de Botton, Alain

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The University of Kansas: Journals@KU

	 IRCF	ReptIles	&	AmphIbIAns		•		Vol	18,	no	4		•		DeC	2011	 241CommentARYc o M M e n T a R Ymoose	don’t	loom	large	in	the	national	imagination.	there	are	only	around	100	of	them	on	these	islands,	but	they’re	a	fascinating	and	noble	kind	of	creature.	Ugly	from	one	point	of	view,	rather	as	camels	are,	but	full	of	a	native	kind	of	dignity	and	stoicism.	 I’m	mentioning	moose	because	earlier	this	summer,	rather	unreported	by	the	media,	a	baby	moose	was	born	in	Whipsnade	Zoo.	It	got	called	Chocolate	by	the	Zoological	society	of	london,	and	—	according	to	an	e-mail	that	was	sent	out	to	all	members	of	the	zoo	—	it’s	doing	very	well.	It’s	being	looked	after	by	its	concerned	mother	minni	and	its	protective	dad	melka.	both	can	now	be	seen	in	a	special	exhibit	called	Wild	Wild	Whipsnade.	If	you	fancy	a	trip,	as	the	same	e-mail	went	on	to	explain,	you	might	want	to	take	in	sapo	the	pygmy	hippo,	who’s	recently	taken	his	first	dip	in	an	outdoor	pool.Displacing EgosI	know	David	Attenborough	has	been	doing	a	heroic	job	—	not	least	in	this	slot	over	the	last	few	months	—	trying	to	change	this	state	of	affairs,	but	it’s	fair	to	say	that	before	I	had	children	I	simply	never	thought	of	wild	animals.	the	odd	tV	documentary	excepted,	they	just	didn’t	figure	on	my	radar.	my	extracurricular	activity	tended	to	be	culturally	based,	and	ani-mals	—	as	we	know	—	don’t	loom	large	in	culture.	the	elegant	question	is	always	whether	one	has	caught	the	new	show	at	tate	modern	or	play	at	the	a Point of View: In Praise of the Zoo1Alain	de	bottonthe	zoo	is	not	just	for	children,exotic	animals	can	help	grown-ups	get	some	perspective	on	their	lives.1		Adapted	from	a	commentary	in	the	bbC	news	magazine	(8	July	2011;	<www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-14078657>).the	elegant	question	is	whether	one	has	caught	the	newest	exhibit	or	play,	never	what	one	makes	of	the	new	burmese	python	(Python bivittatus)	at	the	zoo.	eRiC isseléeRon sanFoRdmoose	(Alces alces)	are	full	of	a	native	kind	of	dignity	and	stoicism.	242	 IRCF	ReptIles	&	AmphIbIAns		•		Vol	18,	no	4		•		DeC	2011Donmar	Warehouse,	never	what	one	makes	of	the	new	bactrian	Camel	or	burmese	python	at	london	Zoo.	 Yet	thanks	to	my	two	young	sons,	I	now	live	immersed	in	the	world	of	exotic	animals.	We	spend	our	time	thinking	about	malayan	tapirs	and	peruvian	Chinchillas,	meerkats	from	the	kalahari	Desert,	and	green	and	black	poison	frogs	from	Costa	Rica.	some	of	every	weekend	is	spent	imper-sonating	these	animals	on	the	carpet,	the	rest	on	discussing	their	habits,	favorite	foods,	and	the	gathering	odds	of	encroachments	on	their	habitats.	but	this	really	seems	just	a	way	of	circling	around	something	more	unnam-able	and	potent	—	a	fundamental	wonder	at	the	sheer	existence	of	creatures	so	weird	and	beautiful,	so	unlike	us	and	yet	strangely	evocative	of	parts	of	us.	Alive	on	our	planet	at	the	same	time	as	we	are	but	unreachable	by	our	normal	means.	our	unknown	contemporaries	in	a	galaxy	otherwise	made	up	of	gas	and	rock,	with	not	a	single	other	heartbeat	within	it.	 I’m	deeply	grateful	to	my	children	for	reintroducing	me	to	wild	ani-mals,	and	yet	—	with	no	disloyalty	to	them	—	also	a	little	frustrated	at	the	way	that	zoos	(and	wider	society	of	course)	tend	to	frame	an	interest	in	these	animals	in	such	resolutely	childlike	terms.	the	world	of	zoos	is	bathed	in	children’s	language	and	iconography.	the	animals	are	invariably	given	names	designed	to	appeal	to	kids,	like	moomoo	the	tiger,	sparkly	the	oriental	small-clawed	otter,	and	speccie	the	Ring-tailed	lemur.	 the	food	in	the	cafes	is	geared	to	young	appetites	and	the	general	impression	is	that	unless	you’re	on	a	trip	with	someone	under	14	and	are	eating	an	ice	cream	as	well,	there	might	be	something	a	little	wrong	with	you	for	wandering	around	zoo	exhibits.Animal GodsI	understand	why	zoos	do	this	—	kids	are	a	captive	market.	the	pres-sures	on	them	financially	are	extremely	grave	and	hippos	hold	the	atten-tion	of	five-year-olds	in	a	way	that	the	paintings	of	Ingres	or	Rothko	just	De	bottonthanks	to	children,	adults	can	learn	to	live	in	a	world	of	exotic	animals,	and	to	spend	time	thinking	about	tapirs,	meerkats,	and	Green	and	black	poison	Dart	Frogs	(Dendrobates auratus).	BRandon alMsInterest	in	animals	often	is	framed	in	childlike	terms	and	zoos	are	bathed	in	children’s	language	and	iconography.	Animals	invariably	are	given	names	designed	to	appeal	to	kids,	like	moomoo	the	tiger	and	speccie	the	Ring-tailed	lemur	(Lemur catta).	 eRiC isseléeAdults,	much	more	so	than	children,	are	in	serious	need	of	a	few	minutes	of	reflec-tion	on	 the	 lives	of	humboldt	penguins	 (Spheniscus humboldti)	and	egyptian	tortoises	(Testudo kleinmanni).CaRolina gaRCia aRandaeRiC isselée	 IRCF	ReptIles	&	AmphIbIAns		•		Vol	18,	no	4		•		DeC	2011	 243don’t,	despite	the	truly	heroic	efforts	of	the	kids’	outreach	programs	of	the	national	Gallery	and	the	tate.	Yet	something	does	seem	to	be	lost	in	this	focus	on	children,	which	is	the	enormous	benefit	that	the	average	adult	could	and	should	be	deriving	from	encounters	with	these	animals.	the	typical	urban	stressed	and	harried	adult	is	in	serious	need	of	a	few	minutes	of	reflection	upon	the	life	of	a	humboldt	penguin	or	egyptian	tortoise,	more	so	than	his	or	her	child.	 At	heart,	these	animals	offer	us	many	of	the	same	lessons	as	religions	but	without	any	of	the	doctrines	or	supernatural	claims.	they’re	walking,	munching,	biting,	bellowing	reminders	not	to	take	ourselves	as	the	cen-tres	of	the	universe.	While	wandering	around	their	enclosures	they	deliver	heart-warming	covert	sermons	in	the	wisdom	of	displacing	our	own	egos.	the	metaphysical	importance	of	zoos	is	anchored	in	the	way	that	we	tend	to	loom	so	absurdly	large	in	our	own	imaginations.	We	overstate	every	aspect	of	ourselves:	how	long	we	are	on	the	planet	for,	how	much	it	matters	what	we	achieve,	how	rare	and	unfair	are	our	professional	failures,	how	rife	with	misunderstandings	are	our	relationships,	how	deep	are	our	sorrows.	left	to	their	own	devices,	our	minds	are	hopelessly	egoistic.Getting Perspectivethat’s	where	the	animals	come	in.	they	are	what	emile	Durkheim,	that	great	theorist	of	religions,	described	as	representatives	of	“the	other”,	some-thing	non-human	which	puts	us	in	our	place,	stills	our	anxieties,	reminds	us	we’re	not	the	only	show	in	town,	and	generally	urges	us	to	make	a	little	more	room	in	our	imaginations	for	things	that	aren’t	related	to	our	own	selves.	typically	for	the	last	few	millennia	in	the	West,	“the	other”	has	meant	God.	A	force	far	larger,	older,	and	more	mysterious	than	we	are,	to	which	we	should	—	at	selected	moments	in	the	week	—	acknowledge,	defer,	and	give	way.	 We	tend	not	to	bother	with	a	religious	“other”	quite	so	much	in	swiftly	secularizing	britain,	and	that’s	perhaps	one	reason	why	we’re	a	little	more	fragile	in	our	psyches	as	well.	We	need	regular	encounters	with	other-ness	so	as	not	to	loom	dangerously	large	to	ourselves.	that’s	why	people	get	so	much	out	of	nature	or	from	the	stars	or	the	great	deserts.	to	be	made	to	feel	small	is,	to	be	sure,	a	painful	daily	reality	of	the	human	playground.	but	to	be	made	to	feel	small	by	something	beautiful,	noble,	accomplished,	or	just	weird	like	the	greater	one-horned	Asian	rhino	is	to	have	wisdom	presented	to	us	along	with	a	measure	of	delight.	 there	are	zoo	animals	like	the	Arabian	oryx	that	can	induce	us	to	sur-render	our	egoism	without	in	any	way	humiliating	us.	looking	at	them,	we	can	set	aside	our	ordinary	concerns	and	take	on	board	—	in	a	way	we	never	dare	to	do	when	we	are	under	direct	fire	from	other	humans	—	our	own	relativity.	We	can	survey	ourselves	as	if	from	a	distance,	no	longer	offended	by	things,	perhaps	newly	indifferent	to	our	eventual	fate,	generous	towards	the	universe,	and	open-minded	about	its	course.	 Religions	outside	the	Abrahamic	tradition	have	always	understood	how	much	we	have	to	learn	from	animals,	how	much	the	attitudes	of	ani-mals	are	those	we	should	emulate	in	ourselves,	and	how	calming	it	can	be	to	place	something	non-human	at	the	centre	of	your	culture.	buddhists	in	thailand	will	honor	the	white	elephant	for	its	courage,	strength,	and	calm	nature,	the	very	qualities	they	believe	that	the	buddha	wished	to	see	us	cultivate	in	ourselves.	likewise,	the	ancient	egyptians	connected	their	gods	to	animals	in	ways	that	urged	humans	to	draw	from	the	varied	virtues	of	the	animal	kingdom.	 When	zoos	try	to	explain	to	us	what	they’re	up	to,	they	often	fall	back	on	describing	an	educational	mission.	they	announce	that	they	are	there	to	teach	us	where	animals	come	from,	how	much	they	eat,	and	how	many	young	they	typically	have.	this	is	all	true	and	very	good,	but	there’s	maybe	another	no	less	vital	mission.	We	should	learn	about	animals	not	just	for	their	sake,	but	—	as	religions	have	known	—	also	for	our	own.	 Among	other	things,	the	point	of	zoos	should	be	to	give	us	perspec-tive	on	ourselves,	to	push	us	towards	an	awareness	—	always	under	threat	in	daily	life	—	of	the	diversity,	mystery,	scale,	age,	and	complexity	of	the	earth.	but	unlike	zoos	at	present,	perhaps	we	should	not	have	to	think	that	the	point	of	the	exercise	is	to	give	us	a	grounding	in	a	scientific	education.	It	should	not	in	the	end	matter	very	much	whether	visitors	have	ever	really	mastered	the	differences	between,	say,	the	African	and	Indian	elephant,	the	detailed	explanations	of	which	are	often	painfully	labored	over	by	zoo	curators	and	yet	so	likely	to	have	been	forgotten	by	most	of	their	audience	by	the	time	they	reach	the	car	park.	We	should	allow	ourselves	to	handle	zoology	in	the	interests	of	stirring	awe	rather	than	in	the	name	of	promot-ing	knowledge,	biology	leant	upon	for	its	therapeutic,	perspective-giving	capacity	rather	than	its	factual	value.	 even	if	you	have	no	children,	don’t	like	ice	creams,	and	are	deeply	aller-gic	to	hearing	animals	called	things	like	shamoo	and	bibi,	it	may	still	be	worth	making	an	appointment	with	a	gecko	or	sri	lankan	sloth	bear	in	a	zoo.CommentARYeven	if	you	have	no	children,	you	still	might	benefit	from	an	appointment	with	a	leopard	Gecko	(Eublepharis macularius).	thoMas daM244	 IRCF	ReptIles	&	AmphIbIAns		•		Vol	18,	no	4		•		DeC	2011 AUGUstIneCritically	endangered	lemur	tree	Frogs	(Hylomantis lemur),	which	are	native	to	Central	America,	were	successfully	bred	at	the	the	Wildlife	Conservation	society’s	bronx	Zoo.

A Point of View: In Praise of the Zoo

https://journals.ku.edu/reptilesandamphibians/article/download/16195/14527

A Point of View: In Praise of the Zoo

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