Observation week 3 ----MEN)))

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Observation

This weekend I paid my second visit to the Lincoln Park zoo. Uncomfortably visiting the ape house, strolling to the lion house and then to the bears, the hordes of people gathered at these specific exhibits.  As I weaseled my way to the front of the out door lion exhibit I found the information displayed about the animal, much more extensive than information offered about less popular animals such as the Painted Hunting Dog. The lion exhibit informed viewers of behavior, location, diet and size of the animal as well as interactive comparative sculptures in witch one can relate to the lions paw size. The Painted Hunting Dog on the other hand places in a rather small cage for the amount of animals in the enclosure. The exhibit had information that was hard to find or lacked the interest of passers by to the extent that parents were informing their children that they were hyenas. It was clear to me that the Lincoln Park zoo favored animals and thus reserved more information for the animals of popular interest or the other way around? In further research I found that the Painted Hunting Dog are on the endangered species list published by (IUCN)/World Conservation Union and African lions are not. The question of aestheticized conservation arises and public awareness is very much present in comparing these two animals.  The Painted Hunting Dog live in packs some can be as small as a pair, or as large as thirty. The dogs utilize light conditions for hunting and there are 3,000 individuals in Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa today. The question remains why put so much effort into animals that are not endangered but have grater esthetic value and possible fanatical support for the establishment of the zoo and diminish less attractive endangered animals to the point of misinformation. It is indeed a two-headed coin, both provide advantages and disadvantages.

Representation of endangered and non-endangered animals in popular culture. Is this the product of conservation esthetics?

http://www.painteddog.org/the-dogs/

http://www.iucnredlist.org/
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/african-hunting-dog/