Zoo
A zoo is an institution that keeps living animals for public display and may also support education, research, and conservation.
Zoological garden design: The planning of animal enclosures, visitor routes, and shared spaces within a zoo. Enclosure layout shapes animal welfare, habitat quality, and what visitors can observe.
Environmental education: Teaching and learning about the environment, ecological systems, and human relationships with nature. Zoo programs use animals and exhibits to introduce ecological ideas.
Aquarium: An institution that keeps and displays aquatic organisms in managed environments. Aquariums share public and conservation aims with zoos but focus on aquatic life.
Animal welfare: The physical and mental state of an animal in relation to its living conditions. Enclosure conditions, social groups, and care practices directly affect animal welfare.
Menagerie: A collection of captive wild animals, historically maintained for display by rulers or wealthy owners. Menageries were institutional predecessors to public zoos.
Animal enrichment: Practices that encourage animals to perform varied, species-appropriate behaviors in managed settings. Enrichment helps reduce the effects of restricted environments on zoo animals.
Conservation breeding: The managed reproduction of threatened species to support their persistence or recovery. Some zoo populations provide animals for carefully planned conservation efforts.
Wildlife sanctuary: A protected place that provides refuge for wild animals, often rescued or displaced. Sanctuaries generally prioritize refuge over breeding collections and public display.
Captive breeding: The reproduction of animals under human care rather than in the wild. Zoo breeding can support species recovery but raises questions about long-term captivity.
Ménagerie du Jardin des Plantes: A zoological garden in Paris, opened to the public in 1794. Its public opening helped establish the modern zoo as a civic institution.