Abstract
Ed Maruska is director of the Cincinnati Zoo. an institution perhaps best known to uviculturists as the home. earlier this century. of the last known Ii ving specimens of both the Carolina Parakeet and the Passenger Pigeon. A shrine at the zoo memorializes their passing and poses painful environmental questions for the hundreds of thousands of persons who visit there each year.
Maruska is also president of the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums (AAZPA). a 215-memberorganization concerned with many of the same issues wrestled with by the AFA. In a \ isi: to the Cincinnati Zoo. the Watchbird asked Maruska about zoos and aviculturist\ and their common interests.
WATCHBIRD: What is the relationship between zoos and private breeders'?
MARUSKA: I think many private fanciers are members of the AAZPA. and thats the only formal relationship at this time. At the Cincinnati Zoo. were also members of many private avicultural (groups) and subscribe to many private ornithological magazines... There ·s a serious problem with birds. as with other animals. being sold through the pet trade and decimating wild populations. We certainly don ·r approve of the exploitation of w i Id fauna for the pet industry.
On the other hand. I" m a fi rrn be! iev er in serious hobbyists ... We do recognize the serious hobbyist and the contributions he makes. (Consider for example) the various stocks of ducks and pheasants. of which there are good captive populations. yet the wild populations are dwindling. We have a great deal to learn from the private aviculturist. because he has more time to devote to his particular interests.
W ATCHBIRD: What is the zoo ·s main function with the birds it has and the space it allocates them?
MARUSKA: Thar's a difficult question. answered differently by each zoo. But most zoos operate in four areas. First. recreation: zoos and aquariums are the urban citizen's only chance to come into contact with wildlife and enjoy it. and we should never underestimate that. Second. education: we have a large and receptive audience. since zoos and aquariums and private exhibits attracted better than half the population of the country last year. Third. conservation: we can be a great force in encouraging better conservation laws. by preaching conservation and by teaching environmental literacy. The fourth area is research: it. too. varies from park to park Here. it takes a small role. because of funding (founded in 1875. the Cincinnati Zoo was bought by the City of Cincinnati in 1932. but receives no tax monies for its operation). But we have a number of research projects going on here. which basically deal v. ith husbandry.
Our bird department has been neglected. but l think now we've got a good. energetic crew in there. and you can see the improvements already. We're breeding birds on a small scale that we never had bred before. Rothschild's Mynahs are probably our higgest success with birds so far. Our strength is rnamrnals-vwe · ve got the greatest primate breeding program in the country. and we've bred more species of cats than any other LOO in the world. ( Because of its birth records. Ne11·s11·ee/.:. Magazine called it "the sexiest zoo in the nation.··)
WATCHBIRD: Few private individuals keep primates or exotic cats. but thousands of them are keeping and breeding various types of birds. Does that create a dilemma for LOO bird houses. and if so. how do you cope with it?
MARUSKA: We're an old LOO. so we opt for diversity. We have an insect house, a nocturnal animal house. I'd like us to have a diverse collection of birds.
WATCHBIRD: Hov., has legislation affected your bird collection?
MARUSKA: It obviously has put restraints on the numbers and kinds we can exhibit. lts made it much more costly. But l think we're making progress in legislation. even regarding endangered species.