UK & World

Conservation and Education Reality at London Zoo | Letter

your article (Conflict between activists and zoo shows little sign of resolving, Oct. 17) said, “Activists point to zoos abducting animals from their natural habitat.” This is not the case for the animals at the London Zoo and Whipsnade Zoo, which originate from breeding programs of global importance, customs confiscations, etc.

The article also reports Peta’s allegations that the zoo’s conservation efforts are “scams.” ZSL operates a zoo in London Whipsnade is first and foremost a conservation charity and our zoo is an important part of that work. ZSL’s zoo is home to 15 species that are extinct in the wild (more than any other zoo in the world). These species would no longer exist without cooperative breeding programs.London Zoo has 105 species and Whipsnade Zoo has 84 endangered species, 38 of which are endangered on the IUCN Red List. specified for the species. From designing release programs to detailed health checks and post-release monitoring, we lead the world in safely releasing animals back into the wild.

Our global conservation program and ZSL’s 140 scientists are contributing to the impact of conservation and animal health, from viruses affecting amphibians to building effective eel ladders in British rivers. I am doing some research. UK Research and Innovation rated 9 in 10 research outputs as ‘world leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’.

Finally, the article cites research on the educational impact of visiting the London Zoo. We want this survey to clarify the following: Assessing Children’s Conservation Biology Learning at the Zoo, by Eric Jensen, published in Conservation Biology, 2014 – Concludes that zoo educational interventions can have a positive effect on the learning of many children, especially when supported by zoo learning teams. I was. Further research backs this up, with 92% of the teachers surveyed at London Zoo over the past year agreeing that their visit has enabled students to become more involved with nature and conservation.

The greatest shame here is that this article has caused an unnecessary and harmful division between the various organizations that care for animals, their treatment, and their future. There is none. The cause of animal welfare and conservation will work better when we work together to find common ground and common causes, rather than highlighting our differences.
Matthew Gould
ZSL Executive Director

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/oct/24/the-reality-of-conservation-and-education-at-london-zoo Conservation and Education Reality at London Zoo | Letter

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