CHAPTER TWELVE:
MANAGEMENT OF ZOOLOGICAL GARDEN

Ibrahim, Baba Usman

Zoological Garden: is a place where wild animals are kept in captivity for public viewing. And because they are in captivity a new dimension is introduced into their management. The important factors are: -

a.       The health of the animal,

b.      Food and feeding habits of the animals,

c.       Habitats of the animals, and

d.      The safety and comfort of the visitors

12.1      Factors Considered in Establishing Zoological Garden:

i.        Location: choose a site which is easily accessible with plenty of room for expansion.

ii.      Topography of the area: i.e. whether the land is a level ground or a slope. The area should be level and not a slope of hill and the soil should be well drained and not a water-logged area.

iii.    The place should have a natural source of water either river or stream, because artificial supply of water may fail, and there may be some animals that may require natural water for habitat e.g. Fish, Hippopotamus and Crocodile.

Zoo animal can be kept in zoological garden by taken care to: -

i.        Prevent break out of diseases

ii.      By keeping the animal on balance diet

1. Prevention of break out of disease:

i.        Animals should not be placed in a condition which could create a stress e.g overcrowding animal together may cause this. A stress individual is highly predisposed to disease.

ii.      Bad topography may also bring about stress among animals e.g. those living on a hill or slope area.

iii.    Quarantine: A new animal for zoo has to be isolated in a place for some days before being introduced into the zoo. Quarantine makes sure that new animals coming into the zoo/game reserve do not introduce disease.

iv.    Vaccination: Animal in the zoo can be save from disease by vaccination and immunizing then against diseases e.g. immunization against rabies.

v.      Vector Control: Habitats of vectors of diseases should be destroyed or Biological control method used to eliminate the vectors e.g. mosquito can be control biologically by using Tilapia fish.

vi.    Disinfection of Pen: This can be done either by physical or chemical method. Chemical disinfectant is by the use of DDT, Dettol e.t.c. or by physical disinfection of heating.

(ii)        By keeping the animal on balance diet

12.2      Principles of Zoo Animal Feeding

§  The nutrient need of a giving animal is in the same proportion recognized for the same species of the domestic kind e.g. cat, dog can be taken to represent carnivores, while cow and sheep represent herbivore.

§  The smaller the animal, the larger the size of food supply. Small size animal requires more food because they lose more energy.

§  10-12% of the diet for herbivore should be protein, while for carnivore its diet should contain 21% protein.

§  In the case of lactating animal, the diet should contain more protein than the prescribe ones.

§  One of the aspects that are common to both manager of zoo and wild life is the management of people. Thus, pen in a zoo is constructed in such a way that contact between people and the animals are eliminated. This ensures that the animals are not over fed, by the visitors and also the visitors are not exposed to any risk.

§  In visitor managements, adequate provision should be done for the visitors such as rest spot, shades provided by planting trees around the zoo. All this increases the visitors comfort.

§  Visitor centre should also be build, here there should be food available to the visitors and also comfortable resting place at the visitor centre.

12.3      What Role can Zoological Garden Play in Conservation?

Zoological garden has a role to play in preserving species that ate endangered or threatened. E.g. wild dog are endangered species in Nigeria.

Endangered species are threatened toward extinction.

Rare                          Threatened                           Endangered                        Extinction  

Giraffe and cheater are endangered species in Nigeria.

While Elephant and some antelope are threatened in Nigeria but not endangered.   

12.4      International Organizations and Conservation Clubs

The international organizations and conservation clubs, that protect natural environment and wildlife includes the followings:-

i.        World wild life fund (WWF)

ii.      International union of conservation of natural resources (IUCN)

iii.    International council for Bird preservation (ICBP)

iv.    Nigerian conservation foundation (NCF)

NCF is found in Nigeria protecting the natural environment.

References

Akosim, C. and Ironkanulo, U. O. (2008). Applied Zoo Management for Students in Tertiary Institutional and Consevationist. Paraclete Publishers. 81pp.

Nigeria National Parks, Visitor Information Booklet (2006).  National Park Service Publishers. 48pp.