Heini Hediger
Encyclopedia
Heini Hediger was a Swiss zoologist noted for work in proxemics
in animal behavior and is known as the "father of zoo biology". Hediger was formerly the director of Tierpark Dählhölzli
(1938-1943), Zoo Basel
(1944-1953) and Zürich Zoo (1954-1973).
, used when animals of different species meet, whereas others are personal distance and social distance
, observed during interactions between members of the same species. Hediger's biological social distance theories were used as a basis for Edward T. Hall
's 1966 anthropological social distance theories.
In the 1950s, psychologist Humphry Osmond
developed the concept of socio-architecture
hospital design, such as was used in the design of the Weyburn mental hospital
in 1951, based partly on Hediger’s species-habitat work.
s kept in human care and published this concept of a new, special branch of biology
, called “zoo biology”. The main statement is that animals in zoo
s are not to be considered as “captives” but as “owners of property”, namely the territory of their enclosures. They mark and defend this territory as they do in the natural environment and if the enclosures contain these elements which are of importance to them also in their natural environment, they have neither need nor desire to leave this property, but to the contrary, stay within it, even when they would have the opportunity to escape, or return to this “safe heaven”, should the by accident have gotten out. He consequently emphasized that the quality of the enclosures (“furnishing”, structure) is equally, or even more important than quantity (space, dimensions) and substantiated this with observations in the natural habitat. Among many other things he made clear that animals in the natural habitat do not need huge spaces, when all their needs could be satisfied within close range, that, in fact, animals do not move about for pleasure but to satisfy their needs. Zoo biology therefore implies that the life of animals in their natural surroundings must be studied in order to provide them with appropriate keeping conditions in human care. In animal husbandry, the aim of this concept — guided by the maxim “changing cages into territories” — was to meet the biological and ethological requirements of the exhibited animals. Hediger's publications had an enormous positive impact on the keeping of wild animals in human care in particular also in the construction of enclosures and the planning of zoos.
In the 1950s, Heini Hediger began promoting the concept of training zoo animals to elicit biologically suitable behavior and to afford the animal exercise and mental occupation. Further, he observed that in some cases training increased the opportunity for the zoo keeper
to give needed medical treatments to the animal. He also referred to zoo animal training
as “disciplined play”.
Prof. Heini Hediger already in the forties defined the four main tasks for zoos, which are until today:
In the 1960s, Heini Hediger defined the seven aspects of a zoological garden considering people, money, space, methods, administration, animals and research, in that order.
He reintroduced the new concept of zoo biology and dealt with such matters as food, causes of death, zoo architecture, the meaning of animal to man and man to animal, the exhibition value of animals, and the behavior of humans in zoos.
Proxemics
Proxemics is the study of measurable distances between people as they interact. The term was introduced by anthropologist Edward T. Hall in 1966...
in animal behavior and is known as the "father of zoo biology". Hediger was formerly the director of Tierpark Dählhölzli
Tierpark Dählhölzli
The Tierpark Dählhölzli is the public zoo of Bern, Switzerland.Opened in 1937 and operated by a private association, the Tierparkverein Bern, it is situated on the bank of the River Aare near the historical city center....
(1938-1943), Zoo Basel
Zoo Basel
Zoo Basel is a non-profit zoo located within the city of Basel, Switzerland. Its official name is Zoologischer Garten Basel — or in English: Basel Zoological Garden. Basel residents, however, call their zoo affectionately Zolli...
(1944-1953) and Zürich Zoo (1954-1973).
Psychology
Hediger described a number of standard interaction distances used in one form or another between animals. Two of these are flight distance and critical distanceCritical distance
Critical distance is, in audio physics, the distance at which the sound pressure level of the direct and the reverberant sound fields are equal when dealing with a directional source. In other words, the point in space where the combined amplitude of all the reflected echos are the same as the...
, used when animals of different species meet, whereas others are personal distance and social distance
Social distance
Social distance describes the distance between different groups of society and is opposed to locational distance. The notion includes all differences such as social class, race/ethnicity or sexuality, but also the fact that the different groups do not mix...
, observed during interactions between members of the same species. Hediger's biological social distance theories were used as a basis for Edward T. Hall
Edward T. Hall
Edward Twitchell Hall, Jr. was an American anthropologist and cross-cultural researcher. He is remembered for developing the concept of Proxemics, a description of how people behave and react in different types of culturally-defined personal space...
's 1966 anthropological social distance theories.
In the 1950s, psychologist Humphry Osmond
Humphry Osmond
Humphry Fortescue Osmond was a British psychiatrist known for inventing the word psychedelic and for using psychedelic drugs in medical research...
developed the concept of socio-architecture
Socio-architecture
Socio-architecture is a phrase coined by psychologist Humphry Osmond and Canadian architect Kyo Izumi as part of their research for the best architectural form for Osmond's Weyburn Mental Hospital in 1951....
hospital design, such as was used in the design of the Weyburn mental hospital
Souris Valley Mental Health Hospital
Souris Valley Mental Health Hospital also called the Souris Valley Extended Care Centre was a public hospital in Weyburn, Saskatchewan. Originally called the Weyburn Mental Hospital when opened in 1921, it was the largest building in The British Commonwealth and was considered on the cutting edge...
in 1951, based partly on Hediger’s species-habitat work.
Zoo biology
In 1942 the Swiss animal psychologist Heini Hediger made a revolutionary breakthrough. He developed the science of wild animalAnimal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
s kept in human care and published this concept of a new, special branch of biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
, called “zoo biology”. The main statement is that animals in zoo
Zoo
A zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....
s are not to be considered as “captives” but as “owners of property”, namely the territory of their enclosures. They mark and defend this territory as they do in the natural environment and if the enclosures contain these elements which are of importance to them also in their natural environment, they have neither need nor desire to leave this property, but to the contrary, stay within it, even when they would have the opportunity to escape, or return to this “safe heaven”, should the by accident have gotten out. He consequently emphasized that the quality of the enclosures (“furnishing”, structure) is equally, or even more important than quantity (space, dimensions) and substantiated this with observations in the natural habitat. Among many other things he made clear that animals in the natural habitat do not need huge spaces, when all their needs could be satisfied within close range, that, in fact, animals do not move about for pleasure but to satisfy their needs. Zoo biology therefore implies that the life of animals in their natural surroundings must be studied in order to provide them with appropriate keeping conditions in human care. In animal husbandry, the aim of this concept — guided by the maxim “changing cages into territories” — was to meet the biological and ethological requirements of the exhibited animals. Hediger's publications had an enormous positive impact on the keeping of wild animals in human care in particular also in the construction of enclosures and the planning of zoos.
In the 1950s, Heini Hediger began promoting the concept of training zoo animals to elicit biologically suitable behavior and to afford the animal exercise and mental occupation. Further, he observed that in some cases training increased the opportunity for the zoo keeper
Zookeeper
A zookeeper is a worker in a zoo, responsible for the feeding and daily care of the animals. As part of their routine, they clean the exhibits and report health problems...
to give needed medical treatments to the animal. He also referred to zoo animal training
Animal training
Animal training refers to teaching animals specific responses to specific conditions or stimuli. Training may be for the purpose of companionship, detection, protection, entertainment or all of the above....
as “disciplined play”.
Prof. Heini Hediger already in the forties defined the four main tasks for zoos, which are until today:
- Recreation
- Education
- Research
- Conservation
In the 1960s, Heini Hediger defined the seven aspects of a zoological garden considering people, money, space, methods, administration, animals and research, in that order.
He reintroduced the new concept of zoo biology and dealt with such matters as food, causes of death, zoo architecture, the meaning of animal to man and man to animal, the exhibition value of animals, and the behavior of humans in zoos.
Quotes
Hediger's works
- Hediger, Heini (1950). Wild Animals in Captivity. Butterworth, London.
- Hediger, Heini (1969). Man and Animal in the Zoo. Routledge & Kegan Paul, London.
Literature about him
- Sebeok, Thomas A.Thomas SebeokThomas Albert Sebeok was a polymathic American semiotician and linguist.- Life and work :...
2001. The Swiss Pioneer in Nonverbal Communication Studies: Heini Hediger (1908–1992). New York: Legas. - Turovski, AlekseiAleksei TurovskiAleksei Turovski is a Jewish Estonian zoologist and ethologist, specialising in parasitology and zoosemiotics. In 1973, he graduated from Tartu University with a degree in zoology; since 1972 he's been working in the Tallinn Zoo...
2000. The semiotics of animal freedom: A zoologist’s attempt to perceive the semiotic aim of H. Hediger. Sign Systems StudiesSign Systems StudiesSign Systems Studies is internationally the oldest semiotics periodical, initially published in Russian, since 1998 in English. The journal was established by Juri Lotman in 1964. Since 1998 edited by Peeter Torop, Mihhail Lotman and Kalevi Kull.It is published by the semiotics department of Tartu...
28: 380–387.
External links
- Graziano, Michael S.A. Cooke, Daylan, F. (2006). "Pariieto-frontal Interactions, Personal Space, and Defensive Behavior", Neuropsychologia 44, 845-59.
See also
- BiosemioticsBiosemioticsBiosemiotics is a growing field that studies the production, action and interpretation of signs in the biological realm...
- Bernhard GrzimekBernhard GrzimekBernhard Klemens Maria Grzimek was a renowned Silesian-German zoo director, zoologist, book author, editor, and animal conservationist in postwar West-Germany.-Early years:Grzimek was born in Neisse , Upper Silesia...