Domestic Bliss

With their highly recognizable (and often touchable animals), Farmyard Exhibits are some of the most popular features of many zoos.  It’s a rare zoo that I’ve been to that doesn’t have one.  Some zoos are 95% farm. 

Sometimes I wonder if that’s a good thing.  I guess it depends on your opinion of what is the biggest priority of the zoo.

From a conservation perspective, I’d say farmyards aren’t that great.  They eat up land, resources, and staff that could go to species that are in need of greater conservation attention.  Think of gazelles instead of goats, pheasants instead of chickens, wild pigs and ducks instead of their domesticated relatives.  When there are millions upon millions of domesticated animals already in the country, does it make sense to devote space to them in a facility that could otherwise devote those resources to other species? 

From an education perspective, farmyards can be very beneficial.  Zoos exist in part to teach people about animals, and animal agriculture is one of the biggest, most importance aspects of our relationship with animals.  At the most basic level, zoo exhibits of domestic animals can serve as educational displays about the process of domestication and how we utilize animals in our day to day lives.  At a higher level, I could argue that seeing domestic animals not as beef-and-bacon machines but as living creatures could help promote compassion for these animals, at the very least resulting in a stronger drive for better farm animal welfare.  It’s a lot harder to be comfortable with the idea of hens in a battery cage if you already have a mental image of seeing a flock in an enclosure at a zoo, where they can forage, dust bathe, and interact with one another is spacious, comfortable settings.

Of course, to refrain from being hypocritical, zooconcessions should be mindful of where they are sourcing their meat, dairy, and egg options from, as well as offering some vegetarian or vegan options.

If I was in charge of planning my own zoo (and some day hopefully I will be… one of these lotto tickets is bound to pay off), I can’t say for certain as to whether or not I would have a farm exhibit.  There aren’t right or wrong answers to most questions, and this is one of those.  It’s just a matter of priorities and balance.