<figure class="fr-image-container fr-full"><img srcset="https://cdn.discovermagazine.com/assets/image/29058/giraffes425-s.webp 480w, https://cdn.discovermagazine.com/assets/image/29058/giraffes425-m.webp 660w" sizes="(max-width: 480px) 480px, 660px" src="https://cdn.discovermagazine.com/assets/image/29058/giraffes425-s.jpg" title="giraffes425.jpg" loading="lazy" data-id="29058"><figcaption class="fr-figcaption"><p class="fr-caption"></p></figcaption></figure><p>It's a tough life being stuck in the zoo, especially for those looking for love. Animals might have one or two members of the opposite sex to choose from, maybe more if they're lucky. But in this Internet age, when a Capricorn from Seattle and a Libra from South Carolina can connect on via a Web dating service, <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/09/09/animal.matchmaking.ap/index.html?eref=rss_tech" title="">why shouldn't animals have their own site</a>? Zoos had shared information about their animals before, trying to match them up the best way possible, but now the <a href="http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/discoblog/wp-admin/Zoological%20Information%20Management%20System" title="">Zoological Information Management Systems</a> has taken the process into the 21st century. The approximately 150 participating aquariums and zoos can not only see the size and weight of the eligible critters, but also read about their temperament. The electron version of the "<a href="http://www.studbooks.org/" title="">studbooks</a>," as they're called, should help zookeepers make sure that their animals don't interbreed too much, which can happen fast in captivity. With the speed of the Web now at work, Internet dating for animals might help keep species from becoming endangered or going extinct because of bad breeding. With <a href="/planet-earth/how-often-do-animals-get-stds" title="">all those animal STDs</a> going around, though, we should make sure everyone uses protection. </p><div class="vert-display-toggle collapsible relative flex flex-col items-center "><div class="vert-unit mt-4 mb-3 top-20"><div ad-type="mobile-desktop" class="ad-wrapper vert min-h-boombox flex items-start justify-center" data-ad-mapping="inline" data-ad-slot="Discover/inline-ad" id="div-inline-ad-0"></div></div><span aria-label="Advertisement" class="text-ad mt-1 text-[11px] uppercase">Advertisement</span></div><p><em>Image: flickr/</em><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/dropbear_au/" title="">Tanya Dropbear</a></p>

Explore Internet dating for animals! Discover how zoos use technology to improve animal matchmaking and protect endangered species.

Planet Earth

Internet Dating a New Option for Zoo Animals

Article

News

Andrew Moseman

Science

It's a tough life being stuck in the zoo, especially for those looking for love. Animals might have one or two members of the opposite sex to choose from, maybe more if they're lucky. But in this Internet age, when a Capricorn from Seattle and a Libra from South Carolina can connect on via a Web dating service, why shouldn't animals have their own site? Zoos had shared information about their animals before, trying to match them up the best way possible, but now the Zoological Information Management Systems has taken the process into the 21st century. The approximately 150 participating aquariums and zoos can not only see the size and weight of the eligible critters, but also read about their temperament. The electron version of the "studbooks," as they're called, should help zookeepers make sure that their animals don't interbreed too much, which can happen fast in captivity. With the speed of the Web now at work, Internet dating for animals might help keep species from becoming endangered or going extinct because of bad breeding. With all those animal STDs going around, though, we should make sure everyone uses protection. Image: flickr/Tanya Dropbear

Discover Magazine’s award-winning journalism inspires and informs, delivering thought-provoking content that sparks meaningful conversations. With a focus on groundbreaking developments in science, technology, and the world around us, Discover highlights the impact of these innovations on our daily lives.

动物园动物的新选择：网络约会

新闻简报

安德鲁·莫斯曼

逃过灭绝的史前树木——银杏等至今仍繁茂生长

三种新发现的蟾蜍以奇异的进化方式产下活体幼崽

弓头鲸可活到200岁，其DNA可能蕴含长寿的秘密

切尔诺贝利的狗神秘变蓝，但辐射并非罪魁祸首

深海发现食肉死亡球海绵及其他新物种

这些吸血鬼鹿拥有三英寸长的獠牙而非鹿角来抵御对手

在寻找“耐力号”沉船时，意外发现了一个隐藏的鱼类社区

吸血蜘蛛痴迷于人类血液，通过扑向蚊子来饱餐一顿

最稀有的海洋动物及其他6种神秘潜伏在深海的难以捉摸的生物

冰岛首次发现蚊子，可能与气候变化有关

这些蝙蝠在紫外光下会发出绿光，但原因仍然是个谜

不再是“料理鼠王”——芝加哥鼠洞实则被一只松鼠压扁

蝠鲼潜入近4000英尺深的海洋——不是为了觅食，而是为了寻找方向

鲸鱼和海豚为何会搁浅，痴呆症是罪魁祸首吗？

狗如何看世界？它们确实能看到颜色，但更关注我们

保持好奇

加入我们的列表

订阅杂志