Visiting the zoo is something that I often feel conflicted about. On the one hand, I love seeing animals and the zoo gives me an opportunity to do that. Plus, those animals are already living in the zoo and some of the money that I’m spending does go into caring for them.
On the other hand, I’m not sure how I feel about animals living in cages instead of their natural habitat. There are some zoos that rescue animals that might have died if they lived in the wild and other zoos help with conservation efforts, but do the animals really know that?
And, do animals know they are in the zoo?
More intelligent animals like elephants, chimps, orcas, gorillas, and dolphins may know that they are in captivity to an extent. While they may not know it is a zoo, those not born in captivity are likely aware that their current habitat is smaller and has limitations compared to where they once lived.
Below, we’ll take a closer look at which animals know they are in a zoo, as well as answer questions like how they might feel about it and if they feel safe.
Do Animals Know They Are in a Zoo?
Animals likely do not know that they are in a zoo in the sense that they likely don’t identify the place where they live as a zoo. That being said, it is believed that more intelligent species have an awareness that they are living in a small area and cannot leave it. They may not know it is a zoo, but it’s likely those who were not born in captivity know that it is not the same wide, open space as the home that they once knew.
These animals also likely notice the human presence in the zoo, which happens at a higher frequency than it ever would in the wild. Additionally, despite zookeeper efforts to include trees and plants from their natural habitat, these animals still cannot roam as they would in the wild.
Another notable fact is that, if given the opportunity, most animals will escape from the zoo. This doesn’t necessarily mean that they are aware it is captivity, but the animals are aware something exists outside of the caged area that they live in.
In New York, for example, birds are the most common escapees, though there are also documented reports of leopards, platypuses, different bear species, otters, beavers, chimpanzees, and even a pygmy hippopotamus escaping.
There have also been many escapes in Los Angeles, zebras, antelope, kangaroos, and chimpanzees, all over a period of five years. One gorilla named Evelyn also escaped from the zoo more than once!
What Are Some Animals That Know They Are in a Zoo?
It’s likely that more intelligent animals know they are in the zoo, or at the very least, living in captivity. Some animals that might be aware of this include elephants, chimpanzees, gorillas, bottlenose dolphins, orcas, and possibly even predators like big cats.
Even though zookeepers may include elements of their natural habitat, provide animal enrichment, or allow them to socialize with members of the same species, it still isn’t the same experience that they’d have in the wild.
It is worth noting that animals tend to live longer in captivity than they do in the wild, but this likely isn’t from the quality of their life as much as it is reducing the risk of predators and having access to medical care.
This still doesn’t mean that animals are living a high-quality, enriching life. And, while some animals do okay or even thrive in a zoo setting, there are countless others that lead lower-quality lives than they would in the wild.
What Animals Don’t Know They Are in the Zoo?
Many animals do not realize they are in a zoo because they aren’t capable of complex thinking. One way that scientists measure an animal’s intelligence is by testing self-awareness, or their ability to recognize themselves. Those that cannot recognize themselves are thought to have less complex thinking, making them less likely to know that the place they are living is not part of their natural habitat.
Of course, animals born in captivity likely do not know they are in a zoo. After all, being in the zoo is the only life that they are familiar with, so they’d think it is just normal day-to-day activities.
Plus, when animals are born in captivity, there’s a good chance they would be unsuccessful at survival if they were released back into the wild. In one study, captive-born predators like wolves and tigers were released into the wild. Sadly, only about 33% of these animals survived.
It can be hypothesized that this happened because these animals never had to chase down and hunt prey, so they were ill-adapted to surviving once they were left on their own. Even if they had some natural instinct, they would have faced competition from other animals with a competitive edge from living in their natural habitat their entire lives.
How Do Animals Feel About Being in Zoos?
Animals aren’t really capable of communicating how they feel about being in zoos. Not only do some animals not have the complex thought patterns to communicate this, but there is also a language barrier that exists between humans and animals so it’s not really possible for us to understand them.
While some animals do well in a zoo and likely do not know they are missing out on anything, others do not enjoy the zoo setting. One example could be big cats, which I’ve often observed pacing back and forth in the zoo.
Even though a zookeeper might say this is in anticipation of their next meal, it could also be a sign of agitation, particularly if there are noisy groups or the big cat is feeling mentally bored. It can also be a sign of extreme stress.
If animals were content in zoos, they likely wouldn’t make efforts to escape. Of course, sometimes this is human carelessness rather than the intentions of the animal, but it’s still worth noting that many animals just don’t have the same quality of life as they would when roaming in the wild. Even if their lives were cut short by predators or other natural causes, it’d still be a life of higher quality.
The Role That Enrichment and Socialization Plays in Animal Happiness
Providing animal enrichment is important in zoos because it provides animals with a physical outlet and mental stimulation. It gives them at least a little control over what they are doing with their time, especially when they live on a schedule.
For social animals, living among members of the same species is also beneficial. That being said, even though there are benefits of having enrichment and socialization, as well as living somewhere that resembles the animal’s natural habitat, it still isn’t the same as living in the wild. Human prisoners are also given bathroom facilities, food, beds, socialization, and enrichment, and it’s still considered a punishment to live in prison.
Do Animals Feel Safe in Zoos?
The ability to feel safe really comes down to what an animal perceives as a threat. You see, for some animals, being in the zoo keeps them safe from human and non-human predators. However, that isn’t the only element of safety.
For an animal to feel safe, it would have to be without perceived threats. Even though animals are safe from predators in the zoo, some studies show they may feel stress from human exposure. There has been a lot of research on positive human relationships, but not as much on how negative or neutral interactions with zoo visitors affect animals.
One hypothesis is that it depends on the individual animal. Some zoo animals don’t seem to have any feelings toward being viewed by a human audience, while others exhibit signs of stress. Furthermore, some animals may even view humans viewing them as a type of enrichment.
Zookeepers and animal handlers can reduce this stress by doing things like reinforcing positive human-animal reactions, keeping consistent animal handlers and staff, treating animals as individuals and making note of their unique personalities, and taking other steps to further improve their lives. These and other factors all influence how “safe” an animal is going to feel in a captive environment like the zoo.
Final Word
So, do animals know that they are in a zoo? While more intelligent species might have some awareness, they likely only know that they are in captivity. Those animals born in captivity also do not have an awareness of any life outside of living in the zoo.
Even though animals tend to live longer in the zoo, this still doesn’t say much about the quality of their lives. Even with positive human interaction, socialization (in some cases), and animal enrichment, it still may not be enough to provide the quality of life that these animals need to thrive.
