The Aztec emperor Montezuma II, in what is today Mexico, maintained one of the earliest animal collections in the Western Hemisphere. Zoos also existed in later civilizations, including China, Greece, and Rome. There is evidence that ancient zoo owners hired animal handlers to make sure their animals thrived and reproduced. They left records of expeditions to distant places to bring back exotic animals such as giraffes, elephants, bears, dolphins, and birds. Wall carvings found in Egypt and Mesopotamia are evidence that rulers and aristocrats created menageries as early as 2500 BCE. These private collections were called menageries. The first zoos were created as private collections by the wealthy to show their power. Though people have kept wild animals for thousands of years, those collections have not always resembled modern zoos. The word “zoo” is short for “ zoological park.” Zoos contain wide varieties of animals that are native to all parts of the Earth. A zoo is a place where animals live in captivity and are put on display for people to view.
