Reframing the role of zoos for both species and society
Chester Zoo scholars have proposed a new way of viewing and evaluating what zoos do
For more than 50 years, the purpose of zoos has been defined as: conservation, education, research and recreation. At one time, this reflected a clear move away from the old-fashioned notion of zoos being simple menageries or places for scientific study. But as time has gone on, the ‘four pillars’ have proven increasingly inadequate at encapsulating the full scope of what zoos deliver.
Case Study: The Zoo Sphere
The Problem:
The most widely used model of understanding for zoos is imprecise and now outdated. This has ripple effects for the zoo community and wider society. The underestimation of zoo contributions to human wellbeing, public policy, community engagement and local and national economies could lead to inadequate funding and support. This would be a major blow to international efforts to curb climate change and biodiversity loss. At the same time, the old model did not offer accurate benchmarking, leaving it unclear whether zoos were fulfilling their purpose.
The Solution:
Researchers from Chester Zoo have proposed a new, more flexible and quantifiable theoretical model for understanding zoos, which takes previously under-acknowledged dimensions of zoo activities into account. The ‘zoo sphere of influence’ model was first proposed in 2023 in a paper by lead author Dr Sarah Spooner, Dr Sue Walker, Dr Simon Dowell and Dr Andy Moss.
This model offers a broader scope view of the effects zoos have on society, while at the same time communicating the more granular aspects of these impacts. The ‘sphere of influence’ model is periodically revisited and updated.
This model also allows researchers and the public to evaluate the impact of individual zoos against multiple criteria. The model has applicability beyond the academic sphere; one of the project outputs include a ‘zoo sphere of influence’ app, where guests can assess an individual zoo using the matrix provided. It has been cited in several studies.
Find out more about ZooSphere here.