What messages do zoos aim to communicate to their visitors? It might be the basic biological information about the animals, their physical appearance, natural behaviour and adaptation to their wild habitat but at the heart of ‘zoo or conservation education’ is the message that everyone is responsible for the conservation of the natural world. This involves informing the visitor about the threatened status of some animal populations in the wild, why they are in decline and how captive breeding programmes in zoos can help as a part of the “World Conservation Strategy”.
In the right setting, a rare or common zoo animal can show the interactions and complex balances in nature, the role of evolution in bringing the animal to its current form but also the ease with which humans can disrupt these natural processes. In exploring possible solutions to extinction and habitat loss, we have to understand threats in the wild and link them with the attitudes of people in many parts of the world including ourselves. ‘Fair trade’ and sustainable development are two closely linked and important issues that impact on wildlife conservation and the environment.
Zoos can also highlight some very practical things in their everyday lives that the visitors themselves can do to help – sustainable living, ecotourism, volunteer programmes, recycling, habitat protection and adoption.
