Zoo Check
If you go to the zoo, print out this chart to evaluate what you see. Send it to Big Cat Rescue so we know how the animals are being treated and what you think about it.
Animal Research Project - Observation
Name of Zoo and City
Time of Day
Is this zoo accredited by the American Zoological Association? www.AZA.org
Name of Animal
What type of habitat does the animal live in?
Is this area suitable for the animal?
How much area does the animal have?
Can the animal stand up... lay down... easily move around?
Is this exhibit give a realistic showing of how this animal would live in the wild?
Does the animal live alone, or do others live with him? ... if yes, how many others?
What does this animal eat?
Is there water for the animals to drink?
Is the area clean?
Does it smell bad?
Is there shade for the animal?
Does the animals look in good health?
Are there signs around? ...if yes, what do they say about this animal?
Ask the staff if there are other animals behind-the-scenes that you can't see.
Ask them how many and what size their cage is.
Ask them if those animals ever get to come out into the big yard and if not, why not.
What is the animal doing? ...sleeping, pacing, begging, licking the cage, pulling on it's hair or skin, playing or being aggressive? (some of these actions show us that the animals are not happy being caged)
If there on exhibit baby... what will happen to the baby as it grows?
Will the zoo keep the baby? If not, where will this baby go?
Will they tell you the name of the zoo and what city it is in?
Do they know where the animals they are caring came from; specifically what zoo or breeder?
Do they know how old the animals are or how many times they have been moved from zoo to zoo?
If they say they are breeding for conservation, ask them how many of that animal they have actually sent back to the wild? (If it is any kind of cat, the answer will be zero)
Is this animal endangered... if so why, and what can be done to save it?
What is the zoo doing to save it, other than having you come pay to look at it?
How much money does the zoo take in each year? You can find out at Guidestar.org if they won't tell you.
How much of it do they spend on saving wild places for wild animals to live?
How much money does the zoo send to projects like Wild Aid that actually hire patrols to fight off poachers? (Wild Aid says it is a pitifully small percentage)
Where do the animals live? Forest, Rain Forest, Desert, Arctic - Warm or Cold Climate?
How does that compare to the climate of your zoo?
What country do the animals come from? America , South America, Asia, Africa, China
What does the animal eat? ...in their natural habitat? ...at the zoo? Fruits, Meat, Vegetables
What is this animals sleep pattern? day time, night time? Does it hibernate? What do these animals do in the winter?
If the animal usually is awake at night, where is this animal kept at night?
Where are the animals kept when the zoo is closed?
How many hours a day is the zoo closed?
If animals are locked up during that time, how big is the cage they are kept in during closed hours?
What is in that area for the animals to do when no one is watching?
How large does the animal get?
How old does this animal live to be in a zoo?
What is the oldest one of these animals that this zoo ever had?
Ask why the animals only live half as long in zoos as in a good sanctuary.
What is the name of the "baby?" ... example: Dog - Puppy ...tell us more about the baby and the birth
What is being done by this zoo to help this animal continue to live in the wild?
How can you help this animal survive?
How many of these animals still live in the wild?
Other important information
Sources used to find information