Do zoos actually help conservation? Contribute to wildlife research? Or are they mostly to entertain people?
A couple of years ago, I did a podcast interview all about zoos, and I thought this would be a great topic for my own podcast due to the complexity. It’s not a straightforward answer…
In fact, during the pandemic, when we were all watching The Tiger King, I did a whole blog post series on the ethics and research impacts of zoos, and these are still some of my most popular posts!
Zoos were originally built purely for entertainment and were the only way most people could see an exotic animal. Placed in cement cages or concrete pits, animals were there to fascinate, but at the expense of their well-being.
But as scientists and the public have learned more about animals, some zoos began to change. There are now high-quality institutions running genuine conservation science, captive breeding programs, and research on wild animal populations.
But unfortunately, not all zoos have stepped up. There are still dilapidated roadside attractions where animals are locked in cement cages, might be forced to do unnatural and harmful tricks, or be bred to have a constant supply of babies for tourists to pose with for photos, and with nowhere to go once they get older.
These zoos might do things that they call research, but really, this is a form of greenwashing so that they can use these small projects to justify their money-making operations from animals.
On the flip side, I talk about how zoos genuinely contribute to conservation. For example, conducting real research on animals outside of their zoo population, providing genetic safety nets, and captive breeding animals like the black-footed ferret and golden lion tamarin from the brink of extinction.
In this episode of the Fancy Scientist podcast, I’m going to walk you through zoos so that you can understand these differences, as well as offer some guidelines so that you can make an informed decision for yourself. I break down what separates a good zoo from a bad one, and the gray areas in between.
I also address the harder question of whether zoos change people's minds. Many claim that zoos educate the public about wildlife, but just because they present information doesn’t mean that people take it in or take conservation actions…Those are much harder to change. I talk about a meta-analysis of 56 studies on visitor attitudes after zoo visits, plus how zoos like Cheyenne Mountain Zoo are trying to close the gap between education and action with things like their sustainable palm oil initiative.
And because this podcast is always about helping you build a wildlife career, I offer an overview of the different kinds of roles that you can obtain for employment, as well as my own behind-the-scenes experience, where I monitored elephant pregnancy hormones and worked on reproductive research for cotton-top tamarins.
You’ll get a rundown of the career paths zoos actually offer: zookeeping, education, communications, research, and creative roles like videography, plus wildlife-adjacent jobs in finance, fundraising, and law. I also explain what kinds of zoo work won’t help your wildlife career, no matter how much hands-on animal experience it seems to offer.
Specifically, we talk about:
- The history of zoos, and how they evolved from pure entertainment into institutions that can contribute to research, education, and conservation
- The clear signs that separate an ethical zoo from an unethical one including enrichment, keeper barriers, and whether the public is allowed to touch wild animals
- Why Tiger King-style roadside zoos like Myrtle Beach Safari don't count as real conservation work, and how to spot greenwashing when a zoo claims to "support conservation"
- Why zoo populations serve as a safety net for species with critically small wild populations
- Real conservation success stories through captive breeding, including golden lion tamarins and black-footed ferrets
- The behind-the-scenes research zoos do that visitors never see, including my own experience monitoring elephant hormones as a Disney's Animal Kingdom intern
- Whether zoos actually succeed at changing visitor attitudes and behavior toward conservation, and what the research says
- The strongest arguments against zoos
- An overview of wildlife career paths at zoos: zookeeping, education, communications, research, creative and media roles, and wildlife-adjacent careers like finance, fundraising, and law
- And MORE!
Jump links:
1:52 Tiger King during COVID
4:59 History of zoos: from pure entertainment to modern standards
7:28 Roadside zoos & Tiger King-style operations
8:08 Signs of an ethical zoo: no touching wild animals, enrichment, barriers
13:00 Captive breeding & maintaining genetic diversity
15:10 Reintroduction programs & minimizing human contact
16:37 Personal experience at Disney's Animal Kingdom (elephant endocrine research)
20:31 Zoos & education: Do they change attitudes toward wildlife?
23:47 The argument against zoos
25:49 AZA accreditation & evolving zoo standards
27:56 Careers in zoos overview
33:02 Outro & upcoming free training: The Four Faux Pas
Dream of being a wildlife biologist, zoologist, conservation biologist, or ecologist? Ready to turn your love of animals into a thriving career?🌿🐘 Then…
🐾 Get my FREE Weekly Wildlife Wrap-Up where every Friday, I share strategies on how to stand out and get hired in wildlife, conservation, and environmental careers using a framework that's landed my students permanent jobs, internships, and more: https://stephanieschuttler.podia.com/wildlife-wrap-up
📚 Read Getting a Job in Wildlife Biology: What It’s Like and What You Need to Know: https://www.amazon.com/Getting-Job-Wildlife-Biology-What/dp/B08JDYXS4G/
I’m Dr. Stephanie Manka (formerly Schuttler), a wildlife biologist of 20 yrs who is on a mission to empower wildlife professionals and break stereotypes of scientists so they can get jobs, live out their life’s purpose, and make a difference in this world.
🎥 How I became a wildlife biologist: https://youtu.be/zBvHRDO7gIg
Full show notes:
👉https://stephanieschuttler.com/fancy-scientist-podcast-155-wildest-wildlife/
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