One of London
Zoo’s recent advertisements caused me some irritation, so patently did it
distort reality. Headlined “Without zoos you might as well tell these animals
to get stuffed”, it was bordered with illustrations of several endangered
species and went on to extol the myth that without zoos like London Zoo these
animals “will almost certainly disappear forever”. With the zoo world’s rather
mediocre record on conservation, one might be forgiven for being slightly
skeptical about such an advertisement.
Zoos were
originally created as places of entertainment, and their suggested involvement
with conservation didn’t seriously arise until about 30 years ago, when the
Zoological Society of London held the first formal international meeting on the
subject. Eight years later, a series of world conferences took place, entitled
“The Breeding of Endangered Species”, and from this point onwards conservation
became the zoo community’s buzzword. This commitment has now been clearly
defined in The World Zoo Conservation Strategy (WZCS, September 1993), which
although an important and welcome document does seem to be based on an
unrealistic optimism about the nature of the zoo industry.
The WZCS estimates
that there are about 10,000 zoos in the world, of which around 1,000 represent
a core of quality collections capable of participating in coordinated
conservation programmes. This is probably the document’s first failing, as I
believe that 10,000 is a serious underestimate of the total number of places
masquerading as zoological establishments. Of course, it is difficult to get
accurate data but, to put the issue into perspective, I have found that, in a
year of working in Eastern Europe, I discover fresh zoos on almost a weekly
basis.
The second flaw in
the reasoning of the WZCS document is the naive faith it places in its 1,000
core zoos. One would assume that the caliber of these institutions would have
been carefully examined, but it appears that the criterion for inclusion on
this select list might merely be that the zoo is a member of a zoo federation
or association. This might be a good starting point, working on the
premise that members must meet certain standards, but again the facts don’t
support the theory. The greatly respected American Association of Zoological
Parks and Aquariums (AAZPA) has had extremely dubious members, and in the UK
the Federation of Zoological Gardens of Great Britain and Ireland has
occasionally had members that have been roundly censured in the national press.
These include Robin Hill Adventure Park on the Isle of Wight, which many
considered the most notorious collection of animals in the country. This
establishment, which for years was protected by the Isle’s local council (which
viewed it as a tourist amenity), was finally closed down following a damning
report by a veterinary inspector appointed under the terms of the Zoo Licensing
Act 1981. As it was always a collection of dubious repute, one is obliged to
reflect upon the standards that the Zoo Federation sets when granting
membership. The situation is even worse in developing countries where little
money is available for redevelopment and it is hard to see a way of
incorporating collections into the overall scheme of the WZCS.
Even assuming that
the WZCS’s 1,000 core zoos are all of a high standard complete with scientific
staff and research facilities, trained and dedicated keepers, accommodation
that permits normal or natural behavior, and a policy of co-operating fully
with one another what might be the potential for conservation? Colin Tudge,
author of Last Animals at the Zoo (Oxford University Press, 1992),
argues that “if the world’s zoos worked together in co-operative breeding
programmes, then even without further expansion they could save around 2,000
species of endangered land vertebrates. This seems an extremely optimistic
proposition from a man who must be aware of the failings and weaknesses of the
zoo industry the man who, when a member of the council of London Zoo, had to
persuade the zoo to devote more of its activities to conservation. Moreover,
where are the facts to support such optimism?
Today
approximately 16 species might be said to have been “saved” by captive breeding
programmes, although a number of these can hardly be looked upon as resounding
successes. Beyond that, about a further 20 species are being seriously
considered for zoo conservation programmes. Given that the international
conference at London Zoo was held 30 years ago, this is pretty slow progress,
and a long way off Tudge’s target of 2,000.
Questions 16 – 22
Do the following statements agree with the views of
the writer in Reading Passage 2?
In boxes 16 – 22 write
|
YES |
if the statement agrees with the writer |
|
NO |
if the statement contradicts the writer |
|
NOT GIVEN |
if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks
about this |
|
Example
|
Answer |
16 London
Zoo’s advertisements are dishonest.
17 Zoos
made an insignificant contribution to conservation up until 30 years ago.
18 The
WZCS document is not known in Eastern Europe.
19 Zoos
in the WZCS select list were carefully inspected.
20 No-one
knew how the animals were being treated at Robin Hill Adventure Park.
21 Colin
Tudge was dissatisfied with the treatment of animals at London Zoo.
22 The
number of successful zoo conservation programmes is unsatisfactory.
Questions 23 – 25
Choose the appropriate letters A – D and write
them in boxes 23 – 25 on your answer sheet.
23 What were the objectives
of the WZCS document?
A to improve the calibre of zoos
world-wide
B to identify zoos suitable for
conservation practice
C to provide funds for zoos in
underdeveloped countries
D to list the endangered species of the
world
24 Why does the writer refer to Robin Hill
Adventure Park?
A to support the Isle of Wight local
council
B to criticize the 1981 Zoo Licensing Act
C to illustrate a weakness in the WZCS
document
D to exemplify the standards in AAZPA
zoos.
25
What
word best describes the writer’s response to Colin Tudges’ prediction on
captive breeding programmes?
A Disbelieving
B Impartial
C Prejudiced
D Accepting
|
List
of Factors A the number of
unregistered zoos in the world. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |