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Zootopia: Utopia and Dystopia in the Zoological Garden

2012; RELX Group (Netherlands); Linguagem: Inglês

1556-5068

Irus Braverman,

Geographies of human-animal interactions

In this essay I coin the term 'zootopia' to express the utopian and the dystopian impulses at work at the zoo and to allude to their tightly intertwined nature. The essay's first section explores zootopia as a paradise, a place where people live in harmony with a romanticized nature. Simultaneously, zootopia is also a rational project that involves careful planning and detailed control over both animals and their habitat. Finally, the zoo is a theme park: a garden for human entertainment and consumption. In order to survive, the zoo must sell tickets, animal figurines and sponsorships, crackers for feeding the elephants, giraffe art, and the like. Ultimately, the zoo's presentation of nature is utopian, in the sense that it confirms current ideals and makes room for hope about nature's future. However, the awe and amusement that this visitor experiences at the utopian zoo are often overlaid with the fear and guilt implied by the dystopian message that is also present in this space.