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Over the twentieth century, as wild, tropical animals became familiar attractions in urban American zoos, they became rare in the wild. Americans who made zoos the nation's most popular attractions, developed closer knowledge of tropical animals, especially those from regions colonized by American and European powers. Founded as a living taxonomy of exotic nature, such zoos never achieved the biological and social order their founders so cherished. Workers, animals, and visitors did not behave in ways that matched zoo officials' or founders' visions. Tourists fed the animals, littered, even poached. They sought tales of animal adventure more than science lessons. This book examines the development of zoos and the animal trade that supplied them and how they were both buffeted by global politics, imperialism, revolution, and war. Through the paradox of animals that were endangered yet familiar and entwined in our daily lives, \"Animal Empire\" fosters a dialogue between those charged with conserving the future, those concerned about the effects of the past, and those who gaze at zoo animals and wonder about places, nature, and people they are unlikely ever to see in person. Through zoos, we have learned to look at faraway places, environments, and peoples through the lens of endangered animals. Animal and human lives dramatically collided in the twentieth century and \"Animal Empire\" is a global history as it appeared at the zoo through the life and death of the animals, the keepers who mucked out their cages and reared their young, the traders who captured animals and the imagination of the American public, and the zoo officials who have helped make the idea of animal endangerment a key indictment of our contemporary civilization.-- Provided by publisher

We describe animal-to-human transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in a zoo setting in Indiana, USA. A vaccinated African lion with physical limitations requiring hand feeding tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 after onset of respiratory signs. Zoo employees were screened, monitored prospectively for onset of symptoms, then rescreened as indicated; results were confirmed by using reverse transcription PCR and whole-genome virus sequencing when possible. Traceback investigation narrowed the source of infection to 1 of 6 persons. Three exposed employees subsequently had onset of symptoms, 2 with viral genomes identical to the lion's. Forward contact tracing investigation confirmed probable lion-to-human transmission. Close contact with large cats is a risk factor for bidirectional zoonotic SARS-CoV-2 transmission that should be considered when occupational health and biosecurity practices at zoos are designed and implemented. SARS-CoV-2 rapid testing and detection methods for big cats and other susceptible animals should be developed and validated to enable timely implementation of One Health investigations.

\"Trading in his tweed jacket for a zoo uniform and a pair of muddy workboots, Grazian introduces us to zookeepers and animal rights activists, parents and toddlers, and the other human primates that make up the zoo's social world. He shows that in a major shift away from their unfortunate pasts, American zoos now emphasize naturalistic exhibits teeming with lush and immersive landscapes, breeding programs for endangered pasts, and enrichment activities for their captive creatures. In doing so, zoos blur the imaginary boundaries we regularly use to separate culture from nature, humans from animals, and civilization from the wild.\"--Book jacket.

We report an outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 involving 3 Malayan tigers (Panthera tigris jacksoni) at a zoo in Tennessee, USA. Investigation identified naturally occurring tiger-to-tiger transmission; genetic sequence change occurred with viral passage. We provide epidemiologic, environmental, and genomic sequencing data for animal and human infections.

Nowadays, most zoos have taken prominent and active positions in endangered species conservation and educating visitors about the value of biodiversity. However, to be effective and trusted in their mission, they must act ethically and have a good reputation. Yet, the drivers that can influence their reputation are still little investigated, and there are still few studies focused on assessing the reputation of these institutions. In the present work, we report the development of a tool, the Zoo Ethical Reputation Survey (ZERS), and its pilot application to assess the opinions of the visitors of two zoos, one in Italy and one in Germany, on drivers that may influence the ethical reputation of zoos. Preliminary results based on the answers of 274 respondents show that visitors’ opinions on zoos acting with ethical responsibility are correlated with emotional appeal and familiarity with these institutions. The application of ZERS can help zoos identify weaknesses in their reputation and develop new strategies to improve people’s attitudes towards them, bringing many benefits to the individual zoo and zoological institutions in general.

Bitcoin represents the first real-world implementation of a \"decentralized autonomous organization\" (DAO) and offers a new paradigm for organization design. Imagine working for a global business organization whose routine tasks are powered by a software protocol instead of being governed by managers and employees. Task assignments and rewards are randomized by the algorithm. Information is not channeled through a hierarchy but recorded transparently and securely on an immutable public ledger called \"blockchain.\" Further, the organization decides on design and strategy changes through a democratic voting process involving a previously unseen class of stakeholders called \"miners.\" Agreements need to be reached at the organizational level for any proposed protocol changes to be approved and activated. How do DAOs solve the universal problem of organizing with such novel solutions? What are the implications? We use Bitcoin as an example to shed light on how a DAO works in the cryptocurrency industry, where it provides a peer-to-peer, decentralized, and disintermediated payment system that can compete against traditional financial institutions. We also invited commentaries from renowned organization scholars to share their views on this intriguing phenomenon.

We report infection of 3 Malayan tigers with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) B.1.1.7 (Alpha) variant at a zoologic park in Virginia, USA. All tigers exhibited respiratory signs consistent with SARS-CoV-2 infection. These findings show that tigers are susceptible to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 variant.

Air quality in zoo premises is insufficiently investigated, yet scientific interest is growing. In these places, air pollutants such as microorganisms may represent health risk for both animals and exposed people. Thus, maintaining good air quality is crucial for ensuring long-term sustainability of zoo operations. The present study aimed to assess bacterial air contamination level and microclimate conditions in Zagreb Zoo. Measurements were performed in the area for visitors and employees inside four premises, i.e., Monkey House, Tropical House, Rainy Africa, and Bird House, as well as outside the premises in the summer–autumn period. Total number of bacteria in the premises ranged from 4.50 × 102 to 3.70 × 104 CFU/m3, and number of Gram-negative bacteria ranged from 0 to 5.50 × 102 CFU/m3. Total number of bacteria in outdoor air ranged from 50 to 8.50 × 102 CFU/m3, and number of Gram-negative bacteria ranged from 0 to 50 CFU/m3. Total number of bacteria was significantly higher in the Rainy Africa and Bird House as compared to the Monkey House and Tropical House, yielding a significant positive correlation with the number of Gram-negative bacteria in the premises. Total number of bacteria in outdoor air was significantly lower as compared to all investigated premises, except for the Monkey House, yielding a significant positive correlation with the number of Gram-negative bacteria outdoors. Air temperature showed a significant negative correlation with both total number of bacteria and number of Gram-negative bacteria, and airflow rate showed a significant negative correlation with total number of bacteria in the premises. Air temperature showed a significant positive correlation and relative humidity significant negative correlation with total number of bacteria outdoors. Study results can serve in the development of air quality standards in zoos, contributing to finding effective strategies to mitigate health risk from bioaerosols, with implications for occupational and public health, and overall zoo sustainability.

Job satisfaction is the degree to which individuals like their jobs. Some people enjoy work and find it to be a central part of life. Others hate to work and do so only because they must. There are a variety of factors that can influence a person’s level of job satisfaction, some of which include: nature of work, pay and benefit, relationship with supervisor and co-workers and working environment. Determining factors for motivating, retaining, and enhancing job satisfaction of demographically diverse productive employees is a practical problem facing industries in Nigeria. Research on job satisfaction in Nigeria has focused on the public, banking, manufacturing, and education sectors. Job satisfaction has important implications for work outcomes within an organization. The quality of employee performance in the tourism industry depends primarily on their job satisfaction, as it directly and indirectly affects visitors satisfaction. This study was therefore aimed at assessing the job satisfaction of workers in University of Ibadan Zoological Garden (UI Zoo). The UI Zoo is located on the University Campus. The target population (n=41) for this research were the workers of the zoological garden. Primary and secondary data was used for the study. Data was collected through a well structured questionaire, indepth interview and direct observation. Therefore, a total number of 41copies of the questionaire was administered and the representatives of each unit of the zoo were interviewed. A convenience sampling technique was adopted. The data acquired was analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequency, mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (correlation, regression and thematics). The workers had a high level of job satisfaction with an aggregate mean score of 53 according to the stipulated questionnaire grading system. The zoo workers were least satisfied with their pay and allowance and most satisfied with the nature of their work. The major causes of job dissatisfaction among the workers of the University of Ibadan Zoological Garden were inadequate compensation packages, followed by unfavourable management policies and inadequate provision for the proper welfarism of the animals. The workers of the University of Ibadan Zoological Garden were satisfied with their jobs despite inadequate pay and allowances. Hence, the management of the University of Ibadan Zoological Garden should consider improving on the level of the zoo workers’ job satisfaction through provision of adequate benefit packages, promotion of favourable management policies and career development, and good supervisor-supervisee relationship.

This Django-based web application serves as a comprehensive management system for a zoo, allowing administrators to efficiently handle assets, such as animals, attractions, buildings, employees, and wages. The system provides a variety of functionalities, including adding, viewing, and deleting zoo-related entities, as well as managing user authentication for admin access. Users can add details for animals, attractions, buildings, and employees, and these entries are stored in a MySOL database. The application also includes a dynamic system for viewing and deleting records based on real-time data from the database. The backend is powered by Python and Django, using MySOL to store data. The application allows the admin to authenticate through a login screen and provides an intuitive interface for managing zoo resources. The interface is built using HTML and Django templates, ensuring a user-friendly experience. The system also includes validation checks to prevent duplicate entries for animals, attractions, and employees, while supporting a flexible method to manage wages for zoo staff. In addition to animal and attraction management, the application supports employee management with functionality to add, view, delete, and track employee information, as well as associate employees with specific job roles. Wages for employees can be added through a dropdown selection of employee names. This management system enhances operational efficiency for zoo administrators, providing a clear overview and control over the zoo's resources.