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The Value of Zoos for Science and Conservation
- 1. The Value of Zoos for Science and Conservation Courtney Dunn, M.S. Ph.D. Student, Quantitative Biology University of Texas at Arlington Dallas World Aquarium
- 2. Introduction Zoos have been a source of great controversy since their beginnings A transformation has occurred in recent years from menageries to vessels for conservation change But, how much do zoos actually contribute to conservation?
- 3. Noah’s Ark Existence Insurance populations to safeguard the future (Lees and Wilcken 2009)
- 4. “Taxonomically-Biased Collections” Some propose zoos have yet to unveil their full conservation potential (Fa et al. 2014) Claim zoos house species of lesser conservation priority, more charismatic Prioritized species often require huge conservation efforts in the wild with a small chance of success (Fa et al., 2014; Possingham et al., 2002).
- 5. 23%of zoo collections are currently devoted to threatened species, spread across several animal orders (International Species Information System)
- 6. Extinct in the Wild Conde et al. (2011)
- 8. Reintroduction Programs A combination of captive breeding, reintroduction programs, and hunting restrictions have been the most effective conservation actions (Conde et al. 2013)
- 9. Success Stories Keirruf (2012)Morrison, et al. (2014) Grow, et al. (2015) Olson and Chestnut (2015) Lafferriere, et al. (2016)
- 10. Reintroduction Failures “The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.” - Henry Ford Introduced American Burying Beetles abandoned burrows, mainly bad release timing (FWS 2013) Captive born carnivores harder to release (Hedrick and Fredrickson 2003)
- 11. “Education is Conservation” Zoos promote a stronger connection to nature and prompt visitors to reconsider their role in environmental problems
- 12. 180,000,000People visit AZA-accredited zoological institutions each year to learn about wild animals, their habitats, their related conservation issues, and the ways in which they can contribute to their preservation (AZA 2016)
- 13. 51,000,00Of those yearly visitors are students, ranging from pre-K to the college level (AZA 2016)
- 14. 400,000Teachers trained with award-winning and proven science curricula (AZA 2016)
- 15. Connecting People with Nature Spending time in a zoo setting leads to an increase in implicit connectedness with nature (Bruni et al. 2008) Suggest that zoo experiences can promote an increase in connectedness with nature Effect occurs primarily at the implicit level and may not be apparent to visitors at the
- 16. Citizen Science Programs Example: FrogWatch Trained individuals listen for frogs and toads during evenings from February through August and submit these observations to a national online database (Steelman et al. 2010)
- 17. Magle (2016)
- 18. Assessing the Role of Zoos in Wildlife Conservation Zoo should work on transforming themselves from displays to interactive conservation centers. Work on bridging the gap between captive collections and free-range wildlife (Tribe and Booth 2006). Changing public perceptions of zoos requires institutions to act together rather than independently (Carr and Cohen 2015).
- 19. Questions?
Editor's Notes
- Zoos have the inherent problem of needing to house animals that are charismatic in nature in order to continue to pull visitors in. This biased way of thinking can often cause more harm than good as some of the most highly endangered groups of animals, such as the amphibians, are often not viewed as charismatic enough for the general public. Quite simply, unfamiliar species are less likely to sell to the public. As a result, zoos will focus more exhibit, education and conservation attention on a select number of species. An animal’s biological needs and the conservation projects for that animal are often balanced against a zoo’s financial imperatives.
- However, zoos may be the last resort for several species which have been completely eradicated in the wild.
- AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums play a vital role in educating over 180 million visitors, including 51 million students, each year, about wild animals, their habitats, their related conservation issues, and the ways in which they can contribute to their preservation. Over the past ten years, AZA-accredited institutions have also trained more than 400,000 teachers with award-winning and proven science curricula.