The Ark Evolving: Zoos and Aquariums in Transition

This collection of papers demonstrates that zoos and aquariums are evolving systems. Loss of terrestrial and aquatic habitats has initiated a spasm of species extinction unprecedented in the history of human life on earth, and has compelled many institutions to rethink their responsibilities to the natural world. Many changes in the way zoos and aquariums serve the public have accrued- from exhibit design and endangered species propogation, to environmental educational programs. The strength of this present volume is not only its coverage of current activities, but the historical factors that are shaping these institutions into key players in world conservation.