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Southeast Asian Zoos Association (SEAZA)

In an attempt to help promote awareness and conservation efforts, the Southeast Asian Zoos Association (SEAZA) was formed in the 1990s. Almost all of the nations residing in this region participated and joined the organization. However, up till 2010, SEAZA has shown to be less than reliable due to various reasons. Although it still remains member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA), SEAZA seem to have ceased function until recent years.

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Philosophical Beliefs

Regardless of its predicaments, SEAZA is the only regional organization which gathers all the zoos, and it seems like its beliefs have influenced majority of the zoos in Southeast Asia – the zoos have beliefs aligned with SEAZA.

“Aim to inspire people to value and conserve biodiversity by providing meaningful and memorable wildlife experiences” (Wildlife Reserves Singapore, 2017)

One of the philosophical beliefs of SEAZA included promoting captive breeding through research, in hopes of being able to reintroduce animals to the wild. However, there are multiple concerns with regards to such attempts.

Another philosophical belief provided by SEAZA was to provide better recreational learning experiences at the zoos, as well as to educate the public on the importance of conservation.

“We believe that education is the only key in creating awareness on wildlife conservation.” (Zoo Negara, 2017)

However, there is a need to ensure that these efforts are done effectively. From conservation psychology, studies have found that interactive experiences would be more effective in reaching the public, but the magnitude of the efforts towards conservation needs to be further researched.