Education in Zoos

[Muscardinus avellanarius]

Ever since science has inspired me and made me study biology today, I have since then wondered why Zoos is NOT very educational. When I enter a Zoo in Denmark, I mostly only see a few facts, and a short description of the curtain animal and not much else. The biologists (or someone alike) who makes lectures for the guests of the Zoo is surely very educational and interesting! The thing is, why is that the only way I can learn more depth or scientific stuff from the Zoo?

Sure I can read some books or ask my lectures at my university, but that is not the point. The point I am trying to make is that for enthusiasts or people who want to learn more in Zoos cannot really learn more than basic stuff in Zoos (other than from lectures or asking the staff).
How about just a little thing as the phylum of the animal's om the Zoo? The guests will be able to see what the animal has in common with other animals and their relatives.
It could be anything really; anatomy, behavior, phylum, evolution, physiology, even how a bats echolocation etc.. I think it should be a balance between teaching educational and still maintain it understandable for most people, without making it too basic.

Sure the majority maybe does not care, but what if we could change that? Most people does not expect more from Zoos nowdays, because it has always been like this. We have the technology to do this! I am not saying we should force the people who are more interested in just seeing the animals, make it optional. I would very much just like if Zoos did an effort to please the minority - the people who is passionate and want to be inspired.

I have mostly only visited the Zoos in Denmark and a few outsides my country. I do not know if there are any Zoos around the planet who is more educational.

What are your thoughts? Am I wrong? What do you think?

 

[Echobeast]

I’ll take a stab at this.

Zoos are a multi-faceted business. Education is a huge part of many zoos’ operations. The thing is that it isn’t the only thing zoos do and resources need to be utilized to best fit the missions and visions of the zoo. When it comes to education, zoos sometimes do things differently than one another. Sometimes there are just signs with outdated info about diet and geography while others have massive amounts of information all over walls and boards. Depending on the guest, they may not want a textbook of information given to them. They just want to see the animals. Depending on the age of a guest, certain information may be too complicated or too simple for them to get any knowledge from signage. This is where interpreters come in. Keeper talks are great because the staff can cater information for the audience and answer specific questions given to them. The issue is that staff costs a lot of money and if you want well educated staff that actually work with the animals, they can’t be talking with guests all the time. Many staff take on multiple roles and it’s rare to have staff that only interpret animals for guests. Their skills are sometimes better utilized behind the scenes taking care of the animals. In American zoos, docents will often be used as interpreters at exhibits for longer periods of time but they are often retired teachers and are not staff of the zoo so they aren’t always the best informed. If money grew on trees, I’m sure every good zoo would put a well educated staff and an encyclopedia of info by every exhibit but that’s just not the reality. Trust that zoos do the best they can to meet the educational needs of guests while still running a business.