Evaluating Conservation in Zoos: a New Zealand Perspective

Abstract

Contemporary zoos are considered to perform three central roles of conservation, education, and entertainment. While the topic of zoos’ contribution to conservation has been widely debated in the literature, research evaluating conservation efforts in zoos is rare. Similarly, there is very little literature on the specific contribution made by zoos to the conservation of indigenous species. As a consequence, the purpose of this research was to evaluate the contribution that New Zealand zoos make to the conservation of indigenous species. A combination of desk-based and field-based research was conducted for this study. Based on an extensive literature review, six criteria (Education; Research; Captive breeding; In-situ conservation; Collaborations; and Associations, accreditation, and awards) were selected for the evaluation. The evaluation which incorporated thirty-two zoos indicated that New Zealand zoos, as a whole, are contributing to the conservation of indigenous species. Thirteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with three conservation practitioners from the Department of Conservation, and with a total of ten zoo practitioners from Auckland Zoo, Orana Wildlife Park, and Willowbank Wildlife Reserve. These interviews served to add depth to the evaluation by examining the practitioners’ perspectives on conservation in zoos. Several themes arose from the interviews that had not been apparent in the desk-based stage of the research. The most notable of these was that the conservation and zoo practitioners alike considered conservation advocacy to be the most important role of a zoo. Based on the research findings, a series of recommendations were made for zoos to improve their contribution to the conservation of New Zealand indigenous species.