The guidelines presented in this section are intended to be guidelines only; while they are well-suited for the vast majority of zoo, aquarium, and aviary articles, there exist a number of peculiar cases where, for lack of a better solution, alternate approaches can been taken. Please discuss individual cases on the Project talk page when deviating from guidelines.
Article naming conventions edit
- Since the vast majority of zoo, aquarium, and aviary articles are about specific and unique places, simply use the zoo, aquarium, or aviary name as the article name. For example, Reid Park Zoo.
- If you must disambiguate, use Zoo name (zoo).
- See also: Naming conventions (places)
Article structure edit
The guidelines in this section are intended to serve as a starting point for writing a good article; they are not meant to enforce a single structure on all articles, nor to limit the topics an article will discuss. Remember to cite your sources!
Opening paragraph edit
The opening paragraph should concisely introduce the facility and provide a brief overview of the significant or notable facts about the facility including association membership(s), # of animals and/or species, and/or location of zoo. See WP:LEAD for more information on writing a good opening paragraph.
Article body edit
The article can be structured along these lines:
- History
- Areas and attractions
- Notable animals
- Sections on specific notable topics such as conservation, special exhibits, etc.
- Business details, including for-profit or non-profit status, fundraising efforts, etc.
- Notable staff and training programs
Remember to cite your sources per WP:CITE!
Categories edit
Articles should be placed in the most specific applicable categories, and should not be placed directly in a "parent" category if they are already present in one of its sub-categories. In other words, if an article is placed in Category:Zoos in England, there is no need to place it in Category:Zoos as well.
- Category:Zoos
- Root category for all zoos, aquaria, and aviaries.
- Category:Zoo associations
- Category:Marine parks
- Category:Oceanaria
- Category:Zoos by country
- Classifies zoos by country.
- Category:Aquariums
- Root category for aquaria.
- Category:Aviaries
- Root category for aviaries.
Stubs edit
There is only one stub template currently available for all zoo, aquaria, and aviary articles. Please use {{zoo-stub}} for any stub-class articles.