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- Genre: Masters Thesis
Description
Zoos are a unique collection-based institution with deep roots in the social structure of modern society. From their beginnings as elite menageries to display power or wealth, they have evolved into public institutions committed to providing exemplary animal care, and recreational and educational opportunities for visitors. More recently, zoos have developed a series of significant conservation programs and partnerships around the globe, efforts that have proved vital to saving endangered species such as the Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx) and California condor (Gymnogyps californianus), among other species.
Intrinsic to the development of modern zoo designs are the interwoven concerns of naturalism and animal welfare. Animal welfare, in particular, has become the paramount responsibility for professionally run zoological institutions as they seek to become centers of conservation and education without compromising animal wellbeing. Animal welfare and naturalism (understood as a design feature in zoo exhibits) are typically harmonious objectives, but these goals have occasionally clashed in implementation. While animal welfare and naturalism are defined in various (and not always consistent) ways in the literature, in-depth interviews of leading professionals and scholars in the zoo community and multi-dimensional case studies of exemplary, accredited institutions (including the Phoenix Zoo, the San Diego Zoo, Woodland Park Zoo and Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum) provide unique insight into the shifting meaning of these terms and how welfare and naturalism have and continue to shape the
development of modern zoo enclosures. This study concludes by suggesting a possible
future trajectory for innovative and alternative zoo designs that incorporate both animal welfare and naturalism without sacrificing either goal.
Intrinsic to the development of modern zoo designs are the interwoven concerns of naturalism and animal welfare. Animal welfare, in particular, has become the paramount responsibility for professionally run zoological institutions as they seek to become centers of conservation and education without compromising animal wellbeing. Animal welfare and naturalism (understood as a design feature in zoo exhibits) are typically harmonious objectives, but these goals have occasionally clashed in implementation. While animal welfare and naturalism are defined in various (and not always consistent) ways in the literature, in-depth interviews of leading professionals and scholars in the zoo community and multi-dimensional case studies of exemplary, accredited institutions (including the Phoenix Zoo, the San Diego Zoo, Woodland Park Zoo and Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum) provide unique insight into the shifting meaning of these terms and how welfare and naturalism have and continue to shape the
development of modern zoo enclosures. This study concludes by suggesting a possible
future trajectory for innovative and alternative zoo designs that incorporate both animal welfare and naturalism without sacrificing either goal.
ContributorsBoyle, Kristen E (Author) / Minteer, Ben A (Thesis advisor) / Ellison, Karin (Committee member) / Cunningham, Stan (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017
Description
Two recent tourism trends are the growing wildlife tourism subsector of nature-based tourism and the increased use of social media in both marketing and for tourists to share their experiences. Until recently, the connection between social media and wildlife tourism remained understudied, and tourist behavior on Instagram after visiting wildlife tourism attractions (WTAs) remains unstudied. Some researchers call for more tourism research using social media data created by tourists, called user-generated content (UGC), to understand them. This netnographic study examines tourists who visited a range of WTAs by analyzing their post-visit photos and captions on Instagram through the lens of involvement theory to evaluate the strength of their connection to wildlife and conservation. Previous research has indicated that wildlife tourism can have extraordinary benefits to conservation and communities, but some WTAs, some of which are photo-prop tourism attractions where animals are handed over to tourists for selfies, have negative impacts on individual animals and species due to illegal sourcing, improper care, human interaction, and habituation. Findings from this study suggest that WTAs with good or excellent conservation and welfare practices lead to more highly involved tourists, ultimately benefitting community investment, animal welfare, and conservation efforts via the flow of tourist dollars and spread of information on social media, the tourist changing their behavior, or all of the aforementioned. Conversely, WTAs with negative conservation and welfare practices do not foster the same level of tourist involvement as their counterparts, often leading to more anthropocentric Instagram posts that do not spread conservation messaging or imply environmental behavior change. The implications from this research suggest that wildlife tourism attraction management practices should focus on conservation and welfare for the improvement of conservation efforts via policies, enforcement, larger governing bodies or organizations advocating or taking action, and future research on the potential impact COVID-19 had on the wildlife tourism industry.
ContributorsKredens, Claire Victoria (Author) / Vogt, Christine (Thesis advisor) / Budruk, Megha (Thesis advisor) / van Riper, Carena (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2021
Description
This project analyzes the efforts of Seoul Grand Park Zoo (the largest and most important zoo on the Korean peninsula) to develop and achieve the highest standards in conservation, education, animal welfare, and research over the last three decades. Founded primarily as an entertainment venue in 1984, the zoo has struggled to become a scientific center that adequately provides for the animals under its care and promotes the advancement and dissemination of knowledge. Drawing on interviews from zoo officials, academics, conservationists, and animal-rights activists, I explore the animal welfare management and conservation priorities of a prominent Asian institution. Although the zoo has made significant improvements in animal welfare, it remains constrained by limited resources and government indifference. These constraints have also restricted the zoo’s ambition to become a major center for conservation; it currently concentrates on a handful of projects with broad popular appeal. Based on my interviews, greater collaboration, better communication with other researchers, and more systematic sharing of data would be especially beneficial for expanding the zoo’s conservation agenda. As research and conservation become a more prominent part of the zoo’s portfolio, potential conflicts may arise with zoo’s current emphasis on the welfare of the individual animals under its care.
ContributorsClay, Anne Safiya (Author) / Minteer, Ben (Thesis advisor) / Collins, James (Committee member) / Broglio, Ronald (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2015