A Wilder Kingdom: Rethinking Nature in Zoos, Wildlife Parks, and Beyond

Zoos have always had a troubled relationship to what is considered the “real” wild. Even the most immersive and naturalistic zoos, critics maintain, are inherently contrived and inauthentic environments. Zoo animals’ diet, care, and reproduction are under pervasive human control, with natural phenomena like disease and death kept mostly hidden from public view. Furthermore, despite their growing commitment to conservation and education, zoos are entertainment providers that respond to visitors’ expectations and preferences. What would a “wilder” zoo―one that shows the public a wider range of ecological processes―look like? Is it achievable or even desirable? What roles can or should zoos play in encouraging humanity to find meaningful connections with wild animals and places?

A Wilder Kingdom is a provocative and reflective examination of the relationship between zoos and the wild. It gathers a premier set of multidisciplinary voices―from animal studies and psychology to evolutionary biology and environmental journalism―to consider the possibilities and challenges of making zoos wilder. In so doing, the contributors offer new insights into the future of the wild beyond zoos and our relationship to wild species and places across the landscape in an increasingly human-dominated era.

Harry W. Greene is an American herpetologist, currently working as a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at Cornell University. His primary conceptual interests are behavioral evolution, community ecology, and conservation biology, with a special focus on mammals, lizards, and snakes, particularly vipers.