Exhibiting care in captivity: Charisma, design and animal welfare in visitor experience and education at Hamilton Zoo

Abstract

As urban spaces grow, New Zealanders have become increasingly separated from nature. Zoos are locations where the public can interact with exotic animals, sometimes for the first time. Employing ethnographic research methods, this study investigates how conservation education opportunities are created by the Hamilton Zoo staff, and how the visitors to Hamilton Zoo engage with this education and messaging during their visits. This research found that the charisma of animals in zoos is one mediating factor in how visitors may become invested in conservation education. This research also found that the design of the enclosure, and other zoo spaces may also limit or enhance a visitor's educational experience in the zoo. This is both in terms of how accessible the animal is for viewing, and how visitors may understand welfare conditions at a zoo, potentially impacting their support for zoos and their conservation goals. These factors drive how zoo visitors perceive the zookeepers, and Hamilton Zoo more generally, in their position as experts. The education of visitors to Hamilton Zoo on local and global conservation issues is most effective in circumstances when these visitors are able to connect with the animals. This might be through behind-the-scenes encounters, conversations with keepers or when the animals in the enclosures are easily visible and active.