Captive Ambassadors challenges the notion of zoo animals as "ambassadors" for their species, revealing the exploitative marketing tactics behind their individualized narratives. Drawing on cognitive and behavioral ethology, transspecies psychology, and critical anthropomorphism, this multidisciplinary work exposes how zoos fabricate biographies to mask the harsh reality of animals lived experiences in captivity. It critiques the disruptions of animal culture caused by captive breeding programs and the tragic fate of surplus animals deemed no longer useful. Advocating for authentic animal biographies and ethical engagement, this book argues for a shift in human-animal relations that honors animals as unique individuals with intrinsic value, transcending the confines of their captive roles.
List of Figures
Introduction
1 The Zoo-Industrial Complex
1 What is a Zoo?
2 Zoo Animal Biographies
3 Individualization, Pseudo-Individualization, and Instrumental
Individualization
4 Zoo Animal Ambassadors
2 Anthropomorphism and Animal Ambassadors
1 What is Anthropomorphism?
2 Critical Anthropomorphism
3 Strategic Anthropomorphism and Marketing Animal Individuals
4 Animal Cultures and Animal Names
5 Anthropomorphism in the Gift Shop
6 Captive Painters and Musicians
7 From Enrichment to Entertainment
8 Captive Performers
9 When Anthropomorphism Goes Wrong
3 Educational Animal Ambassadors
1 Educational Ambassadors
2 What Lessons do Animal Ambassador Experiences Teach?
3 The Invasive Human Gaze
4 Impacts of Educational Ambassador Programs on the Animals
4.1 Impact of Physical Proximity to Other Animals
4.2 Impact of Physical Proximity to Human Visitors
5 Virtual Invasiveness
6 Sensory Pollution
7 Aquatic Ambassadors on Display
4 Iconic Conservation Ambassadors and Genetic Conservation Ambassadors
1 Iconic Conservation Ambassadors
2 Genetic Conservation Ambassadors
3 Reintroduction to the Wild from Captive Breeding
Programs
4 Reproductive Servitude
5 Translocation and Dislocation
6 Zoo Biographies of Conservation Ambassadors
7 The Disruption of Animal Cultures
8 Iconic Infant Animal Ambassadors
9 Passive Domestication and Behavioral Incompetence
10 Sacrificial Ambassadors
5 Surplus Animals
1 When Does an Animal Become a Surplus Animal?
2 Managed Euthanasia or Zoothanasia?
3 Animal Transfer
4 What Animal Transfer Means for Animals
5 From the Zoo to a Career in Entertainment
6 Zoos and the Exotic Pet Trade
7 From Ambassador to Target
8 Sanctuary
9 The Ethics of Animal Sanctuaries
10 Sanctuary Animal Biographies
11 Transformed Lives
12 Biographical Depth
13 Beyond Pseudo-Individualization
Conclusion
Bibliography
Animal Biographies Appendix
Index
Eve DVincent, Ph.D. (2022), is a psychotherapist and independent scholar whose research spans from the Amazonian rainforest to the remote wilderness of Southeast Alaska. Her scholarly contributions have been featured in Scholastic Magazine and Rocky Mountain Books.
