Advancing Education and Animal Welfare

Over the years, the Round Cage housed bears and later hyenas in conditions like a fishbowl, on a concrete slab with no shelter or privacy, and it has long since been abandoned as suitable housing for any species. Education has always been central to the Zoo's mission, and zookeeping has become increasingly scientific. Under the auspices of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, reputable zoos like this one have evolved from basic custodial care to complex husbandry, animal welfare, and long-term population management. Visitors now see animals in naturalistic exhibits that offer space, shelter, variety, enrichment, and privacy if that is what the animal chooses. They also have greater opportunity than ever before to learn about different species, their native habitats, the pressures they face in the wild, and the scientific underpinnings of biodiversity. For generations of Maryland schoolchildren, a trip to the Zoo has been an annual rite of passage.

Baltimore, Maryland · United States