Zookeeper–Animal Bonds and Their Relationship with Conservation Action
Human–animal relationships have been demonstrated to have impacts on animal and keeper welfare, although their impacts on zookeepers have been less studied outside of evaluating job satisfaction. Many zoological facilities are active in supporting conservation initiatives among staff, but current le...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-5636/3/4/52 |
| _version_ | 1797456813221740544 |
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| author | Veronica Thomas Jerran Orwig Nichole Shelmidine Joshua York |
| author_facet | Veronica Thomas Jerran Orwig Nichole Shelmidine Joshua York |
| author_sort | Veronica Thomas |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Human–animal relationships have been demonstrated to have impacts on animal and keeper welfare, although their impacts on zookeepers have been less studied outside of evaluating job satisfaction. Many zoological facilities are active in supporting conservation initiatives among staff, but current levels of zookeeper engagement in pro-conservation behavior and the motivations behind it are less studied. Some research indicates motivations for pro-environmental action, in general, may include empathetic connections with animals. To investigate connections between zookeeper–animal relationships and conservation participation, 144 zookeepers from various locations participated in an online survey responding to questions about their perception of their relationships with the animals in their care and current conservation participation levels. This study found zookeepers who report bonds with the animals in their care are more likely to participate in select conservation behaviors, such as reducing personal waste, than those who do not claim a bond with animals. Bonds did not predict involvement in larger conservation actions such as habitat restoration or citizen science participation. These findings have implications for how zoos might encourage engagement in pro-conservation behaviors and participation among their staff. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T16:13:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c08757e41e25440aae46a8f7cdfa4dec |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2673-5636 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T16:13:14Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens |
| spelling | doaj.art-c08757e41e25440aae46a8f7cdfa4dec2023-11-24T16:04:57ZengMDPI AGJournal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens2673-56362022-12-013469971310.3390/jzbg3040052Zookeeper–Animal Bonds and Their Relationship with Conservation ActionVeronica Thomas0Jerran Orwig1Nichole Shelmidine2Joshua York3Wildlife Conservation Society, Prospect Park Zoo, New York, NY 11225, USADepartment of Biology, Project Dragonfly, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USAWildlife Conservation Society, Prospect Park Zoo, New York, NY 11225, USADepartment of Biology, Project Dragonfly, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USAHuman–animal relationships have been demonstrated to have impacts on animal and keeper welfare, although their impacts on zookeepers have been less studied outside of evaluating job satisfaction. Many zoological facilities are active in supporting conservation initiatives among staff, but current levels of zookeeper engagement in pro-conservation behavior and the motivations behind it are less studied. Some research indicates motivations for pro-environmental action, in general, may include empathetic connections with animals. To investigate connections between zookeeper–animal relationships and conservation participation, 144 zookeepers from various locations participated in an online survey responding to questions about their perception of their relationships with the animals in their care and current conservation participation levels. This study found zookeepers who report bonds with the animals in their care are more likely to participate in select conservation behaviors, such as reducing personal waste, than those who do not claim a bond with animals. Bonds did not predict involvement in larger conservation actions such as habitat restoration or citizen science participation. These findings have implications for how zoos might encourage engagement in pro-conservation behaviors and participation among their staff.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-5636/3/4/52human–animal relationshipshuman–animal bondsconservation behaviorconservation culture |
| spellingShingle | Veronica Thomas Jerran Orwig Nichole Shelmidine Joshua York Zookeeper–Animal Bonds and Their Relationship with Conservation Action Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens human–animal relationships human–animal bonds conservation behavior conservation culture |
| title | Zookeeper–Animal Bonds and Their Relationship with Conservation Action |
| title_full | Zookeeper–Animal Bonds and Their Relationship with Conservation Action |
| title_fullStr | Zookeeper–Animal Bonds and Their Relationship with Conservation Action |
| title_full_unstemmed | Zookeeper–Animal Bonds and Their Relationship with Conservation Action |
| title_short | Zookeeper–Animal Bonds and Their Relationship with Conservation Action |
| title_sort | zookeeper animal bonds and their relationship with conservation action |
| topic | human–animal relationships human–animal bonds conservation behavior conservation culture |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-5636/3/4/52 |
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