Zoos as Endangered Attractions

Abstract

Thirteen of the most visited U.S. zoos were created beginning in the late nineteenth century when cities were growing and adding entertainment areas in addition to parks. Now zoos have become an endangered species because animal rights activists have targeted them as abusive to animals and immoral. Some have also experienced financial and political issues, worsened by the COVID-19 epidemic. Regarding social and environmental justice, the 1-mile radius areas around the 13 zoos in general present relatively less evidence of social and environmental justice than their surrounding neighborhoods and host cities. However, the Bronx, Doorly, Cincinnati, and Indianapolis zoos do demonstrate justice issues, especially regarding demographic, health, and traffic issues. This chapter shows that large zoos have proven to be resilient and increasingly have become responsive to the growing society calls for conservation and sustainability, as well as responsive to their neighboring communities. Cincinnati, Doorly, and the Bronx Zoos illustrate constructive responses that are likely to lead to better treatment of animals and more constructive responses to calls for action regarding climate change and sustainability. While smaller zoos may decrease, these larger zoos appear to have the organizational structures that will allow them to more than survive and work with their local communities.