Andrew Moss

Chester Zoo

Campaigns by zoos, aquariums, and other civil society organizations are an important tool for promoting social changes that benefit the environment. Here, we evaluate a global biodiversity education campaign's impact through a repeated-measures survey of nearly 5000 visitors to 20 zoos and aquariums located in 14 countries. By comparing visitors’ p...

Many environmental communication interventions are built on the assumption that increased knowledge will lead to changes in pro-environment behaviours. Our study probes the link between biodiversity-related knowledge and self-reported pro-conservation behaviour, based on the largest and most international study of zoo visitors ever conducted. In to...

The United Nations Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020 is a key initiative within global efforts to halt and eventually reverse the loss of biodiversity. The very first target of this plan states that “by 2020, at the latest, people are aware of the values of biodiversity and the steps they can take to conserve and use it sustainably.” Zoos a...

As zoos have sought to further their conservation missions, they have become powerful providers of environmental education. Outside of "formal" education initiatives, such as those designed for school and other organized groups, or structured public talks programmes, much of the learning potential that the zoo has to offer is around the viewing of...

Zoos and aquariums are well placed to connect visitors with the issues facing biodiversity globally and many deliver interventions that seek to influence visitors’ beliefs and behaviors with respect to conservation. However, despite primary studies evaluating the effect of such interventions, the overall effect of engaging with zoos and the factors...

It is now well established that human-induced species extinctions and habitat degradation are currently occurring at unprecedented rates. To halt and reverse this decline, the international community adopted the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), as part of the Kunming–Montreal Biodiversity Package, in December 2022. We clarify w...

In the past few decades, zoos have undergone a transformation from places of entertainment to centers for conservation, with education becoming a particular focus. Interpretation in zoos is a near-universal method for delivering education in zoos and has been shown to prompt learning and pro-conservation behavior change. However, there is limited u...

Zoos and aquaria were founded in a world fundamentally different from today, and yet, the need for such conservation organisations could not be stronger. We are currently in a climate and biodiversity crisis, with unprecedented species loss, exacerbated by human actions. The mission of many conservation zoos is to prevent such extinctions through i...

Amyloidosis is frequently identified during postmortem examination of captive eastern bongo (Tragelaphus eurycerus isaaci) in the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP). However, its significance and etiopathogenesis are poorly understood. The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of amyloidosis within this population and i...

Demand for cage birds is highly prevalent and increasing across Indonesia, as wild bird populations across Asia decline. To find ways to reduce demand, it is important to understand the motivations and psychographic drivers to keep (or not keep) birds, and how demographic characteristics and public attitudes influence such decisions. Based on surve...

One Health is increasingly being used as a tool in ecosystem protection. The Orangutan Veterinary Advisory Group (OVAG) is working to address One Health concerns in Pongo spp. (orangutan) welfare and conservation. Orangutans are vital contributors to the ecosystem health of their range areas. Strengthening national capacity is crucial to make a las...

Over 70 million cage‐birds are kept across 12 million households on the island of Java, Indonesia, fuelling serious concerns for the health of regional wild bird populations. Understanding the behaviours, preferences and demographic profiles of bird‐keepers will guide attempts to reduce demand for wild birds and hence the impact of trade on wild po...

In 2020 the Convention on Biological Diversity will deliver the post-2020 global biodiversity framework. The promotion of conservation and biodiversity knowledge will form at least one of the targets set out in this framework. According to the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) zoos and aquariums receive around 700 million annual visits...

Addressing the biodiversity crisis requires renewed collaborative approaches. Large carnivores are ambassador species, and as such they can aid the protection of a wide range of species, including evolutionarily distinct and threatened ones, while being popular for conservation marketing. However, conflicts between carnivores and people present a c...

Addressing the biodiversity crisis requires renewed collaborative approaches. Large carnivores are ambassador species, and as such they can aid the protection of a wide range of species, including evolutionarily distinct and threatened ones, while being popular for conservation marketing. However, conflicts between carnivores and people present a c...

Modern zoos claim to be a platform for conservation education and attempt to educate visitors using textual interpretation, public talks and engaging exhibit design. Walk-through exhibits aim to maximise the educational potential of a zoo visit by providing a unique, immersive experience that can enhance visitor connection with a species. This stud...

Many South-East Asian bird species are in rapid decline due to offtake for the cage-bird trade, a phenomenon driven largely by consumption in Indonesia and labelled the ‘Asian Songbird Crisis’. Interventions aimed at reducing this offtake require an understanding of the spatial and temporal dynamics of the trade. We surveyed the bird-keeping habits...

Large carnivores are ambassador species, and as such they can aid the protection of a widerange of species, including evolutionarily distinct and threatened ones, while being popular for conservation marketing. However, conflicts between carnivores and people present a considerable challenge to biodiversity conservation. Our cross disciplinary essa...

Zoos and aquariums are popular visitor destinations, with around 30 million visits made to them annually throughout the UK and Ireland. The role and mission of modern zoos have evolved, with the conservation of world’s remaining biodiversity now being their major purpose. They seek to aid biodiversity through a combination of public education, in s...

Zoos and aquariums aim to achieve lasting impact on their public audiences' awareness of biodiversity, its value, and the steps they can take to conserve it. Here, we evaluate the long-term educational impact of visits to zoos and aquariums on biodiversity understanding and knowledge of actions to help protect biodiversity. A minimum of two years a...

The evaluation of the educational impact of zoos and aquariums is a growing area of research. This study attempted to measure the impact of an in-school zoo education outreach programme run by Chester Zoo, UK. Specifically, this programme delivered multiple workshops under a common conservation sub-theme to the same group of students within the UK...

There is clearly something about zoos that draws people to them. Recent studies suggest that over 700 million visits are made to zoos around the world each year. This is an incredible number. One would reasonably assume that one of the main drivers for people to visit zoos would be, simply, to see animals. In the last decades, zoos have reinvented...

The present and future of biodiversity conservation embraces an interdisciplinary approach. In particular, the acceptance that social factors are a key component to understanding the challenges species and habitats face. Indeed, it is this growing understanding that may lead us to effective solutions to these challenges. Education is the most-used...

Big Data’ are immense data sets that can be analysed to reveal patterns and trends in human behaviour and interactions. The growth in the digital universe and the data it makes available provide zoological facilities with information that can be used to develop targeted conservation-education programmes and for long-term future planning for biodive...

To fulfill an educational or visitor-related role in the zoo's collection, a species needs to be visible to the visiting public. However, this may not always be achievable for animals housed in naturalistic enclosures, particularly species which are highly camouflaged and have an elusive nature, such as jaguars. Four jaguars housed at Chester Zoo (...

A strong focus for zoo education is inspiring visitors to care for the environment and this inevitably means reinforcing messages that relate to the adoption of sustainable lifestyles. Since lifestyle changes are likely to involve some level of personal cost or sacrifice, zoo educators are faced with the challenge of aligning this objective with th...

One of the roles of the modern zoo is to provide environmental education. Zoo visitation comprises primarily family groups seeking to spend time together. There is potential for tension between message and audience expectation as zoos seek to raise awareness of the effects of irresponsible human behavior on the environment. This may unsettle family...

Zoos exude a certain self-confidence regarding their roles as education providers. Indeed, the education outputs of zoos are, at face value, pretty impressive, with most investing in learning opportunities for leisure visitors, education groups and in some cases, as part of their in situ programs. However, these outputs are not necessarily reliable...

To help zoo visitors appreciate the pro-active health care work of zoo vets, an exhibition was staged and received over 70,000 visitors. Research data were collected from visitors entering the zoo and those that had visited the exhibit. Independent t-tests were used in analysis and significant differences were found between the two visitor samples...

This study, conducted over a four-year period at Chester Zoo in the UK, sought to evaluate the impact on visitor behavior and interpretation use that a transition from second-to third-generation zoo exhibit might affect. Visitors spent more time in the newer exhibit (even when allowing for relative floor area) and visitor time budgets suggest a hig...

The provision of high-quality conservation education has become a priority for modern zoos. This can be delivered in a number of differing ways to account for differences in learning styles and prior knowledge of zoo visitors. At Chester Zoo (United Kingdom), a team of full-time and highly trained interpreters (known as presenters) deliver a divers...

Immersive exhibits are increasingly popular in zoos, being seen as benefiting both animals and visitors. Multiple, discreet viewing areas are one of the key features of immersive zoo exhibits. Small, discreet viewing areas afford the visitor a very personal and intimate experience and may promote an affiliative response between the visitor and the...