Hey ZooChatters, Aside from zoos and wildlife I'm a bit of an enthusiast of old illustrated children's books! Today my searches led me to this little gem: Zoo Animals A Golden Book from the late 60's that's fairly comprehensive as far as children's nonfiction books from the time go, even if the text remains simple. It's a very interesting look into the past of American zoos and a number of pages are devoted to practices that were considered the proper standard at the time, like straight-edged moats/pits in elephant enclosures! The species included are fairly diverse, the mammals in particular, and include many species rarely if ever exhibited today, at least in the US. Conversely, several species incredibly common nowadays, like river hogs and meerkats, are listed in this book as either rare in zoos or illegal to import and exhibit! It makes me curious about the differences in exhibited species back then. Of course the major draw for me is the lavish old-fashioned illustrations, I wish more books nowadays went in this direction. The 60's-style enclosures many of the animals are depicted in also make for interesting curiosities. As a long-time lurker I thought it'd be of some interest to you all!
