Zoos, as we finaly decided to name them, have become geography objects as a result of our research. Behind this seemingly simple space hides a complex reality. Zoo have been described as a unique space in perpetual renewal. It is possible to find them all over the world. However, they are unevenly distributed over the earth surface. Thus, zoos are preferably located in areas of high population concentrations. Managers position zoos as spaces capable of playing a role in the conservation of animal species with the capacity to educate visitors to the threats to ecosystems. Zoos operate within a community that unites around common goals : conservation, education and research. At the same time, the zoo invites us to question the status of the animal and the place it is accorded in society. Our research was also an opportunity to try to measure the commitment of zoos in ex situ and in situ conservation and to highlight their participation in support programs for endangered species in nature on the one hand and to determine the place granted to animal exchanges between zoos on the other hand. A system has been created in part around the exchange of captive animals mainly from zoos. This research has made it possible to explore what is at play in zoos, to understand their functioning, to highlight the existence of a community orchestrated by the zoological associations that we have been able to identify, to measure the contribution of zoos to the conservation of animal species and the integration of zoos into networks. Moreover, the network allows the zoo to extricate itself from its local dimension by establishing links with other members of the community through the exchange of animals and the technical procedures that accompany them. By focusing more specifically on the zoos of Amiens, Fort-Mardyck, Lille, Maubeuge in the Hauts de France, the Ménagerie du Jardin des Plantes in Ile de France and Pairi Daiza in Belgium, we met animal keepers, veterinarians, collection managers, gardeners and visitors. The actors that ...