The Big Dry

One of the most important factors to consider when planning a zoo's animal collection is climate.  It's not an especially important factor for very small animals, like most reptiles - they are usually kept inside in climate-controlled habitats no matter where in the world they are kept - but for larger animals, it can be essential.  

Sure, there are plenty of popular zoo animals - lions, zebras, kangaroos - which seem to do just fine outdoors all, or at least most of, the year whether they are in Minneapolis or Miami.  Many others, however, get extremely uncomfortable if they are kept outside their preferred temperature zone.  This is especially true for northern species, which is why you don't see too many exhibits of moose or wolverine, especially outside of their native range.  Minnesota Zoo made the news last year when it decided to phase out one of its most iconic species, muskox, because they could no longer be comfortably kept in the increasingly warm Minnesota summers.

Temperature might soon be supplanted by an even more important factor - rainfall.  We continue to see record droughts brought about, requiring tighter and tighter water usage restrictions in parts of the country.  Perhaps that means it's time to start rethinking what zoo animals we keep in, say, the southwest.

All animals need water.  Some just happen to need more than others.  Among the zoo species which often receive enormous pools are elephants, hippos, polar bears, seals and sea lions, otters, penguins, and crocodilians.  Many other species like a good soak and require pools at least large enough to submerge in, such as tapirs, capybaras, brown bears.  The fact is, even animals that we don't think of as aquatic like bodies of water to splash in or swim in; I've seen an ostrich standing at the bottom of a deep pool, with only a foot or so of it's head and neck protruding from the water.  Access to plentiful water to allow natural behaviors is just good welfare.

The solution to increasing drought isn't to restrict animals from water.  It might be best to admit that some species aren't suited to certain changing climates, and place emphasis on more arid-land species in those regions - or maybe having one or two large aquatic exhibits instead of four or five or ten in those zoos.  There will still be ample parts of the country that are wet enough for hippos and seals.

Before doing any water restrictions on animals, there are plenty of other ways that zoos could look at being better citizens as far as water usage.  For one thing, removing any grassy lawns in favor of local, drought-resistant plants would save lots of water.  Thoroughly auditing plumbing systems for leaks and inefficiencies is another.  Using rainwater (rain barrels make great educational features) or "gray water" whenever possible will also help reduce water usage and can help educate visitors about ways that they can conserve water at their own homes.

We're living on a changing planet, and in parts of that planet, it means that it's getting hotter and drier.  Zoos, like any other institution, will have to adapt.