The Mighty Jungle
The Mighty Jungle, #16
Reeks: The Mighty Jungle
Paul A. Lynch
- WHAT
- IS
- A
- ZOOThe
- Definition
- and
- Purpose
- of
- Zoos:
- Examining
- Their
- Role
- in
- Conservation,
- Education,
- and
- Animal
- Welfare.Modern
- zoos
- have
- multiple
- goals,
- including
- animal
- welfare,
- conservation,
- education,
- research,
- and
- entertainment.To
- evaluate
- the
- effectiveness
- of
- zoos
- in
- achieving
- these
- goals,
- it
- is
- important
- to
- study
- the
- effects
- of
- animal-visitor
- interactions.Research
- has
- shown
- that
- interventions
- based
- on
- exhibit
- design,
- species
- characteristics,
- and
- visitor
- education
- can
- increase
- positive
- animal-visitor
- interactions
- and
- facilitate
- the
- multiple
- goals
- of
- modern
- zoos.
- However,
- these
- goals
- can
- sometimes
- conflict
- with
- each
- other.
- Visitors
- often
- want
- to
- observe
- and
- interact
- with
- animals
- in
- close
- proximity,
- which
- can
- induce
- stress
- for
- many
- species.
- Despite
- this,
- repeat
- visitors
- are
- more
- inclined
- to
- seek
- out
- conservation
- efforts
- compared
- to
- those
- visiting
- zoos
- for
- the
- first
- time.
- Visitors
- have
- more
- positive
- perceptions
- and
- behaviors
- towards
- zoos,
- their
- animals,
- and
- conservation
- initiatives
- when
- they
- interact
- with
- animals,
- naturalistic
- exhibits,
- and
- zoo
- programming/staff.
- Zoo
- visitors
- are
- receptive
- to
- conservation
- messaging
- and
- initiatives
- at
- zoos
- and
- are
- more
- likely
- to
- participate
- in
- on-site
- conservation
- opportunities
- as
- opposed
- to
- after
- their
- visits.
- The
- good
- purposes
- of
- zoos
- include
- conservation,
- science,
- education,
- and
- recreation.
- However,
- zoos
- can
- only
- be
- ethically
- justified
- if
- they
- guarantee
- the
- welfare
- of
- their
- animals,
- with
- dignity
- having
- the
- overriding
- part
- in
- analyzing
- zoo
- animal
- welfare
- and
- interests
- because
- it
- impacts
- both
- animal
- and
- human
- interests.
- Zoos
- aim
- to
- display
- animals
- engaging
- in
- natural
- behaviors
- to
- attract
- visitors
- and
- educate
- them.
- To
- achieve
- this,
- zoos
- face
- a
- complicated
- conflict
- between
- entertainment
- and
- welfare
- when
- it
- comes
- to
- animal-visitor
- interactions.
- While
- preventing
- visitors
- from
- interacting
- with
- animals
- can
- lead
- to
- a
- decrease
- in
- attendance
- and
- financial
- support,
- noisy
- and
- active
- crowds
- of
- visitors
- can
- cause
- stress
- for
- many
- species,
- including
- primates,
- which
- can
- affect
- both
- their
- welfare
- and
- visitor
- enjoyment.
- Therefore,
- it
- is
- crucial
- for
- zoos
- to
- measure
- the
- impact
- of
- their
- education
- and
- conservation
- initiatives
- to
- indicate
- how
- these
- organizations
- are
- fulfilling
- their
- missions.
- Zoos
- are
- shifting
- their
- strategic
- focus
- from
- recreation
- and
- entertainment
- to
- visitor
- conservation
- education,
- with
- organizational
- expectations
- for
- emotional
- display
- directing
- the
- delivery
- of
- conservation-based
- visitor outcomes.
pro-mbooks3 : libris
