A Comparison of the Utica Zoo, the Rosamond Gifford Zoo and The

Adrienne Stroup Maymester Paper 6-5-12 A Comparison of the Utica Zoo, the Rosamond Gifford Zoo, and the National Zoo On some levels zoos are no different from conventional museums in how they serve the public, operate within their communities, and network between other zoos. Like museums, zoos provide an educational and entertaining experience for the general public. In fact, zoos are museums, and the only difference between them and other museums is that their collections are living. Zoos often face opposition; many critics argue that the containment of animals as cruelty. However, zoos are responsible for a lot more than merely caging animals for public amusement. Modern zoos are changing their exhibition spaces and interpreting their living collections for a more environmentally savvy audience, with a focus on conservation. Three examples are the Utica Zoo in Utica, NY, the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse, NY, and finally the Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington, DC. These institutions have similar missions in public outreach, conservation and education, but the way in which they carry out these programs can be restricted by their size, funding and public support. Despite limitations, smaller organizations should not be underestimated in their ability to stand out as leaders in conservation and environmental stewardship within their communities. Though the Utica Zoo is the smallest of the three, it is strongly supported by its community. Located within the city, approximately two and a half miles from downtown, the zoo lies on eighty acres of land, thirty-five of which are currently developed. The institution opened in 1909, and is home to over two hundred animals.1 Today there are a variety of species, grouped along trails according to their region of origin, such as the African Alley, Asian Realm, and North Trek Trail. One of the main attractions of Africa Valley is the lion exhibit, home to two females and one male. Asian Realm is home to such species as Bactrian camels, and Tibetan Yaks. The North Trek Trail allows the visitor to travel out to the edge of the park and view North American species, such as the Northern lynx and red fox. There is also a children’s zoo, with animals to represent each letter of the alphabet from Alpacas to Zebus. The alphabet layout is a whimsical idea but this exhibit could be misleading to some patrons. The children’s zoo is not entirely a petting zoo, which most children’s exhibits are. However, labels are prominently displayed if the animals do indeed bite. In addition to the trails, there are a few indoor exhibits too, such as the reptile house and educational building, primate house, and butterfly garden. One of the most prominent and surprising features of the zoo is a fountain in the shape of a giant watering can, as seen in Figure 1. This two thousand pound public sculpture is the largest watering can in the world, and was commissioned by Mayor Edward Hanna to “inspire and encourage growing a more beautiful city.”2 This symbolic piece of public art really ties in with the spirit and the mission of the zoo, as a vital part of Utica’s community. Local businesses and members of the community love their zoo and are proud supporters of it, as demonstrated by the number of plaques and banners of supporters, donors and friends of the zoo displayed throughout the park. The mission of the Utica Zoo is to “foster public understanding and appreciation of wildlife species and their ecosystems through education, conservation and recreation.”3 To help fulfill their mission, the zoo offers guided tours, the Utica ZooMobile, and even an education collection of animals with an example from the following groups: mammals, reptiles, birds, and amphibians. The Utica ZooMobile is a traveling program that brings the animals to local schools and day camps. Utica resident, Steve Sacco, worked at a day camp for children with physical and developmental disabilities one summer and remembers the experience to be a very positive one for him and the children.4 They also have teacher resource boxes that include animal-related activities, information, and examples of teeth, claws, feathers, fur and other tangible items for children to see and touch. Themed boxes range from types of animals such as invertebrates, birds of prey, and tigers to climates like rainforests, and even dinosaurs. Extinct dinosaurs may seem like a strange educational topic for a zoo to provide, but it is interesting to note that the National Zoo also discusses dinosaurs in one of their exhibits. On Great Cats Hill, there is a sign in front of the lions that makes a comparison between these impressive predators and the most famous carnivore of all time, Tyrannosaurus rex. Along with this sign, a bronze cast of a Tyrannosaurus skull and a cast of its footprint are on display, as can be seen in Figure 2. These life-sized models attract a lot of attention, especially from the younger visitors. Putting the Tyrannosaurus into perspective, the labeling is done exactly as if it were one of the living animals, as seen in Figures 3 and 4. Each label has a scale along the side highlighting the population status of the animal as follows: abundant, vulnerable, endangered, critically endangered and extinct. This scale, based on the International Union for Conservation of Nature, or IUCN, Red List of Threatened Species, is actually a very powerful tool, as it shows a clear example of what will result if our endangered animals continue to dwindle in population.5 Everyone knows the dinosaurs are extinct, and many species today are heading toward that same fate. Making this connection may help zoo officials communicate to their constituents how critical conservation is. Many zoos are becoming proactive in conservation programs, helping species on the brink of extinction recover through careful breeding programs, often working with other zoos around the world to do so. The antiquated way of displaying living collections in small cages has mostly been abandoned for a more modern approach where the habitat and social nature of the animal are considered in the exhibition design. In fact, Utica is part of Species Survival Plans, or SSP, which is a global breeding program to help increase the numbers of endangered species such as tigers and the scimitar horned oryx, which is now extinct in the wild.6 Utica’s oryx is depicted in Figure 5. Another example can be seen at the Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of Natural History, seen in Figure 6. If efforts to save this species fail, natural history museum exhibits such as Mammals Hall will be the only place future generations will be able to see them. For being a relatively small institution, the lion pen at Utica’s zoo is far superior to that of the Rosamond Gifford Zoo, where the same number of lions have about half the space in their small indoor area to roam. Syracuse’s lion enclosure is just that, an enclosure, and is not much of a habitat. It is a half- circular wall of concrete with a glass wall for observing. This has only one advantage, being able to view these impressive cats up close, as demonstrated in Figures 7 and 8. This is a good example of an outdated zoo display. The concrete wall has a painted mural of the African savanna, but it is merely an illusion of space. At the Utica Zoo, the same number of lions, two females and a male, have access to an outside habitat large enough for them to run around and play. In addition, they have an indoor living space to endure the cold upstate New York winters. Though not as large as the Big Cats habitat at the National Zoo, Utica provides a living space for their lions more suited to the needs of these majestic cats far more effectively than Syracuse has provided. Not everything at the Utica Zoo is ideal however. The primate house, for example, is in need of renovations. It contains a few species of small monkeys but this building seems like the remnant of the old way of zoo exhibits. The room is somewhat dark and made of concrete, with a few ropes for the monkeys to climb on, but it does little to evoke the look or feel of the natural habit in which these animals would be found in the wild. Here is an example of where a small zoo fails to live up to its bigger competition. Unfortunately, the primate house is located near the entrance and is one of the first exhibits visitors may see, which could cause them to have an negative reaction to the entire park. Space is not the only aspect of the habitat zoo officials must consider, but also enrichment. One prime example of this new way of exhibiting can be seen with the primate collection at the National Zoo. The O-Line, seen in Figure 9 was constructed to allow orangutans to exercise their powerful limbs by swinging along the cables high above the visitors and even the trees of the park. Allowing animals to behave as they do in the wild not only benefits the animal, but benefits the visitors too. Patrons will undoubtedly enjoy viewing the animals that are comfortable and content in their surroundings, and the experience will be more educational as well, witnessing behavior seen in the wild as opposed to animals that are confined in cages. It is encouraging to see that the Utica Zoo is under construction right now, as some new exhibits are being added near the African Valley area.

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