ABSTRACT
Destruction of the ancient Aztec and Inca animal collections in the early 1500s (see Chapter 1 by Kisling on Ancient Collections) left a 350-year vacuum in Central and South America. Nor until 1888 was the Buenos Aires Zoo (Jardin Zoológico Municipal de Buenos Aires), according to recent censuses the oldest zoological garden in the region, founded, although its roots can be traced to 1874. Since 1888 only a few zoos have been listed in published censuses. A review of the literature on the history of zoos gives one the mistaken impression that zoological gardens are nonexistent, or at least very few in number, in South America. Outside of South America, published information on these facilities is not readily available; however, the
International Zoo Yearbook
census of zoos of the world lists more than 30 facilities in South American countries between the 1970s and 1990s. These facilities vary greatly in size, total attendance, and total specimens held.
