And Heini Hedger. The “father of Zoo Biology”.
If zoos are no longer the prisons they used to be – this man is one of the most vocal proponents who deserves applause in the cause.
And a very interesting perspective really.
He proposed that though we generally tend to consider wild animals as “free ranging” – in reality, they are not entirely free. All animals are bound by myriad invisible limitations, and usually live their lives out within a narrow range of territory and behaviours. They don’t move around or travel out of their territory for pleasure, but to meet their biological needs.
Taking from this – he argued that for animals in captivity, (and take this with a pinch of salt), didn’t actually need large spaces or enclosures.
Quality vs quantity is what made a suitable environment. An environment that mimicked their natural habitat, and let them express natural behaviours, he proposed, was far more important. He also advocated for mental exercise and training, and noted it helped zoo keepers administer medicine and first aid.
He called it “disciplined play”.
We now know this as co-operative care 🙂
Oh and one more super interesting observation he made, and I’m going to quote him here:
‘By far the chief preoccupation of wild animals at liberty is finding safety. The be-all and end-all of its existence is flight. Hunger and love occupy only a secondary place, since the satisfaction of both physical and sexual wants can be postponed while flight from the approach of a dangerous enemy cannot.”
Ugh so true.
Providing safety zones where animals could escape became another critical factor while he was designing and building zoos himself.