Lets get silly: how would mythical creatures be kept in zoos?

A few weeks back I posted a thread on speculating how extinct animals would be kept in zoos if they were still alive, it was a lot of fun. The recent thread on the Loch Ness monster got me thinking, if mythical creatures like bigfoot, Nessie, and dragons were real, would we be keeping them in zoos, and if so, how? (since mythical creatures have lots of interpretations, there's some flexibility here, but I'm mostly thinking of popular interpretations)

I think bigfoot would be a popular, though controversial, zoo animal. In the modern day, they would probably be reserved for very big zoos that can provide lots of space and enrichment. For the zoos that keep bigfoot, it would probably be a star species.

Big, flying, fire-breathing dragons would probably be out of the question unless they can be trained.

Unicorns would probably survive well in captivity, and their striking white coats would probably make them popular attractions.

Anything with human intelligence wouldn't be kept in the modern day, though mermaid aquariums and centaur exhibits may be an embarrassing relic of the past.

 

Certain creatures, such as gorgon and cockatrice would be impossible (for obvious reasons) but I could see some medium sized ones death worms being something of an attraction for large zoos, and small dragons being very popular and potentially common in captivity.

Certain lake monsters/ sea monster could be controversially kept in large aquariums, similar to orca and/or whale sharks

 

Now look you have to understand, just because mythical creatures can attain a level of problem solving greater than your average mouse; that doesn't mean that they are sentient. Just because they can converse in their own, complex language, does not rise them above other animals (indeed recent studies show that many species have fairly complex communication methods; often multisensory driven).

I thus see no reason that animals such as dragons or centaurs could not be kept in captivity; provided that their training does not produce abnormal levels of stress and discontent. It's perfectly possible to keep such species with the right approach; often with separation of the offspring from the parent and putting them with surrogate parents until such time as they are matured.


It's also for this reason, and others, that I would say that long-lived species shouldn't show aged individuals; they are often more prone to illness and also general ill health compared to younger-offspring. Some are also very poorly trained; those dragons that would bully villages for food and maidens are simply the result of over-indulgence and a lack of proper training at a young age. You get the same thing in more common pets such as dogs and cats; only the resulting poor behaviour is far less destructive.





Gorgons and other species of that nature could be kept provided that they are fitted with a suitable hood and cover for display. We already achieve this with other more mundane species such as most hunting hawks and even cheetahs.

In general enclosures might have to be built to a higher structural standard than many modern enclosures; but most species could be kept. I would hazard that the public would be most entertained and also protected; it would be management and keeper safety which would be of greater concern.

Note also that just like castration is used to help control reproduction and behaviour of species so too could other operations. Heck castration at an early age might render dragons unable to develop the organs that allow for fire-breath production (thus only castrated males would be on display to the public); or it might be that a minor operation to remove the gland(s) when young could also render them less dangerous with no long-lasting issues**
Dragons would most likely have their wings pinioned at a young age (much as is done with many other flight capable animals kept in outdoor enclosures to allow them to be kept in a larger area without need for huge areas of netting in the sky to prevent escape











PS - anyone that enjoys reading this thread should go read Temeraire by Naomi Norvik - it has NOTHING to do with zoos; however the concept of living beasts (dragons) within recent history (Napoleonic period) is its focus and it provides a fantastic view on how we might live with such creatures; but also how our views on them could drastically change the world over and on the dividing line between a thinking beast one considers and equal and one which one considers a lesser

**Indeed removal of fire-glands might even reduce the chances of certain types of cancer!

 

"Don't look at the gorgon" signs could lead to a cheap sculpture park

 

Unicorns would initially be kept much as horses with keepers working freely with them and public petting allowed, however an isolated incident where a keeper was gored by a male in heat would lead to all zoos instituting a PC policy, and standoff areas around every enclosure.

 

I think that would depend on unicorn temperament. (unicorns are usually depicted as wild animals) A lot of stories portray them as shy and skittish, which would make them poorly suited for training and interaction. Lots of stories say that kind (usually virgin) maidens can befriend them, so I guess they can bond with people, but it may be difficult to have interaction programs with guests who are too noisy or grabby. But regardless of temperament, yeah, if unicorns were kept captive, gorings would be inevitable. (I'm still waiting for this to happen in My Little Pony)

Expanding on unicorns a bit, they would have been critically endangered at one point in history due to hunting for their horns and pelts, but captive breeding and good conservation practices brought them back. They're regularly boasted as an example of how zoos save species.

Going into other horse-based mythical creatures... Flying horses are usually depicted as domestic horses, except with wings, so zoos and other facilities probably could easily have interaction programs. Riding programs may be possible, though facilities would have to take extra care to ensure.

What I'm less sure of is the hippocampus. (has upper body of a horse, lower body of a fish) They're not very common in later stories or media so I only have the old mythology to go on. Hoofstock generally does well in captivity, but the hippocampus is more like a marine mammal. They'd certainly be a spectacular sight, and if they're like domestic horses, they could be trained for shows. Still, they'd likely need pretty large tanks, which might limit their exhibition to large zoos and aquariums and places like SeaWorld. If they're like domestic horses, interaction programs (including riding) could be allowed.

Kelpies could perhaps be kept in captivity, but I don't think they'd be very popular, since they look like normal horses.

 

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