Taxonomic vs. zone division in zoological departments
(Don't know if this is the best flair?)
One of the most interesting aspects to me about the field is how animal care departments are divided at institutions. At pretty much every institution I've seen, there will be a primary method of department division that either leans towards taxonomic organization (birds, herps, antelope/hoofstock, etc.) or zone/geographic organization (africa, rainforest, aquatics, etc.). I was curious to discuss peoples opinions on each, and how each can be improved to create more interdisciplinary zoo environments and communities.
Of course, like everything in the field, there are benefits and drawbacks to each. One huge benefit of taxonomic organization is that the understanding of care techniques for one species are more easily transferrable to other species you're working with. A tube-feeding method for a macaw is more easily translated to that of another bird species rather than that of a monkey or other non-related rainforest species for example. This creates a workspace where expertise in one species can pay off if you are having to move around a lot within your department to work with all sorts of other species that are closely related to the most common species you work with. However, one of the downsides may be that staff may be more underprepared for scenarios where they'll have to work with species of other taxa - I'm thinking situations like understaffing and habitat infiltration from non-taxa species. This is especially true for smaller zoos where staff may be more codependent on each other from multiple different departments where a more "all-hands-on-deck" scenario may require more knowledge than just one specific taxa.
The benefits of zone/geographic organizations seem to come most from a humanitarian perspective; the close proximity of daily duties makes emergency reaction much quicker, allows for opportunities to be educated on a wider plethora of taxa, and can create a more well-rounded understanding of care requirements for a wide variety of species that can be beneficial for advancing the future careers of keepers. Knowledge from one species to the next might not be as transferrable but it is certainly something that can be built on for the wider array of species worked with if one retains enough information delivered. Additionally, for those who are early into setting up their careers like myself, getting to work closely with species of multiple taxa can provide a solid perspective on what species young in-the-making keepers want to work with and inform them on how to care for a wide range of species when the time comes.
Anyway, just thought this was an interesting topic. My zoo does primarily taxonomic division and I have worked almost entirely with birds, but I am considering expanding my taxonomic experience to other species before I graduate school so I just wanted to spark up some discussion and see what other people have to say!