The Peaceable Kingdom: A Year in the Life of America's Oldest Zoo

A riveting account of a year in the life of a zoo. Do we consider in our zoo visits the lives of the animals we gape at, or the caretakers who ensure their well being? This book will tell you all you want to know. For instance, did you know that polar bears, despite their depiction in holiday Coke commercials will kill for sport? Or, that elephants are quite aware of their physical superiority to man and will plot to kill a trainer they take a dislike to in a "squeeze play." The nature of these captive beasts is such that they can be profoundly disturbed by the changing of the seasons, or the unexpected backwards running of the zoo monorail. The author respectfully details the history of America's oldest zoo, acknowledges the controversy surrounding the continued captivity of animals for human amusement and rightfully details the role of those humans who are entrusted to their care. If you like a rousing tale written in a journalistic style, I implore you to give this one a shot. I picked this book up in a makeshift military library in Bosnia, read it in my bunk, and subsequently recommended it to several friends and family who loved it.

I grew up in Philadelphia, and have fond childhood memories of visiting "America's First Zoo," which is the subject of this book. Although some animal rights people are against zoos of any kind, the fact is, today's zoos do a great deal to help save endangered species through various breeding programs. In some cases, such as the Pere David deer from China, the zoos have literally rescued species from extinction (see p. 218). The author of this book does an excellent job of balancing biology with human interest stories, as he takes you behind the scenes and shares "animal gossip" about some of the zoo's most popular exhibits. "The Peaceable Kingdom" follows a year's worth of zoo activities through the four seasons, and is simply cram-packed with zoology, history, geography, and odd facts about animals. (Did you know that a male rhino has a two-foot long erection?) Absolutely a fascinating read!

a wonderful documentation of the harmony, and discord, between the animal kingdom and the modern world. A must read for animal lovers