Modern zoos and aquaria are playing an increasingly active and important role in protecting and managing global biodiversity. Many zoos include wildlife conservation in their mission and have started changing the focus of their institutions in order to increase even further the benefits of their activities for in situ wildlife conservation. With these developments, the following searching questions are now being asked: What is the true role of zoos in conservation? How can they contribute more significantly to global conservation efforts? What are the unique attributes of zoos that can be applied in the conservation landscape? And should zoos be doing more? In parallel with this voluntary movement, legal requirements for zoos to support conservation in the wild are also becoming more stringent. This book defines a new conservation vision for zoos and aquaria that will be of interest to those working in zoos, alongside practitioners and researchers in conservation. What is the true role of zoos in conservation? This 2007 book defines a conservation vision for zoos and aquaria examining zoos from an external perspective and in a global context. Written for scientists working in collaboration with zoos, practitioners from conservation, development NGO sectors and academic institutions. List of contributors ix Foreword xi Acknowledgements xiii Achim Steiner Part I Zoos entering the 21st century Introduction: is there a conservation role for zoos in a natural world under fire? 3(9) Chris West Lesley A. Dickie Entering the 21st century 12(10) William Conway How do national and international regulations and policies influence the role of zoos and aquariums in conservation? 22(15) Bengt Holst Lesley A. Dickie Part II The challenge of changing behavior Conservation education in zoos: an emphasis on behavioral change 37(14) Eleanor Sterling Jimin Lee Tom Wood Inspiration for conservation: moving audiences to care 51(12) John A. Gwynne Attitudes and attitude change among zoo visitors 63(29) Richard P. Reading Brian J. Miller The animal rights-conservation debate: can zoos and aquariums play a role? 92(18) Michael Hutchins Creating a culture of conservation: a case study of a backyard approach 110(10) Beth Stevens Jackie Ogden Kim R. Sams Message received? Quantifying the impact of informal conservation education on adults visiting UK zoos 120(19) Andrew Balmford Nigel Leader-Williams Georgina M. Mace Andrea Manica Olivia Walter Chris West Alexandra Zimmermann Part III Establishing connections between zoos and the wild Animal ambassadors: an analysis of the effectiveness and conservation impact of ex situ breeding efforts 139(16) Anne Baker Reintroductions from zoos: a conservation guiding light or a shooting star? 155(23) Mark R. Stanley Price John E. Fa Research by zoos 178(14) Dan Wharton Conservation medicine 192(13) John C. M. Lewis The Masoala rainforest: a model partnership in support of in situ conservation in Madagascar 205(15) Matthew Hatchwell Alex Rubel In situ and ex situ conservation: blurring the boundaries between zoos and the wild 220(16) Lesley A. Dickie Jeffrey P. Bonner Chris West Beyond the ark: conservation biologists' views of the achievements of zoos in conservation 236(21) Nigel Leader-Williams Andrew Balmford Matthew Linkie Georgina M. Mace Robert J. Smith Miranda Stevenson Olivia Walter Chris West Alexandra Zimmermann Part IV Direct involvement of zoos in in situ conservation Zoo-based fundraising for in situ wildlife conservation 257(18) Sarah Christie The Madagascar Fauna Group: what zoo cooperation can do for conservation 275(12) Lee Durrell David E. Anderson Andrea S. Katz Dean Gibson Charles R. Welch Eva L. Sargent Ingrid Porton Zoo coalitions for conservation 287(16) David A. Field Lesley A. Dickie The conservation mission in the wild: zoos as conservation NGOs? 303(19) Alexandra Zimmermann Roger Wilkinson Measuring conservation success: assessing zoos' contribution 322(21) Georgina M. Mace Andrew Balmford Nigel Leader-Williams Andrea Manica Olivia Walter Chris West Alexandra Zimmermann Conclusion: the future of zoos 343(18) Matthew Hatchwell Alex Rubel Lesley A. Dickie Chris West Alexandra Zimmermann Bibliographic resource: zoos and conservation 361(1) Scott Wilson Alexandra Zimmermann Index 362