From Iconic Species to Biodiversity: The Role of Zoos in Inspiring Visitors' Affinity for a Broader Range of Wild Animals

Abstract

Preferences for animal species may influence public engagement in conservation efforts. However, urban residents often have limited opportunities to learn about and connect emotionally with a wide range of wildlife. Zoos can help bridge this gap, with enclosures and interpretive systems playing a key role in fostering understanding and positive attitudes towards animals. At present, little is known about how the characteristics of enclosures and interpretive systems work together to influence visitors' learning about wildlife. Over a 12-month period, we assessed the features of enclosures and interpretive facilities at Guangzhou Zoo, China, and captured visitors' wildlife preferences before and after their visits using an open-ended question. By examining how these features and the overall zoo experience influenced changes in preferences, we aimed to evaluate the zoo's potential for conservation education. Our results showed that zoo visits significantly impacted visitors' wildlife preferences, increasing their fondness for a broader range of species and fostering a greater affinity for relatively unpopular species or taxa. Importantly, the interaction between the number of interpretive signs and three other factors—enclosure size, enclosure type, and the interactivity of interpretive facilities—emerged as key determinants of these preference changes. This study provides valuable insights into improving the design of zoo enclosures and interpretive facilities to support conservation education.

Keywords

conservation education / interpretive facilities / wildlife preferences / zoo enclosures / zoo exhibits / zoo experience

References

[1] Askue, L., J. Heimlich, J. P. Yu, X. Wang, and S. Lakly. 2009. “Measuring a Professional Conservation Education Training Program for Zoos and Wildlife Parks in China.” Zoo Biology 28, no. 5: 447–461.

[2] Ballantyne, R., J. Packer, and L. A. Sutherland. 2011. “visitors' Memories of Wildlife Tourism: Implications for the Design of Powerful Interpretive Experiences.” Tourism Management 32, no. 4: 770–779.

[3] Barton, K. 2023. MuMIn.pdf (1.47.5) [Computer software]. https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/MuMIn/MuMIn.pdf.

[4] Bruni, C. M., J. Fraser, and P. W. Schultz. 2008. “The Value of Zoo Experiences for Connecting People With Nature.” Visitor Studies 11, no. 2: 139–150.

[5] Burnham, K. P., and D. R. Anderson. 2002. Model Selection and Multimodel Inference: A Practical Information-Theoretic Approach. 2nd ed. Springer.

[6] Carr, N.2016. “An Analysis of Zoo visitors' Favourite and Least Favourite Animals.” Tourism Management Perspectives 20: 70–76.

[7] Clayton, S., J. Fraser, and C. D. Saunders. 2009. “Zoo Experiences: Conversations, Connections, and Concern for Animals.” Zoo Biology 28, no. 5: 377–397.

[8] Colléony, A., S. Clayton, D. Couvet, M. Saint Jalme, and A.-C. Prévot. 2017. “Human Preferences for Species Conservation: Animal Charisma Trumps Endangered Status.” Biological Conservation 206: 263–269.

[9] Collins, C. K., S. McKeown, and R. O'Riordan. 2021. “Does an Animal–Visitor Interactive Experience Drive Conservation Action?” Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens 2, no. 3: 473–486.

[10] Curtin, P., and S. Papworth. 2020. “Coloring and Size Influence Preferences for Imaginary Animals, and Can Predict Actual Donations to Species-Specific Conservation Charities.” Conservation Letters 13, no. 4: e12723. https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.12723.

[11] Doodson, P., V. Melfi, A. D. Webber, and L. Dumbell. 2022. “Animal-Visitor Interactions in Semi-Contrived Tourism Settings: A Study of ‘Meet & Greets’ in UK Zoos.” Tourism Recreation Research 49, no. 5: 992–1004.

[12] Du, Z., H. Tang, D. Wei, and Z. Huang. 2023. “Pathways to Realizing Nature Education Function of Urban Zoos: A Case Study of Guangzhou Zoo.” Journal of Chinese Urban Forestry 21, no. 4: 109–113.

[13] Echeverri, A., M. M. Callahan, K. M. A. Chan, T. Satterfield, and J. Zhao. 2017. “Explicit Not Implicit Preferences Predict Conservation Intentions for Endangered Species and Biomes.” PLoS One 12, no. 1: e0170973.

[14] Edney, G., T. Smart, F. Howat, Z. E. Batchelor, C. Hughes, and A. Moss. 2023. “Assessing the Effect of Interpretation Design Traits on Zoo Visitor Engagement.” Zoo Biology 42, no. 4: 567–576.

[15] Escribano, N., A. H. Ariño, A. Pino-del-Carpio, D. Galicia, and R. Miranda. 2021. “Global Trends in Research Output by Zoos and Aquariums.” Conservation Biology 35: 1894–1902. https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.13757.

[16] Fernandez, E. J., J. E. Brereton, and J. Coe. 2023. “How Do We Plan for the Zoo Exhibit of the Future?” Applied Animal Behaviour Science 268, no. 106085: 106085.

[17] Fernandez, E. J., and S. J. Chiew. 2021. “Animal-Visitor Interactions: Effects, Experiences, and Welfare.” Animal Behavior and Cognition 8, no. 4: 462–467.

[18] Fernandez, E. J., M. A. Tamborski, S. R. Pickens, and W. Timberlake. 2009. “Animal–Visitor Interactions in the Modern Zoo: Conflicts and Interventions.” Applied Animal Behaviour Science 120, no. 1/2: 1–8.

[19] Fraser, J., J. Bicknell, J. Sickler, and A. Taylor. 2009. “What Information Do Zoo & Aquarium Visitors Want on Animal Identification Labels?” Journal of Interpretation Research 14, no. 2: 7–18.

[20] Gelman, A., J. Hill, and A. Vehtari. 2020. Regression and Other Stories. Cambridge University Press.

[21] Godinez, A. M., and E. J. Fernandez. 2019. “What Is the Zoo Experience? How Zoos Impact a Visitor's Behaviors, Perceptions, and Conservation Efforts.” Frontiers in Psychology 10: 1746.

[22] Henseler Kozachenko, H., and J. Piazza. 2021. “How Children and Adults Value Different Animal Lives.” Journal of Experimental Child Psychology 210, no. 105204: 105204.

[23] Hooykaas, M. J. D., M. Schilthuizen, C. Aten, E. M. Hemelaar, C. J. Albers, and I. Smeets. 2019. “Identification Skills in Biodiversity Professionals and Laypeople: A Gap in Species Literacy.” Biological Conservation 238, no. 108202: 108202.

[24] Jacobson, S. K., M. McDuff, and M. Monroe. 2015. Conservation Education and Outreach Techniques. Oxford University Press.

[25] Jensen, E.2014. “Evaluating Children's Conservation Biology Learning At the Zoo.” Conservation Biology 28, no. 4: 1004–1011.

[26] Jensen, K. A. 2006. Effects of the Artistic Design of Interpretive Signage on Attracting Power, Holding Time and Memory Recall. Humboldt State University.

[27] Jensvold, M. L. A., C. M. Sanz, R. S. Fouts, and D. H. Fouts. 2001. “Effect of Enclosure Size and Complexity on the Behaviors of Captive Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes).” Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 4, no. 1: 53–69.

[28] Kaltenborn, B. P., T. Bjerke, J. W. Nyahongo, and D. R. Williams. 2006. “Animal Preferences and Acceptability of Wildlife Management Actions Around Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.” Biodiversity and Conservation 15, no. 14: 4633–4649.

[29] Kianoush, F., and K. Masoomehni. 2015. “Application REML Model and Determining Cut Off of ICC by Multi-Level Model Based on Markov Chains Simulation in Health.” Indian Journal of Fundamental and Applied Life Sciences 5: 1432–1448.

[30] Kleespies, M. W., J. Gübert, A. Popp, et al. 2020. “Connecting High School Students With Nature—How Different Guided Tours in the Zoo Influence the Success of Extracurricular Educational Programs.” Frontiers in Psychology 11: 1804.

[31] Kohut, A. I., and K. Katona. 2022. “The Impact of Exhibit Design on Zoo Visitor Dwell Time Based on an Unobtrusive Observational Methodology in Central European Zoos.” Journal of Zoo and Aquarium Research 10, no. 2: 59–65.

[32] Kruger, M., and A. Viljoen. 2023. “Encouraging Pro-Conservation Intentions in Urban Recreational Spaces: A South African Zoo Perspective.” International Journal of Tourism Cities 9, no. 1: 244–267.

[33] Lindemann-Matthies, P., and T. Kamer. 2006. “The Influence of an Interactive Educational Approach on visitors' Learning in a Swiss Zoo.” Science Education 90, no. 2: 296–315.

[34] Luebke, J. F., J. V. Watters, J. Packer, L. J. Miller, and D. M. Powell. 2016. “Zoo visitors' Affective Responses to Observing Animal Behaviors.” Visitor Studies 19, no. 1: 60–76.

[35] Madin, E. M. P., and D. M. Fenton. 2004. “Environmental Interpretation in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park: An Assessment of Programme Effectiveness.” Journal of Sustainable Tourism 12, no. 2: 121–137.

[36] Mallavarapu, S., and L. A. Taglialatela. 2019. “A Post-Occupancy Evaluation of the Impact of Exhibit Changes on Conservation Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behavior of Zoo Visitors.” Environmental Education Research 25, no. 10: 1552–1569.

[37] Marsden, E., and C. J. Torgerson. 2012. “Single Group, Pre- and Post-Test Research Designs: Some Methodological Concerns.” Oxford Review of Education 38, no. 5: 583–616.

[38] Martín-López, B., C. Montes, and J. Benayas. 2007. “The Non-Economic Motives Behind the Willingness to Pay for Biodiversity Conservation.” Biological Conservation 139, no. 1–2: 67–82.

[39] McNally, X., T. L. Webb, C. Smith, A. Moss, and J. Gibson-Miller. 2024. “A Meta-Analysis of the Effect of Visiting Zoos and Aquariums on visitors' Conservation Knowledge, Beliefs, and Behavior.” Conservation Biology: The Journal of the Society for Conservation Biology 39, no. 1: e14237.

[40] Mellish, S., J. C. Ryan, E. L. Pearson, and M. R. Tuckey. 2019. “Research Methods and Reporting Practices in Zoo and Aquarium Conservation-Education Evaluation.” Conservation Biology 33, no. 1: 40–52.

[41] Miller, J. R.2005. “Biodiversity Conservation and the Extinction of Experience.” Trends in Ecology & Evolution 20, no. 8: 430–434.

[42] Miller, L. J., J. F. Luebke, J. Matiasek, et al. 2020. “The Impact of In-Person and Video-Recorded Animal Experiences on Zoo visitors' Cognition, Affect, Empathic Concern, and Conservation Intent.” Zoo Biology 39, no. 6: 367–373.

[43] Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development. 2013. National Zoo Development Outline. Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.

[44] Mohamad Muslim, H. F., H. Tetsuro, N. Shinya, and N. A. Yahya. 2018. “Nature Experience Promotes Preference for and Willingness to Coexist With Wild Animals Among Urban and Suburban Residents in Malaysia.” Ecological Processes 7: 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13717-018-0127-7.

[45] Moss, A., and M. Esson. 2010. “Visitor Interest in Zoo Animals and the Implications for Collection Planning and Zoo Education Programmes.” Zoo Biology 29, no. 6: 715–731.

[46] Moss, A., D. Francis, and M. Esson. 2008. “The Relationship Between Viewing Area Size and Visitor Behavior in an Immersive Asian Elephant Exhibit.” Visitor Studies 11, no. 1: 26–40.

[47] Moss, A. G., and B. Pavitt. 2019. “Assessing the Effect of Zoo Exhibit Design on Visitor Engagement and Attitudes Towards Conservation.” Journal of Zoo and Aquarium Research 7, no. 4: 186–194.

[48] Nielsen, K. S., T. M. Marteau, J. M. Bauer, et al. 2021. “Biodiversity Conservation as a Promising Frontier for Behavioural Science.” Nature Human Behaviour 5, no. 5: 550–556.

[49] Nyberg, E., I. Brkovic, and D. Sanders. 2021. “Beauty, Memories and Symbolic Meaning: Swedish Student Teachers' Views of Their Favourite Plant and Animal.” Journal of Biological Education 55, no. 1: 31–44.

[50] Pearson, E. L., J. Dorrian, and C. A. Litchfield. 2013. “Measuring Zoo Visitor Learning and Understanding About Orangutans: Evaluation to Enhance Learning Outcomes and to Foster Conservation Action.” Environmental Education Research 19, no. 6: 823–843.

[51] Peterson, A.2021. “Finding Optimal Normalizing Transformations via Bestnormalize.” R Journal 13, no. 1: 310.

[52] R Core Team. 2022. “ R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing.” http://www.R-project.org/.

[53] Razal, C. B., and L. J. Miller. 2019. “Examining the Impact of Naturalistic and Unnaturalistic Environmental Enrichment on Visitor Perception of Naturalness, Animal Welfare, and Conservation.” Anthrozoös 32, no. 1: 141–153.

[54] Roe, K., A. McConney, and C. F. Mansfield. 2014. “How Do Zoos ‘Talk’ to Their General Visitors? Do Visitors ‘Listen’? A Mixed Method Investigation of the Communication Between Modern Zoos and Their General Visitors.” Australian Journal of Environmental Education 30, no. 2: 167–186.

[55] Ross, S. R., and K. E. Lukas. 2005. “Zoo Visitor Behavior at an African Ape Exhibit.” Visitor Studies Today 8, no. 1: 4–12.

[56] Ross, S. R., L. M. Melber, K. L. Gillespie, and K. E. Lukas. 2012. “The Impact of a Modern, Naturalistic Exhibit Design on Visitor Behavior: A Cross-Facility Comparison.” Visitor Studies 15, no. 1: 3–15.

[57] Russ, A. and Krasny, M. E., ed. 2017. Urban Environmental Education Review. Cornell University Press.

[58] Schilbert, J., and A. Scheersoi. 2023. “Learning Outcomes Measured in Zoo and Aquarium Conservation Education.” Conservation Biology 37, no. 1: e13891.

[59] Scott, N. L., and C. A. LaDue. 2019. “The Behavioral Effects of Exhibit Size Versus Complexity in African Elephants: A Potential Solution for Smaller Spaces.” Zoo Biology 38, no. 5: 448–457.

[60] Shettel, H. H.1997. “Time—Is It Really of the Essence?” Curator: The Museum Journal 40, no. 4: 246–249.

[61] da Silva, M. X. G., F. Braga-Pereira, M. C. da Silva, J. V. de Oliveira, S. de Faria Lopes, and R. R. N. Alves. 2021. “What Are the Factors Influencing the Aversion of Students Towards Reptiles?” Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 17, no. 1: 35.

[62] Smart, T., G. Counsell, and R. J. Quinnell. 2021. “The Impact of Immersive Exhibit Design on Visitor Behaviour and Learning at Chester Zoo, UK.” Journal of Zoo and Aquarium Research 9, no. 3: 139–149.

[63] Soga, M., and K. J. Gaston. 2021. “Towards a Unified Understanding of Human–Nature Interactions.” Nature Sustainability 5, no. 5: 374–383.

[64] Waller, B. M., K. Peirce, H. Mitchell, and J. Micheletta. 2012. “Evidence of Public Engagement With Science: Visitor Learning at a Zoo-Housed Primate Research Centre.” PLoS One 7, no. 9: e44680.

[65] Weiler, B., and L. Smith. 2009. “Does More Interpretation Lead to Greater Outcomes? An Assessment of the Impacts of Multiple Layers of Interpretation in a Zoo Context.” Journal of Sustainable Tourism 17, no. 1: 91–105.

[66] Xu, D., L. Cong, and G. Wall. 2020. “visitors' Spatio-Temporal Behavior at a Zoo in China.” Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research 25, no. 9: 931–947.

[67] Yorek, N.2009. “The Only Good Snake Is a Dead Snake: Secondary School Students' Attitudes Toward Snakes.” Supplement, Biotechnology & Biotechnological Equipment 23, no. S1: 31–35.

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

2025 The Author(s). Integrative Conservation published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG).