What I fear the most

jusko88

jusko88

Well-Known Member
Heres a question for all you zoochatters out there. Do you think there will ever be a time where zoos will close due to the economy? I love my zoos but this is the one question that always seems to stick in the back of my head.
 
If anything, it would be a good thing for the big, successful zoos if some of the smaller zoos closed. It sounds harsh but more people will go to a zoo if there is less competition and a small zoo with fewer visitors will most likely be the first one to be hit if the economy goes under.
 
PAT said:
If anything, it would be a good thing for the big, successful zoos if some of the smaller zoos closed. It sounds harsh but more people will go to a zoo if there is less competition and a small zoo with fewer visitors will most likely be the first one to be hit if the economy goes under.
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I don't know that that's accurate. Many US zoos enjoyed their best ever years around 2009 when the US economy was at its lowest point since the Great Depression. And some of the best performers were those that were mid and small-size.

Although many are reluctant to admit it, zoos are part of the entertainment and leisure economy. There is now plenty of evidence to show that leisure spending is actually pretty resilient at the lower price end of the market. During the global financial crisis people *did* spend less on entertainment but didn't cut it out altogether. In fact, small, comforting luxuries like coffee shops and zoo trips did very well indeed. Zoos are for the most part relatively cheap days out for families - a 5 hour visit to Melbourne Zoo is less than the cost of a movie for a family of four, especially if they pack a lunch.

Zoos are of course like any businesses - the better-run ones will survive the tough times and the badly-run ones will fall over. However the fact that many of the larger ones are state-run enterprises further protects them from the vicissitudes of the economic cycle.
 
Hasn't there been a statistic touted around that for both Australia and the US, that more people visit a zoo than visit cinemas, sporting events and some other lesuire activities combined?
 
If anything, I see zoos closing due to outcry from animal liberation organizations. Let's face it, there are certain mishaps that happen in zoos every year that could be used to show that wild animals have no place in zoos. Death, both animal and human, and escapes would be major talking points, as would low-quality enclosures.

After the Muskingum Farm disaster, exotic animal regulations are brewing for private keepers. The groups that lobby for these regulations don't view zoos as much better than private keepers in many instances.

Hope i'm wrong, but with every sensational headline we get one step closer to these people trying something bold. They are well-financed and politically connected beyond belief. They have, in one case, a 150 million dollar lobbying budget. It's a matter of time, IMO although their chances of succeeding are probably not good as long as the general public continues to love going to zoos.
 
This last post is a very good point. Several groups, including The Humane Society (which is more extremist than people realize) are trying right now to pass a national bill that would outlaw all exotic animal breeding in any zoo that is not part of the AZA. The only reason they exempted the AZA, I would surmise, is because they know this group is too powerful and respected for them to fight. But if something like this ever passes it would have detrimental consequences. Remember, a lot of important breeding programs are carried out either outside the AZA or with them in partnership with non-AZA facilities.

As for the economic crisis, others have stated well that people may visit zoos as much or more because it is a cheap outing. Low admission zoos like my local Reid Park Zoo ($7 adults) do especially well.
 
You might be right GCSwans. I also read somewhere that when times get tough people stop going away on holidays and spend more money in their hometown.
 
Despite the economy, pretty much every zoo in the United States has grown in attendance the last few years. I have no reason to think that zoos will ever close due to the economy now, and I doubt extremists could influence a mass-closing of zoos or prevent professionals from breeding exotic animals. I doubt our government would like to raise unemployment even higher.
 
Although some zoos during the rough economy almost closed, it seems people love their zoos, and want to protect them. Beardsley Zoo was close to closing in 2009, but the people supported the zoo, and Beardsley made it. Here's a video from 3 years ago asking people to support the zoo.
Help Save Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo - YouTube
And here's the result.
Thanks To You - Challenge Grant - YouTube
I think that it's nice that people still care about animals, and the mission that zoos support to maintain the connection between people and nature.
 
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