Do zoos have any educational purposes?

Answer 1

Yes. They have signs about the animals, they show animals in their natural habitats so that people can observe their behavior patterns, and many zoos have courses and tours that provide a lot of information about the animals.

Answer 2

They teach people about an animal's environment and usually what we can do to avoid them from becoming an endangered species. Also if you were to see an animal in the environment, you would know what do.

Answer 3

As a zookeeper I would say yes zoos are necessary and educational. Why should people want to save and protect species of animals they have never seen or even heard of. The chance of people becoming interested in a species increases if they have the chance of seeing that animal up close and learning as much about it as they can.

Zoos that are accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) meet strict requirements on care and handling of all species. An educational program is one of those requirements and many institiutions have exceptional programs to educate children as well as adults. Along with education zoos also participate in species survival plans. Many threatened and endangered species are breeding in the care of man. Through these breeding programs zoo are increasing the population sizes and increasing genetic diversity. Zoos throughout the country work together to ensure that these species will continue to survive for future generations.

While visiting the zoo people are informed of why an animals is endangered and what they can do to help them. Take lemurs for example, they are only found in Madagascar and no where else. The main reason they are endangered is due to loss of habitat. One way people can help them is to purchase coffee grown in the shade instead of the sun. This would help to prevent land from being cleared for coffee growing. Little things like that can make a difference in helping a species survive, and for many people seeing the animal up close makes them realize the dangers those animals face in the wild more than if they had just seen them on tv.

Unfortunately many animal species have become extinct but through the work work of zoos and other organizations we are trying to prevent other species from following the same path. In the Texas the Attwaters Prairie Chicken has a population size of around 40 left in the wild. It is the most endangered bird in TX, but thanks to the efforts of US Fish and WildLife and zoos throughtout TX the popluation size is increasing due to their breed and release program. Most people in TX have never even heard of the bird because there are so few, however due to education at the zoos people are learning about them and learning on what they can do to help them.

Other species such as the American alligator and the bald eagle all have great consveration stories. Animlas that once were on the brink of extinction, now have rebounded and population sizes are increasing. Many zoos house bald eagles that injured and would be unable to survive in the wild. Not only the zoos protecting that animal, they are teaching people about what happened to the animal from preventing its release as well as teaching them what they can do to prevent things like that from happening again.

Rescue and rehabilitation programs are another conservation effort that many zoos are involved in. Calls come in year round about sick, injured, or stranded animals. Rescue teams will bring that animal back to the health center where they are evaluated. Once it is determined what the extent of the problem is they are treated and once healthy released back into their environment. If an animal is an orphaned they are raised and taught how to survive on their own and when old enough released. The only time an animal is kept is if it has a severe injury that would prevent it from surviving. Examples would be a blind animal that couldn't hunt for food or a bird that is missing a wing and couldn't fly.

I could go on and on about why zoos are necessary and educational, but I hope that what I have said has given some thought to the question. Visit a local zoo, rehabilitation center, or reserve and see for yourself what they are doing to help animals. Many places need volunteers, not only is it a great way to contribute to the animals but it is a chance for people to learn from them.

Answer 4

zoos are good for educational reasons because you can learn about all different species of animals and know what they eat and basically you can learn anything about animals and watch their behavior. there is also another reason that our mind will remember what we see long time, than hearing.

Answer 5

because people can learn about wildlife animals

Answer 6

bvl