilitated in AZA-accredited zoos or aquariums are released into their natural habitats, are powerful tools used for stabilizing, reestablishing, or increasing in-situ animal populations that have suffered significant declines.

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