Abstract
The present paper draws from a study of the role of zoos in forming attitudes towards biodiversity and native wild carnivores that are considered for reintroduction. The project is being developed by an interdisciplinary team (wildlife conservation, psychology, education) working towards the development of a questionnaire to investigate this topic in the UK. Research suggests that experiences with live animals in zoos may encourage empathy, through personal connection, which in turn facilitates greater concern towards biodiversity. Concomitantly, the reintroduction of wild carnivores to their native habitats may contribute to biodiversity by helping regulate ecosystem dynamics. Carnivores also carry a rich cultural and historical heritage. IUCN guidelines state the need for public support to establish a reintroduced population in the wild, therefore, carnivore restoration efforts benefit from the understanding of the human dimensions. A pilot study was carried out in Kent (spring 2015) using focus groups and interviews to investigate attitudes towards biodiversity, with particular focus on two species of carnivores native to the British Isles and currently considered for reintroduction (the European lynx Lynx lynx and the pine marten Martes martes) and the role of zoos in promoting support towards biodiversity conservation. Results suggest an association between seeing native wild carnivore species in the zoo and emotional responses such as ‘breaking down fears’, but also concerns about a disconnect between people and nature, and misunderstanding about the role of zoos in ‘protecting’ species. Below we offer a discussion of the themes that emerged from the analysis of focus groups and interviews in relation to biodiversity.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsNotes
- 1.
Aichi Strategic goal A. Address the underlying causes of biodiversity loss by mainstreaming biodiversity across government and society; Target 1: By 2020, at the latest, people are aware of the values of biodiversity and the steps they can take to conserve and use it sustainably. https://www.cbd.int/decision/cop/?id=12268.
- 2.
According to population viability analysis over 20,000 km2 of Scottish habitat exists and it is suitable to support around 450 lynx (Hetherington et al. 2008).
References
Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behaviour. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179–211.
Bath, A., Olszanska, A., & Okarma, H. (2008). From a Human Dimensions perspective, the unknown large carnivore: public attitudes towards Eurasian lynx in Poland. Human Dimensions of Wildlife, 13(1), 31–46.
BBC News. (2015). Will wild lynx return to Britain?, Retrieved April 27, 2015 from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-32450051
BBC Radio. (2015). Reds Return: Could the return of the Pine Marten mean the end of the Grey Squirrel takeover? BBC Radio 4, Retrieved April 8, 2015 from http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05pn674
BIAZA. (2016). http://www.biaza.org.uk/about-biaza/. Accessed on January 11, 2016.
Bjerke, T., Ødegardstuen, T. S., & Kaltenborn, B. P. (1998a). Attitudes toward animals among Norwegian children and adolescents: Species preferences. Anthrozoös, 11(4), 227–235.
Bjerke, T., Ødegardstuen, T. S., & Kaltenborn, B. P. (1998b). Attitudes toward animals among Norwegian adolescents. Anthrozoös, 11(2), 79–86.
Bowkett, A. E. (2009). Recent captive-breeding proposals and the return of the ark concept to global species conservation. Conservation Biology, 23(3), 773–776.
Clayton, S., & Myers, G. (2009). Conservation Psychology: Understanding and promoting human care for nature. UK: Wiley-Blackwell. ISBN 978-1-4443-5641-0.
Clayton, S., Fraser, J., & Burgess, C. (2011). The role of zoos in fostering environmental identity. Ecopsychology, 3(2), 87–96. doi:10.1089/eco.2010.0079
Clayton, S., Luebke, J., Saunders, J., Matiasek, J., & Grajal, A. (2014). Connecting to nature at the zoo: Implications for responding to climate change. Environmental Education Research, 20(4), 460–475. doi:10.1080/13504622.2013.816267
Consorte-McCrea, A. (2011). Conservation of the maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus): Carnivore and people relationships in the southeast of Brazil. Ph.D. thesis, UKC. http://create.canterbury.ac.uk/10662/
Consorte-McCrea, A. (2014). Relationships between the maned wolf and people. In A. G. Consorte-McCrea & E. F. Santos (Eds.), Ecology and conservation of the maned wolf: Multidisciplinary perspectives (pp. P35–52). London: CRC Press.
Dingwall, R., & Aldridge, M. (2006). Television wildlife programming as a source of popular scientific information: A case study of evolution. Public Understand Sci, 15, 131–152.
Falk, J. H., Reinhard, E., Vernon, C., Bronnenkant, K., Deans, N., & Heimlich, J. (2007). Why zoos and aquariums matter: Assessing the impact of a visit. Silver Spring, MD: Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
Gascon, C., Brooks, T. M., Contreras-MacBeath, T., Heard, N., Konstant, W., Lamoreux, J., et al. (2015). The importance and benefits of species. Current Biology, 25(10), R431–R438.
Gwynne, J. A. (2008). Inspiration for conservation: Moving audiences to care. In A. Zimmermann, M. Hatchwell, L. Dickie, & Chris West (Eds.), Zoos in the 21st century, catalysts for conservation? conservation biology 15 (pp. P51–62). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Hetherington, D. (2008). The history of the Eurasian Lynx in Britain and the potential for its reintroduction. British Wildlife, 20(2), 77–86.
Hetherington, D. A., Miller, D. R., Macleod, C. D., & Gorman, M. L. (2008). A potential habitat network for the Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx in Scotland. Mammal Review, 38, 285–303. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2907.2008.00117.x
Hinds, J., & Sparks, P. (2008). Engaging with the natural environment: The role of affective connection and identity. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 28, 109–120. doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2007.11.001
IUCN/SSC. (2013). Guidelines for Reintroductions and Other Conservation Translocations. Version 1.0. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN Species Survival Commission, viiii + 57 pp.
Jedrzejewska, B., & Jedrzejewski, W. (2005). Large carnivores and ungulates in european temperate forest ecosystems: Bottom-up and Top-down control. In J. Ray, K. Redford, R. Steneck, & J. Berger (Eds.), Large Carnivores and the conservation of biodiversity (pp. 230–247). D.C: Island Press. Washington.
Kahn, P. H., & Kellert, S. R. (2002). Children and nature: Psychological, sociocultural, and evolutionary investigations. London: MIT Press.
Keliher, V. (1997). Children’s perceptions of nature. International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education, 6(3), 240–243.
KellertKellert, S. R. (2002). Experiencing nature: Affective, cognitive, and evaluative development in children. Children and nature: Psychological, sociocultural, and evolutionary investigations, 117-151. Cambridge, Massachusetts London: The MIT Press.
Linnell, J. D. C., Promberger, C., Boitani, L., Swenson, J. E., Breitenmoser, U., & Andersen, R. (2005). The linkage between conservation strategies for large carnivores and biodiversity: The view from the half-full forests of Europe. In J. Ray, K. Redford, R. Steneck, & J. Berger (Eds.), Large Carnivores and the conservation of biodiversity (pp. 381–399). D.C: Island Press. Washington.
McShea, W. J. (2005). Forest ecosystems without Carnivores: When ungulates rule the world. In J. Ray, K. Redford, R. Steneck, & J. Berger (Eds.), Large Carnivores and the conservation of biodiversity (pp. 138–154). Washington DC: Island Press.
Moss, A., Jensen, E., & Gusset, M. (2015). Evaluating the contribution of zoos and aquariums to Aichi biodiversity target 1. Conservation Biology, 29, 537–544. doi:10.1111/cobi.12383
Myers Jr, O. E., & Saunders, C. D. (2002). Animals as links toward developing caring relationships with the natural world. Children and nature: Psychological, sociocultural, and evolutionary investigations, (pp. 153–178). Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press.
Novacek, M. J. (2008). Engaging the public in biodiversity issues. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 105(Supplement 1), 11571–11578.
Packer, J., & Ballantyne, R. (2010). The role of zoos and aquariums in education for a sustainable future. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 2010, 25–34. doi:10.1002/ace.378
Pyle, R. (2002). “Eden in a Vacant Lot: Special Places, Species and Kids in Community of Life”. In P. H. Kahn Jr and S.R. Kellert (Eds.). Children and nature: Psychological, sociocultural, and evolutionary investigations (pp. 305–328). Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press.
Ray, J.C. (2005). “Large Carnivorous Animals as Tools for Conserving Biodiversity: Assumptions and Uncertainties” In J. Ray K. Redford R. Steneck & J. Berger (Eds.). Large Carnivores and the conservation of biodiversity. (pp. 34–56). Washington DC: Island Press.
Reading, R. P. & Miller, B. (2008). Attitudes and attitude change among zoo visitors. In A. Zimmermann M. Hatchwell L. Dickie & W. Chris (Eds.). Zoos in the 21st century, catalysts for conservation? conservation biology (15th ed., pp. 63–91). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press,
Roskaft, E., Handel, B., Bjerke, T., & Kaltenborn, B. P. (2007). Human attitudes towards large carnivores in Norway. Wildlife Biology, 13(2), 172–185.
Rounds, J. (2004). Strategies for the curiosity‐driven museum visitor. Curator: The Museum Journal, 47(4), 389–412. doi:10.1111/j.2151-6952.2004.tb00135.x
Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity. (2014). Global Biodiversity Outlook 4. Montréal, 155 pages. https://www.cbd.int/gbo/gbo4/publication/gbo4-en.pdf Accessed on December 12, 2015.
Sergio, F., Newton, I., Marchesi, L., & Pedrini, P. (2006). Ecologically justified charisma: preservation of top predators delivers biodiversity conservation. Journal of Applied Ecology, 43, 1049–1055.
Steneck, R. S. (2005). An ecological context for the role of large carnivorous animals in conserving biodiversity. In J. Ray, K. Redford, R. Steneck, & J. Berger (Eds.), Large Carnivores and the conservation of biodiversity (pp. 9–33). Washington DC: Island Press.
Sterling, E., Lee, Jimin, & Wood, T. (2007). Conservation education in zoos; an emphasis on behavioural change. In A. Zimmermann, M. Hatchwell, L. Dickie, & Chris West (Eds.), Zoos in the 21st century, catalysts for conservation? conservation biology 15 (pp. 37–50). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Vanstreels, R. E. T., & Pessutti, C. (2010). Analysis and discussion of Maned wolf Chrysocyon brachyurus population trends in Brazilian institutions: Lessons from the Brazilian studbook, 1969–2006. International Zoo Yearbook, 44(1), 121–135.
Velsor, S. W., & Nilon, C. H. (2006). A qualitative investigation of the urban african-american and Latino adolescent experience with wildlife. Human Dimensions of Wildlife, 11(5), 359–370.
WAZA. (2005). Building a future for wildlife—the world zoo and aquarium conservation strategy. ISBN 3-033-00427-X
WAZA. (2011). Communiqué, World Association of Zoos and Aquariums mobilized for the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity. United Nations Decade on Biodiversity. http://www.waza.org/files/webcontent/1.public_site/5.conservation/un_decade_biodiversity/waza_involvement/UNDOB%20press%20release.pdf. Accessed on February 02, 2016.
WAZA. (2016). “Zoos and Aquariums of the World” http://www.waza.org/en/site/zoosaquariums. Accessed on January 1, 2016
Weprin, A. (2007). “Planet Earth Delivers for Discovery”. Available at http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/programming/planet-earth-deliversdiscovery/30333. Accessed on January 11, 2016
West, C., & Dickie, L. A. (2007). “Introduction: is there a conservation role for zoos in a natural world under fire?” P 3-11. In A. Zimmermann, M. Hatchwell, L. Dickie, & Chris West (Eds.), Zoos in the 21st Century, Catalysts for Conservation? Conservation Biology 15. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Wilson, E. O. (1984). Biophilia. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Univ Press.
Wilson, C. J. (2004). Could we live with reintroduced large carnivores in the UK? Mammal Review, 34, 211–232. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2907.2004.00038.x
Acknowlegments
The authors would like to thank the staff of Wildwood Trust and of the Aspinall Foundation, in particular Hazel Ryan and Claire Capdevila-Wright, Tony King, Neil Spooner, Amanda McCabe and Bryony Hatcher for their support and invaluable time. Many thanks to all the volunteers who took part in the focus groups and interviews.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2017 Springer International Publishing AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Consorte-McCrea, A. et al. (2017). Understanding Attitudes Towards Native Wildlife and Biodiversity in the UK: The Role of Zoos. In: Leal Filho, W. (eds) Sustainable Development Research at Universities in the United Kingdom. World Sustainability Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-47883-8_17
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-47883-8_17
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-47882-1
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-47883-8
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)