A Visit to the Zoo, Day Two Trivia Quiz

Answer:

Tree snakes in zoos are housed in enclosures that mimic their natural arboreal habitat, with branches, leaves and various climbing structures. As highly adaptable hunters, they are provided with opportunities to climb and explore. Zoos focus on educational programmes that highlight the important ecological role these snakes play in controlling pest populations.

Corn snakes are popular in zoo reptile areas because of their calm demeanour and bright colours. In captivity, they are kept in areas that resemble the forest floor, complete with logs and burrows. Zoos often emphasise their role in conservation, as these non-venomous snakes are threatened by the pet trade and habitat destruction.

Milk snakes, known for their mimicry of venomous coral snakes, are kept in enclosures designed to simulate their native environment, including rocky outcrops and forested areas. In zoos, they are used to educate visitors about mimicry and the important role these snakes play in ecosystems. Conservation efforts focus on habitat protection as these species face increasing pressure from land development.

While dolphins are highly intelligent and social creatures, they often suffer in captivity due to the limitations of zoo tanks, which cannot create the vast, complex environments of the open ocean. Despite efforts to provide enrichment and social opportunities, many critics argue that captivity is detrimental to dolphins' mental and physical health. Zoos often justify keeping dolphins for conservation and educational purposes, but the ethical debate continues.

Orcas, also known as killer whales, are large apex predators that roam huge oceanic territories in the wild. In captivity, killer whales are confined to relatively small tanks, which many animal rights activists believe is highly damaging to their health and well-being. In the wild, they display complex social structures, hunting techniques and travel long distances. These behaviours are severely curtailed in captivity, leading to ongoing ethical concerns about their place in zoos and marine parks.

Beluga whales are kept in specially designed cold-water tanks that mimic their Arctic habitat. While zoos attempt to provide entertainment through vocalisations and interaction, critics argue that captivity leads to behavioural and health problems. Belugas face significant threats in the wild from climate change and pollution, which zoos highlight, but the ethics of keeping these social animals in captivity are increasingly being questioned.

Narwhals, sometimes called the "unicorns of the sea", are rarely found in zoos due to the immense challenges of replicating their deep, cold-water Arctic environment. Captivity has proven extremely problematic for narwhals as they are deep divers and highly migratory, making it difficult for them to thrive in artificial enclosures. This has led to calls for stricter restrictions on keeping them in captivity and for conservation efforts to focus on the wild.

Zebras live in large, open enclosures in zoos that try to simulate the vast grasslands of their native habitat. Zoos often focus on breeding programmes, especially for species such as the Grevy's zebra, which are facing severe habitat loss. However, critics point out that captivity cannot fully replicate the social and migratory patterns of zebras in the wild, raising questions about their long-term welfare in zoos.

Horses in zoos are usually part of exhibits that focus on domestication, giving visitors an insight into their role in human culture and history. Although not usually part of endangered species programmes, some zoos work with rare breeds to preserve genetic diversity. These educational displays often show natural behaviour, but lack the wild dynamics that might be seen in feral populations, such as the Przewalski's horse, which zoos have helped to reintroduce into the wild.

Wild donkeys are often kept in desert-like enclosures that reflect their natural habitat. Zoos emphasise the conservation of endangered donkey species, such as the Somali wild ass, which faces habitat destruction and hunting pressure in the wild. Breeding programmes aim to maintain viable populations in captivity, but critics argue that more emphasis should be placed on protecting their natural habitats.