Opinions and observations from environmental experts, activists, and luminaries
An Urbanite's Visit to the Zoo
Here is something I wrote a while ago after visiting the Bronx Zoo: The Bronx Zoo is located in a globally esteemed industrial city. Many who attend the zoo have long been conditioned to urban society and removed from nature. Placed in a natural landscape, or a pseudo- natural environment, these city-dwellers, engrained in a rigid consumer mindset, have a hard time truly appreciating the animals. They fail to identify with the non-human creatures. In contrast, there are others who abandon preconceptions based on advanced technology and the industrial society they live in. To genuinely appreciate the animals, they relate to them and destroy notions of human superiority. Here, an interesting question arises. Does one have to disregard the urban/consumer mindset to truly appreciate the animals?
Many of us have completely adapted to the urban lifestyle and have been exposed to a certain mindset that can dangerously conquer our outlook. Living in an industrial world, we have been conditioned to upgraded technology, money and fast-paced city life. Thus, I choose to call this overpowering way of thinking, the “urban” mindset. When placed in the closest equivalent to the natural environment, the zoo, many find it tremendously difficult to escape from the mundane consumer world. The following example clearly illustrates this point. At the zoo, a beautiful polar bear was drawing lots of attention to itself, playing with a ball in ice-cold water. Making my way through the crowd to get a better glimpse, I overheard a young man telling his friends, “That’s the Coca-Cola bear.” The white-furred polar bear became a stimulus that triggered the young man’s response. Bounded by materialism and consumer culture, he immediately associated the animal to a popular advertisement. Another example further portrays how consumerism has been engrained in the minds of many. Seeing a marsupial on a tree branch, a woman told her companion, “This is straight out of a postcard.” Her instant reaction upon seeing this picturesque scene was once again associated with the merchandising and production of the image.
The consumer frame of mind is obstructive to the genuine appreciation of the natural world. As depicted with the preceding examples, those of us conditioned to consumer society and the urban lifestyle, where it is the norm to purchase all of our necessities, are susceptible to reduce animals to commodities. In Invention of the Park, Jones and Wills explicitly state the obstacles that impede many visitors of wildlife parks from truly identifying with the animals: “As with Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Seaworld encouraged visitors to satisfy their sense of environmental responsibility through consumption. By simply attending animal shows and buying momentos of their trip, guests convinced themselves that both park and attendee boasted a laudable ecological agenda” (Jones, Wills, 141). Instead of extricating visitors from urban society, many zoos and wildlife parks, with certain degree of consumerism embedded in their very nature, have a reverse effect. The Bronx Zoo advertises itself as an award-winning zoo with “cutting-edge exhibits” (Bronx Zoo Website). The very language used is affiliated with high technology and is far removed from the natural world. Visitors, with the consumer mindset, often fail to transform the zoo into an authentic natural environment. Jones and Wills describe distractions in another wildlife park based in a nonrural area, “ Prescribed routes, trash bins, gift shops, miniature trains and car lots undoubtedly detracted from the safari fantasy” (Jones, Wills, 140). As I traversed the zoo, I came across a modernized area with cafes, souvenir shops and phone booths. Though their availability was understandable and somewhat essential, these items were certainly distracting. They undeniably destroyed the natural “aura” of the zoo. When it comes down to it, the zoo itself remains “trapped within city boundaries” (Jones, Wills, 136) and it is up to the visitor to remove these boundaries.
Visitors enter the Bronx Zoo At a number of exhibits, it seemed as though the zoo transformed into an animal show. Countless visitors had cameras and camcorders. For many, zoo animals are just a source of entertainment and amusement. Though it may sound crude, this view is substantiated by observation of visitor’s reactions to animals. If an animal was performing a fascinating stunt, many awe-struck visitors stared and pointed. Many human beings find intimate actions of animals humorous and playful. We often overlook the fact that we completely disregard the privacy of zoo animals. Not only do we divorce animals from their natural environment and social circle, but we tend treat them as voyeuristic, entertaining objects rather than animate creatures deserving of privacy and respect. At the zoo, I often heard phrases common to description of the entertainment industry and live shows, such as, “Look at that,” “Now, that’s amazing,” and describing a monkey jumping from branch to branch, I even heard, “Wow, he’s a show stealer.” It is highly unlikely that an indigenous person in a rainforest would view an animal as merely an object of entertainment. This view degrades an animal’s purpose and reduces it solely to an object. Encapsulating this harsh perspective are words of a father to his daughter, “They’re here for us to look at.” While some fail to see animals as more than sources of entertainment, there are many who genuinely identify with them. How are they able to transform the zoo, a pseudo natural environment, into a wildlife arena? Why isn’t the zoo just a show for them? Many of these visitors are no less urban than those previously described, but why then, is their zoo experience so different? As I have pointed out earlier, the visitor’s mindset is the dominant factor in determining the type of experience he/she will have at the zoo. Some visitors abandon notions of consumerism and industrialism; place themselves out of the urban society and into the natural world. They do not enter the zoo with any preconceived ideas of human superiority. While at the zoo, I noticed many people who strenuously attempted to comprehend the animals’ feelings. A friend of mine, who accompanied me but did not know I was observing her reactions, made the following statement: “Imagine if you were a bird. What would you rather be, a bird, land creature or fish? A bird is best. You can’t be caged or restricted. You could just flap your wings and soar the skies.” At a leopard exhibit, a worker told us that one of the female leopards just gave birth to twins. A mother pointed to one of young leopards and said to her son, “Look Micheal, he’s just like you. See how he’s next to his mom?” Many people found it relatively easy to relate to the animals. They formed relationships based on equality, affection and authentic concern. Among a group of family members (supposedly), I overheard a young boy telling an older man, “It must be hard being a four-legged animal. You can’t see all around you…only what’s right in front of you.” To my surprise, many visitors manifested similar sentiments and expressions. Among these people who seemed to truly engage with and appreciate the animals, I noticed that less had cameras and camcorders. Perhaps, one’s zoo experience is enhanced when one focuses more on engaging with the animals and less on bringing home souvenirs and pictures. This is not to say that those with cameras totally disregarded the animals. But, the usage of cameras and camcorders seemed distractive and disruptive to the genuine concern and regard for the animals. We have seen that it isn’t impossible for urbanites to identify with animals and appreciate them as living creatures. However, it is only after disregarding societal consumerism, fast-paced technology, and the “urban” mindset that visitors are able to have such an experience. Based on physical observation, this reasoning proves valid. “According to Elizabeth Hanson, American zoos ‘offered people an escape from the cement, stress and physical confinement of the city to a lush landscaped park’…Zoos provided a reminder of rural life, wild nature and undomesticated creatures” (Jones, Wills, 143). After parking their cars, many abandoned the city and transformed the wildlife park into a real, natural environment. Doing this, they also abdicated the urban outlook. This allowed these visitors to appreciate and empathize with the animals.
Many of us have completely adapted to the urban lifestyle and have been exposed to a certain mindset that can dangerously conquer our outlook. Living in an industrial world, we have been conditioned to upgraded technology, money and fast-paced city life. Thus, I choose to call this overpowering way of thinking, the “urban” mindset. When placed in the closest equivalent to the natural environment, the zoo, many find it tremendously difficult to escape from the mundane consumer world. The following example clearly illustrates this point. At the zoo, a beautiful polar bear was drawing lots of attention to itself, playing with a ball in ice-cold water. Making my way through the crowd to get a better glimpse, I overheard a young man telling his friends, “That’s the Coca-Cola bear.” The white-furred polar bear became a stimulus that triggered the young man’s response. Bounded by materialism and consumer culture, he immediately associated the animal to a popular advertisement. Another example further portrays how consumerism has been engrained in the minds of many. Seeing a marsupial on a tree branch, a woman told her companion, “This is straight out of a postcard.” Her instant reaction upon seeing this picturesque scene was once again associated with the merchandising and production of the image.
The consumer frame of mind is obstructive to the genuine appreciation of the natural world. As depicted with the preceding examples, those of us conditioned to consumer society and the urban lifestyle, where it is the norm to purchase all of our necessities, are susceptible to reduce animals to commodities. In Invention of the Park, Jones and Wills explicitly state the obstacles that impede many visitors of wildlife parks from truly identifying with the animals: “As with Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Seaworld encouraged visitors to satisfy their sense of environmental responsibility through consumption. By simply attending animal shows and buying momentos of their trip, guests convinced themselves that both park and attendee boasted a laudable ecological agenda” (Jones, Wills, 141). Instead of extricating visitors from urban society, many zoos and wildlife parks, with certain degree of consumerism embedded in their very nature, have a reverse effect. The Bronx Zoo advertises itself as an award-winning zoo with “cutting-edge exhibits” (Bronx Zoo Website). The very language used is affiliated with high technology and is far removed from the natural world. Visitors, with the consumer mindset, often fail to transform the zoo into an authentic natural environment. Jones and Wills describe distractions in another wildlife park based in a nonrural area, “ Prescribed routes, trash bins, gift shops, miniature trains and car lots undoubtedly detracted from the safari fantasy” (Jones, Wills, 140). As I traversed the zoo, I came across a modernized area with cafes, souvenir shops and phone booths. Though their availability was understandable and somewhat essential, these items were certainly distracting. They undeniably destroyed the natural “aura” of the zoo. When it comes down to it, the zoo itself remains “trapped within city boundaries” (Jones, Wills, 136) and it is up to the visitor to remove these boundaries.
Visitors enter the Bronx Zoo At a number of exhibits, it seemed as though the zoo transformed into an animal show. Countless visitors had cameras and camcorders. For many, zoo animals are just a source of entertainment and amusement. Though it may sound crude, this view is substantiated by observation of visitor’s reactions to animals. If an animal was performing a fascinating stunt, many awe-struck visitors stared and pointed. Many human beings find intimate actions of animals humorous and playful. We often overlook the fact that we completely disregard the privacy of zoo animals. Not only do we divorce animals from their natural environment and social circle, but we tend treat them as voyeuristic, entertaining objects rather than animate creatures deserving of privacy and respect. At the zoo, I often heard phrases common to description of the entertainment industry and live shows, such as, “Look at that,” “Now, that’s amazing,” and describing a monkey jumping from branch to branch, I even heard, “Wow, he’s a show stealer.” It is highly unlikely that an indigenous person in a rainforest would view an animal as merely an object of entertainment. This view degrades an animal’s purpose and reduces it solely to an object. Encapsulating this harsh perspective are words of a father to his daughter, “They’re here for us to look at.” While some fail to see animals as more than sources of entertainment, there are many who genuinely identify with them. How are they able to transform the zoo, a pseudo natural environment, into a wildlife arena? Why isn’t the zoo just a show for them? Many of these visitors are no less urban than those previously described, but why then, is their zoo experience so different? As I have pointed out earlier, the visitor’s mindset is the dominant factor in determining the type of experience he/she will have at the zoo. Some visitors abandon notions of consumerism and industrialism; place themselves out of the urban society and into the natural world. They do not enter the zoo with any preconceived ideas of human superiority. While at the zoo, I noticed many people who strenuously attempted to comprehend the animals’ feelings. A friend of mine, who accompanied me but did not know I was observing her reactions, made the following statement: “Imagine if you were a bird. What would you rather be, a bird, land creature or fish? A bird is best. You can’t be caged or restricted. You could just flap your wings and soar the skies.” At a leopard exhibit, a worker told us that one of the female leopards just gave birth to twins. A mother pointed to one of young leopards and said to her son, “Look Micheal, he’s just like you. See how he’s next to his mom?” Many people found it relatively easy to relate to the animals. They formed relationships based on equality, affection and authentic concern. Among a group of family members (supposedly), I overheard a young boy telling an older man, “It must be hard being a four-legged animal. You can’t see all around you…only what’s right in front of you.” To my surprise, many visitors manifested similar sentiments and expressions. Among these people who seemed to truly engage with and appreciate the animals, I noticed that less had cameras and camcorders. Perhaps, one’s zoo experience is enhanced when one focuses more on engaging with the animals and less on bringing home souvenirs and pictures. This is not to say that those with cameras totally disregarded the animals. But, the usage of cameras and camcorders seemed distractive and disruptive to the genuine concern and regard for the animals. We have seen that it isn’t impossible for urbanites to identify with animals and appreciate them as living creatures. However, it is only after disregarding societal consumerism, fast-paced technology, and the “urban” mindset that visitors are able to have such an experience. Based on physical observation, this reasoning proves valid. “According to Elizabeth Hanson, American zoos ‘offered people an escape from the cement, stress and physical confinement of the city to a lush landscaped park’…Zoos provided a reminder of rural life, wild nature and undomesticated creatures” (Jones, Wills, 143). After parking their cars, many abandoned the city and transformed the wildlife park into a real, natural environment. Doing this, they also abdicated the urban outlook. This allowed these visitors to appreciate and empathize with the animals.
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Kamini Doobay is a recent graduate from Barnard College of Columbia University. She is currently doing clinical research in the field of rheumatology at Hospital for Special Surgery, NY. Along with her interest in medicine and public health, she is passionate about
...Kamini Doobay is a recent graduate from Barnard College of Columbia University. She is currently doing clinical research in the field of rheumatology at Hospital for Special Surgery, NY. Along with her interest in medicine and public health, she is passionate about environmental conservation and its relationship with religion and spirituality.
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