Open AccessThe intertwined history of non-human primate health and human medicine at the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute
Author(s) -
Carme Gallego,
Stephanie L. Canington,
Andrea R. Eller,
Elizabeth S. Herrelko,
Sabrina B. Sholts
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
notes and records of the royal society of london/notes and records of the royal society of london
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.19
H-Index - 18
eISSN - 1743-0178
pISSN - 0035-9149
DOI - 10.1098/rsnr.2021.0009
Subject(s) - context (archaeology) , headline , animal welfare , health care , human medicine , environmental ethics , history , political science , medicine , ecology , biology , archaeology , law , philosophy , linguistics , traditional medicine
In April 2020, the Bronx Zoo made a headline-grabbing announcement: one of their tigers tested positive for COVID-19, a striking example of zoos as microcosms of human health and medicine. Indeed, many diseases and health problems experienced by zoo animals are found in, and frequently linked to, humans. Furthermore, the veterinary care they receive often incorporates knowledge, tools and treatments used in human health care. Here, we analyse these developments across the history of non-human primate health at the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZP), one of the oldest zoos in the United States. From NZP's opening in 1891, we distinguish five historical time periods within its first century based on how animal health was described, treated and understood. Concentrating on descriptions of primates in annual Smithsonian reports, we see notable changes in NZP activities focused on housing and environment (1889–1900), disease diagnosis and prevention (1901–1916), human–animal connections (1917–1940), research and collaboration (1941–1973) and conservation (1974–1989). We relate these shifts to concurrent medical events and trends in the United States, and interpret NZP's history in a broader scientific and societal context leading to a ‘One Health’ approach to animal care and welfare today.