Zoos have a lot of potential in garnering awareness of conservation issues and educating the public on such issues, which can influence visitors to play a more active role in environmental protection.
Zoos allow visitors to come into contact with animals they will otherwise not see on a daily basis, and also to learn more about animals they favour. When this contact is established, visitors’ attentions are focused on the zoo experience, and this provides an opportunity for them to be educated on the significance of the part they can play in conservation efforts, not just regarding wildlife conservation but also including environmental sustenance with the little everyday things they can do (Falk & Dierking, 2000; Tunnicliffe, 1995, 1996). All this can be done via informal talk sessions and during guided tours in the zoos.
A more formal education can also be provided by zoos on many aspects, including, but not limited to, zoological classes, general elementary level education, and more specialised zoological science lectures (Patrick & Tunnicliffe, 2013). This sort of formal education can reinforce the students’ pre-existing general knowledge about animals and conservation issues, and bolster their efforts to apply what they have learnt into everyday practice. For example, animal care can be taught, both in theory and practice, to students to strengthen positive attitudes towards animals and in turn influence them to be more active in protecting the existence of animals in any way that they can (Patrick & Tunnicliffe, 2013).
Visits to the zoo can also inculcate positive values in people from young, with repeated visits reinforcing such values and leaving them salient in the individual’s mind. Research has shown that children make up a large demographic of zoo visitors at 35% of all zoo visitors (Cain & Meritt, 2007; Clayton, Fraser, & Saunders, 2009; Turley,2001; Wineman, Piper, & Maple, 1996). Adults who accompany children can also learn alongside their younger counterparts, and conservation efforts on both the adult and child’s part can serve as interaction time for both parties.
How effective can zoos be in providing education and strengthening positive mindsets towards animals in children? In a study by Jensen (2014), 2839 pupils of ages 7 to 15 were surveyed before and after a trip to the London Zoo, where 1742 students were accompanied by educational officers and 1097 were not. Jensen’s results showed that 38% of these pupils (1075) displayed more knowledge of an animal and its habitat after the zoo trip, with a higher percentage for those accompanied by the officers than those whose tours were unguided (Jensen, 2014). While this is merely one study based on data from just one place, it implies that zoos can indeed make a difference in educating people, especially students, on the importance of conservation and wildlife protection.