Inside and out: Perspectives of zoo education from both sides of the fence

TL;DRAbstract

Despite their best efforts, the effectiveness of zoos as conservation centres continues to be questioned and in particular it is not clear how they are perceived by the conservation community outside the zoo. This paper compares the perception of zoos by their own staff and by ‘non-zoo’ wildlife conservationists. It is apparent that there are substantial differences: zoos believe that they can and do contribute across a range of areas, both in situ and ex situ, yet most outsiders see their role primarily as educators who may also do some captive breeding. This dilemma has important implications for zoos in their search for sustainability: can they really contribute effectively to wildlife conservation beyond the front gate?

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