The presence of zoos is a debatable topic for some. Are zoos good or are they bad? For most people a zoo is the only place where they will see the majority of animals presented (Anderson, 1995; Pitsko, 2003). They are also able to learn about the regions and habitat these animals call home in the wild (Anderson, 1995; Pitsko, 2003). Not everyone will be able to visit Africa to see a leopard, India to see a tiger, or northern Canada to see a polar bear. Not all zoos are created the same. Some are ‘backyard zoos’ or extremely run down with little funding, while others are state of art with each animal having a beautiful habitat full of enrichment items.
Humans have made an impact on every living species around the world and now we have species that are near threatened, vulnerable, endangered, and critically endangered. Sometimes zoos are the only hope these species have to survive and to not get labeled as extinct. Although there are people who are against zoos and keeping animals in captivity, it's important to remember that "animals are in captivity for education, conservation, research, and recreation” (Pitsko, 2003).
A study was conducted involving 136 zoos which determined that a significant number of zoo and aquarium visitors increased their understanding of biodiversity and their knowledge of actions they can partake in to help protect biodiversity (Moss et al., 2015). Parents often take their children to visit zoos to learn about animal identification, extinction, conservation, and animal habitats (Pitsko, 2003).
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) holds their zoos and aquariums to the highest standards in animal care and welfare while providing a fun, safe and educational family experience while focusing on conservation, education, science and recreation (AZA About Us, 2020). The AZA created the Species Survival Plan (SSP) program that is a cooperative animal management, breeding and conservation efforts that focus on ensuring a genetically diverse and self-sustaining populations of over 500 species (AZA About Us, 2020). The SSPs include a breeding and transfer plan that focuses on the current demographic and genetic status of the population (AZA SSP Programs, 2020). The SSP ensures that a healthy, genetically diverse and demographically stable population is available for long-term use (AZA SSP Programs, 2020). SSPs are similar to an animal online dating site to create the best offspring to help the species survive. Zoos want animals in the wild, however it must be a safe place for these animals to be reintroduced to with a healthy prey population.
The AZA has reintroduced several animal species back into their natural habitats. One reintroduction the AZA has been apart is the black-footed ferrets, when in 1987 there were only 18 left in the world (AZA Reintroduction, 2020). Since their reintroduction to their historic range in 1991 thousands are now in the wild (AZA Reintroduction, 2020). Other reintroduction success stories are the California condor, Ohio river basin freshwater mussels, golden lion tamarin, karner blue butterfly, Oregon spotted frog, palila, red wolf, and the Wyoming toad (AZA Reintroduction, 2020). You can visit the AZA website and read more about their Reintroduction Programs.
San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park, both members of the AZA, have been involved in a few conservation success stories. One of the most famous success stories is the California condor, when in the 1980’s there were only 22 left in the world (SDZ ICR CA condor, 2020). With the help of several organizations there are now over 500 California condors, with over 300 flying in the wild (SDZ CA Condor, 2020; USDI CA Condor Recovery Program, 2019). This story shows that zoos can take in a wild animal, help their population and release animals into the wild, even if they have never been in the wild before, and survive. Another conservation success story from the San Diego Zoo is Diego the giant tortoise. Diego was from the Galapagos and it was determined his genetics could greatly impact the dwindling population on the island of Espanola (Bell, 2020). There were only three males left in the world, including Diego (Bell, 2020). Diego left the San Diego Zoo and went to Espanola where he was able to mate with the females, and showed the other two males what to do (Bell, 2020). Because of Diego there are now over 2,000 Galapagos tortoises, with Diego fathering 800 to 1,000 of them (Bell, 2020). Diego now lives in the wild on Espanola (Bell, 2020). Diego’s story is a success of increasing the species population and of having an animal live in a zoo being released into the wild and surviving.
In an earlier blog we mentioned the Florida panther and how their population declined so much they needed panthers brought over from Texas to help grow the population. Their population increase has been considered a conservation success story, although there is still work to be done. The Lowry Park Zoo, also known as Zoo Tampa, and Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens are both partners in the research and projects aspect of saving the Florida panther (USFWS Florida Panther, 2020).
Conservation campaigns can be successful when using charismatic species in the marketing campaign (Macdonald et al., 2015). Coca-Cola used a polar bear, Puma athletic company uses a puma, the Jaguar car uses a jaguar, Frosted Flakes uses a tiger and MGM used a lion resulting in these companies using these powerful animals knowing they will get a response and reaction out of people. People's attitudes towards certain species are heavily influenced by context and familiarity (Macdonald et al., 2015). When people visit the zoo they are more likely to visit the felines, like lions and tigers (Macdonald et al., 2015).
There are some zoos that are not beneficial to conservation efforts, but there are others that create amazing conservation efforts. These conservation efforts help the animals in the wild while allowing the animals in the zoo to be spokes-animals for their wild kin while also allowing people to feel connected and experience seeing animals that they may not otherwise see in their lifetime in person. Make sure you support zoos that support conservation efforts, take care of the animals, provide enrichment items and focus on education, research and conservation.
Literature Cited
Anderson, K. (1995). Culture and nature at the Adelaide Zoo: At the frontiers of ‘human’ geography. Royal Geographical Society, 20, 275-294.
Association of Zoos and Aquariums. (2020). About us. https://www.aza.org/about-us
Association of Zoos and Aquariums. (2020). Reintroduction programs.
Association of Zoos and Aquariums. (2020). Species survival plan programs.
Bell, D. (2020, January 13). Amorous giant tortoise from San Diego is saving his species from extinction. The San Diego Union-Tribune.
Macdonald, E. A., Burnham, D., Hinks, A. E., Dickman, A. J., Malhi, Y., & Macdonald, D. W.
(2015). Conservation inequality and the charismatic cat: Felis felicis. Global Ecology and Conservation, 3, 851-866.
Moss, A., Jensen, E., & Gusset, M. (2015). Evaluating the contribution of zoos and aquariums to aichi biodiversity target 1. Conservation Biology, 29 (2), 537-544. 10.1111/cobi.12383
Pitsko, L. E. (2003, April 25). Wild tigers in captivity: A study of the effects of the captive
environment on tiger behavior. https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/bitstream/
San Diego Zoo. (2020). Animals & plants: California condor.
San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research. (2020). California condor.
TED x Talks. (2014, October 16). Why we need zoos: Gabriela Mastromonaco: TEDx Toronto [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGBzwnTW-O4
United States Department of the Interior. (2019). California condor recovery program.
United States Fish and Wildlife Service. (2020, July 28). Florida panther: Puma concolor coryi. https://www.fws.gov/southeast/wildlife/mammals/florida-panther/
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