Most people seem to agree that the first public zoo was created by Queen Hatshepsut, a zoo that people today would define as a zoo. Not a lot of data (at least not that I can find) exists to tell us what sort of animals Hatshepsut kept in her zoo. Some of the animals that we do know were imported include rhinos, cattle, giraffes, leopards, monkeys, and hounds. Presumably, some of the other animals that we mentioned before made it into the zoo, as well.
What other animals could have made it into the zoo? A lot of this is speculation on my part, but based on the animals of the surrounding area, here are some animals that I think likely made it into these zoos:
- Dromedary camels
- Jackals
- Hyenas
- Crocodiles
- Cheetahs
- Lions
- Jungle cats
There are many reports of other important Ancient Egyptians possessing captive lions, and it seems like captive lions would be a pretty impressive display of one's power. I find it very likely that both cheetahs and jungle cats were members of the zoos, as well, as cheetahs (generally fairly docile around humans, especially compared to other large African cats like lions and leopards) have been domesticated a number of times throughout history. These domestic cheetahs were used by many people, including Akbar the Great of India (who was thought to have around 9,000 cheetahs: not to be confused with Admiral Ackbar), for hunting, both for sport and for sustenance. Jungle cats, too are reported to have been domesticated by the Ancient Egyptians in order to hunt water birds. Mummified remains of the jungle cat are sometimes found in ancient tombs, put there by the burial people. (I don't actually know if they have a special name or something).
This was the birthday post of Grace Albers! Happy birthday, Grace! If you have a birthday coming up, just email me the date at cuyvaldar123946@gmail.com with the date and your favorite animals, and I will do my best to get a post in! And if you like what you are reading, please feel free to follow us here or via Facebook!
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