The zoo is in many respects a place of remembrance. In zoos, one is reminded of one's own childhood, outstanding human and animal figures, various human cultures past and present, the genetic heritage of natural evolution and the origins of humans. Zoo animals, therefore, cannot be readily associated with wildlife in its natural setting alone. Indeed, zoos are not only about animals, as they purport to be; they are also metaphorical places and about memory. Memories are always socially conditioned and never innocent; the same holds for zoos. I ask whether zoos without colonialist and imperialist undertones are even conceivable today and if human communities could be involved in zoo management to a larger extent.