Animal Care in Zoos(exercise 27)

The earliest known zoo was the Park of Intelligence,which was started by a Chinese ruler in the province of Hunan about 1150 B.C. Today, zoo facilities are limited and zookeepers can not keep every animal on display year-round. In the winter,in colder climates, most birds must be brought indoors,but zookeepers cannot always keep each bird on view for the public. Many visitors are surprised to see that some animals remain outside all year such as penguins,polar bears and timber wolves that are happy outdoors in wintertime. Some animals are always indoors in northern areas such as reptiles and small desert animals that always have indoor displays. Zookeepers must provide indoor shelters for large animals such as elephants. How large those shelters must be! Today, zoologists understand much more about animal behaviour and zoos that are similar to the animals' natural habitats are being designed. Viewers can closely observe animals at parks and animals roam free. Zoo kitchens keep a wide variety of foods and these are used to prepare meals that meet each animal's nutritional needs. Zoos contribute to wildlife conservation and they nurture species that are in danger of becoming extinct.