Zoos and the Modern World



                                                       Connections to the Real World




The habitats and care systems in the Pondicherry zoo are very similar to real world zoos like the Toronto zoo, the Cincinnati zoo and the London zoo. Most of these zoos have very similar enclosures to each other and Pondicherry. For tigers the most habitats are enclosed by fences with a moat and the tigers living on an island within. The tigers in the novel are fed various meats including goat, the same to real tigers.


Sad Goat

Tigers are solitary animals naturally and only come together once a year to mate. Being with Pi on a small life boat should have agitated Richard Parker greatly but because he was a zoo tiger he became more comfortable with human interaction. This occurs with tigers in real zoos as well. If the habitat is to their needs they become more comfortable with human interaction which is a factor of Pi's survival at sea and a good zoo.
The Pondicherry zoo like the Toronto zoo was popular and a big zoo with many animals to care for. (5000+ animals in the Toronto zoo) Both zoos have multiple areas and many animals. They are set up very similarly as well with the animals divided into sections due to climate and natural habitat.


Map of Toronto zoo

Both the Pondicherry and Toronto zoo care for their animals deeply. The Pondicherry zoo was a family owned zoo and each zoo animal was like a friend or family member to Pi. This is not so with the Toronto zoo it is a zoo on a different scale with 242 permanent employees. The Toronto zoo is not family owned but the still animals receive similar care.


Unlike most modern zoos Pondicherry did not offer any extra programs like interacting with the animals, work shops, camps, animal shows, volunteer opportunities anything of that sort. It was a strictly come to see and enjoy the animals and leave. whereas modern zoos offer a wide variety of opportunities to be with the animals and interact. http://www.sandiegozoo.org/zoo/special/tours. This is a link to a few extra opportunities that the San Diego zoo offers.

A zoo that offers many animal interactions a little closer to home is Little Rays Reptiles.
This zoo offers feeding shows http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Lhx4v2Q4NU
If you have not been to little rays here is a quick tour and view of some of their animals http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMCmwzothy0
Little Ray's is mostly indoors and performs many educational shows.