Food and thought : what are visitors learning during animal feeding time at the zoo?
Date
2002
Authors
Nelson, S.C.
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Abstract
Feeding times have become popular activities at most zoological,
wild animal parks and aquaria in part because they are compatible with
pre-existing animal enrichment programs and so cost little to provide.
Nothing is known, however, of visitor attitudes towards the animals and
the food provided or the learning outcomes, if any, from feeding times and
the talks given by keepers during such programs. Therefore, structured
interviews were conducted with administrators, staff and visitors at three
zoos in regional Australia to understand visitors' attitudes towards feeding
live prey or carcasses to zoo animals and the goals and outcomes of public
feeding programs.
This was the first Australian study of adult visitor attitudes and
learning outcomes from public feeding programs. Over 90% of the 50
Australian visitors interviewed agreed that feeding live invertebrates
(insects) to small vertebrates (reptiles and small mammals) was acceptable.
In every case approval for feeding live prey significantly increased if done
out of public view. Demographic and sociographic factors affected
attitudes towards feeding live prey or carcasses.
Zoo personnel are aware of visitor expectations for feeding times
and seem to satisfy those expectations, yet zoo administrators' and staff
goals for feeding times are greater than visitor expectations and current
outcomes. Evidence was obtained to suggest both short and long-term
cognitive learning resulted from talks by zoo keepers at feeding times.
However, the information learned was not always correct and the level of
learning seemed shallow. Analysis of the data suggest enhancements
which could be made to facilitate learning outcomes, as well as indicating
areas for further research.
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