How many people enjoy zoos?

In a normal year we estimate more than 700 million people visit zoos and aquariums worldwide, with many millions following their work online too (the only option during lockdown). With this huge and growing audience, we nurture strong relationships with the wider public.



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Globally, 700 million people visit zoos and aquariums every year, or about 10 percent of the world population. Zoos and aquariums are positioned today not only to take a leading role in conservation, but to educate the next generations about the importance of Earth's animals.

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According to this survey, 95% of U.S. adults believe that visits to accredited zoos and aquariums help people appreciate animals and encourage learning. In addition, 86% believe that these visits encourage people to donate time or money to animal conservation efforts.

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We have no evidence whatsoever that wild animals are, in any way, happier than domesticated ones which are treated well. One of the consequences of domestication is a decrease in stress across the board.

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Do zoos help or harm animals? While some suggest that zoos exploit captive animals and that wild animals should be wild, these facilities also present wildlife conservation attempts and learning opportunities as well. Zoos may introduce trauma to animals, but they are also taken care of in zoos.

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Although 700 million people worldwide visit zoos and aquariums each year, many zoos have found their attendance numbers going down in recent years.

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Discovering New Sights and Sounds. Even young infants can enjoy the trumpet of an elephant, the plumage of a peacock, or the lithe movements of a big cat. Children of all ages love to experience new things, and every exhibit at the zoo offers opportunities for novel sensory experiences.

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For some it may be a way to socialize, identify, empathize with other beings, without the strain of always interacting with people. What a lonely species we are, searching for signals of life from other galaxies, adopting companion animals, visiting parks and zoos to commune with other beasts.

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Supporters of zoos say they play an important role in protecting endangered species. People still enjoy collecting animals to display in their private homes.

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Should zoos be banned, we would certainly loose some species. This is particularly important in the case of endangered species. Due to the low density of the population of some animals in their natural ecosystems they struggle to find partners. Some populations in the wild are weakened by endogamy too.

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That captivity can be REALLY bad for both physical AND psychological health. And while zoos have been really helpful is saving endangered animals, it doesn't work out for certain species. For example, most large carnivores like lions and tigers that are bred in captivity die when released into the wild.

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On average, captive animals (especially mammals) live longer than wild animals. This may be due to the fact that zoos provide refuge against diseases, competition with others of the same species and predators.

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Despite the common claim that petting zoos are educational for children because they are exposed to animals that they wouldn't come in contact with otherwise, children are learning that it is acceptable to treat animals inhumanely for their own entertainment.

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Zoos Care for Their Animals Animals can have a quality of life as high or higher than in the wild. They don't suffer from the stress and threat of predators, the pain of parasites, injury, or illness, and they won't suffer from starvation or drought.

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Polar bears are the animals that do worst in captivity. Carnivores such as polar bears, tigers, cheetahs, and lions are especially poorly suited for life in a zoo, according to a new study. The more an animal roams in the wild, the researchers found, the worse it fares in captivity.

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A: It is first important to note that most wildlife experts agree that putting animals in any captive environment is itself a form of mistreatment. This is because captivity enforces conditions upon wild animals in which they are not adapted to thrive.

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Bears are highly intelligent, wide-ranging animals and can therefore suffer particularly badly in captivity. Many bears kept in zoos, circuses and road-side “shows” display abnormal behaviours, including repetitive pacing, swaying from side to side or bar-biting.

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