Additional Coverage:
- 24 Fascinating Photos of Zoos From the Past (wealthgang.com)
Zoos: A Walk on the Wild Side, Then and Now
Zoos today are a much different experience than they used to be. Steep admission and parking fees, along with necessary barriers between visitors and animals, are the norm. But looking back at vintage photos reveals a time when zoo visits offered a more, shall we say, hands-on approach to wildlife.
These fascinating glimpses into the past show just how much the zoo experience has changed:
- Up Close and Personal: Forget observation decks. Photos from the 1930s show visitors polishing turtle shells at the London Zoo and children hand-feeding porcupines (1950s) and hippos (1920s) at other zoos. One striking image even shows a little girl casually holding a baby crocodile at the Chicago Zoo in 1953.
- Animal Interactions: Ever dreamed of walking an alpaca or riding an elephant? At one time, these activities were part of the zoo experience!
Photos depict visitors riding elephants at Benson’s Zoo in New Hampshire (1931) and Maori children enjoying elephant rides at the Wellington Zoo (1943). A 1937 photo shows a more unusual sight: a visitor walking an alpaca at the London Zoo.
- Working with Wildlife: Zookeepers also had a different kind of relationship with the animals in their care. A 1913 image shows a gardener at the London Zoo riding a camel-powered lawn mower, while a 1970s photo captures a zookeeper hosing down an elephant named Twinkles. Another powerful image from 1943 depicts a zookeeper caring for a shoebill in her bathroom after the bombing of the Berlin Zoo.
- Famous Faces: Even celebrities got in on the action. A 1950 photograph shows circus strongman Paul Remos lifting his son to feed a giraffe at the London Zoo.
Other photos capture Mr. Rogers filming at the Pittsburgh Zoo in the 1970s, Brooke Shields interning at the San Diego Zoo in 1983, and Mary J.
Wilson, the first African American senior zookeeper at the Baltimore Zoo in 1966.
These vintage photos offer a nostalgic—and sometimes shocking—look at how zoos once operated. They remind us of how much our understanding of animal welfare and visitor safety has evolved, leading to the modern zoo experience we know today.
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- 24 Fascinating Photos of Zoos From the Past (wealthgang.com)