references
EDITORIAL
Do our zoos meet the conservation challenge?
Peter Fraser
Best practice zoos today promote their commitment to conservation; as genetic reservoirs of critically endangered species, involvement in breed-to-release programmes, direct support of in-situ conservation efforts via funding, expertise or provision of personnel, and of course through education of the public to the plight of species and ecosystems under threat worldwide. Strategic documents such as the World Zoo Conservation Strategy (WZCS), first published in the mid-1990s and updated in 2005, sought to define the aims and objectives of zoos as they related to this conservation ethic and focus. The WZCS itself, was born out of the IUCN World Conservation Strategy, ‘Caring for the Earth’ (1991), and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) at Rio de Janeiro in 1992. The WZCS defines and answers questions such as “Why do zoos and aquariums exist? What is their unifying philosophy and purpose? What is their vision and relevance in a world faced with unprecedented challenges as the needs of humans and animals and plants seem to compete? How can they have a measurable influence on conservation in the wild?” So how do our zoos here in New Zealand measure up? Many Zoos have made a good start and taken the initial steps towards becoming conservation organizations but I believe the commercial pressures of the seeming never ending global financial crisis and the fear to really let go of old business models has caused this progress to stall. Most zoos seem to be stuck
straddling a brave new world of innovative advocacy and the old business model of driving visitation and reporting and measuring success by how many people buy a ticket and an ice cream. I see this conflict (to my own frustration) played out regularly in the institution I work for. Let me point out I work for one of the best zoos in the world. However even the best Zoos are lucky that we live in a world where events like dolphins being slaughtered en masse, seal cubs clubbed to death, sharks finned alive and left to suffer, rhinos with their horns hacked off, are too often broadcast on our television and computer screens. We live in a world of atrocity not just against our animal counterparts but toward each other; reports of assault, rape, murder even genocide seem to also be routinely beamed into my living room. With all these things going on it’s hard to prioritize outrage at the injustice of well fed, well cared for animals being kept in captivity under false pretenses? Zoos are hiding the schizophrenia of their business models behind clever marketing and communications campaigns convincing many they are saving the species they hold. Zoos can and must play their role in actually doing this but more work is required! We also must be honest where we are on this journey if we are to keep the trust and favour of the public. At the moment zoos are capitalizing on and hiding reality behind the rebranded images but really most are carrying on as before with only token investment in conservation. 6