The Societal Value of the Modern Zoo: A Commentary on How Zoos Can Positively Impact on Human Populations Locally and Globally
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Conservation Aims and Society
3. Education Aims and Society
4. Research Aims and Society
5. Engaging Visitors and Societal Benefits
6. Society and the Future Zoo
7. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Value | Outcome | C. | E. | ER. | R. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Recall of conservation messaging by school students following exposure to an education campaign | Students demonstrate improvement in their understanding of biodiversity and actions to protect it after a prolonged time period [46] | x | x | ||
Measuring engagement with a conservation initiative through social media post visit | Encourage more visitors to champion pro-conservation behaviour change, e.g., use of sustainable palm oil [38] | x | x | ||
Changes in self-reported conservation intention (purchase of sustainable palm oil) using on-site campaigns and social media | Conservation intentions and use of sustainable palm oil products can be higher following engagement with presentation over time [38] | x | x | ||
Developing research skills during an in-zoo research internship | Skills in research design, science communication and data management improve, and overall scientific quality is enhanced [91] | x | x | ||
Testing and validating methods of on-site genetic analysis for species identification, using zoo animals | Conservation efforts are facilitated as the efficacy and real-world applications of the such methods for use in the field are confirmed [75] | x | x | ||
Positive and planetary friendly visitor behaviour change | Longitudinal evaluation of visitor responses to zoo behaviour change campaigns to identify meaningful outcomes [114] | x | x | x | x |
Green prescribing and associated benefits to human health and wellbeing | Evidence of long-term psychological benefits of being out in nature give new relevance to zoos in their communities [105] | x | x | x | |
Immersive, ecologically relevant exhibits | Assessing educational benefits of immersive, naturalistic zoo exhibits, (and their future development) to provide maximum impact on visitors [110] | x | x | x | |
Using ecologically-sound enrichment and species-relevant husbandry regimes | Assessing educational benefits of enrichment (and what it looks like in an enclosure) can define public responses to the zoo and its animals, and therefore improve how zoo animals convey important messages or stories [125] | x | x | x | |
Accessible and equitable conservation education | Assessing the current demographic reach of conservation education programmes and evaluating these initiatives accordingly improves them to enable widest engagement [53] | x | x |
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Greenwell, P.J.; Riley, L.M.; Lemos de Figueiredo, R.; Brereton, J.E.; Mooney, A.; Rose, P.E. The Societal Value of the Modern Zoo: A Commentary on How Zoos Can Positively Impact on Human Populations Locally and Globally. J. Zool. Bot. Gard. 2023, 4, 53-69. https://doi.org/10.3390/jzbg4010006
Greenwell PJ, Riley LM, Lemos de Figueiredo R, Brereton JE, Mooney A, Rose PE. The Societal Value of the Modern Zoo: A Commentary on How Zoos Can Positively Impact on Human Populations Locally and Globally. Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens. 2023; 4(1):53-69. https://doi.org/10.3390/jzbg4010006
Chicago/Turabian StyleGreenwell, Phillip J., Lisa M. Riley, Ricardo Lemos de Figueiredo, James E. Brereton, Andrew Mooney, and Paul E. Rose. 2023. "The Societal Value of the Modern Zoo: A Commentary on How Zoos Can Positively Impact on Human Populations Locally and Globally" Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens 4, no. 1: 53-69. https://doi.org/10.3390/jzbg4010006