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Reactions of zoo visitors to free-ranging monkeys

Price, Eluned C., Ashmore, Louise A., McGivern, Anne-Marie (1994) Reactions of zoo visitors to free-ranging monkeys. Zoo Biology, 13 (4). pp. 355-373. ISSN 0733-3188. (doi:10.1002/zoo.1430130409) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:19962)

The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided.
Official URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/zoo.1430130409

Abstract

This study assessed the potential of two types of primate exhibit both for enhancing zoo visitors' interest, knowledge, and enjoyment and for promoting conservation education. Visitors' reactions to a free-ranging group of cotton-top tamarins were compared with their responses to caged tamarins in three ways: 1) timing how long visitors spent at each exhibit, 2) recording the comments made by visitors about the exhibits, and 3) asking visitors to respond to questionnaires about the two exhibits. The results showed that the free-ranging group of tamarins provoked wider comment from members of the public than caged groups and that visitors were willing to spend much more time looking for and watching monkeys in trees than monkeys in cages. Visitors felt that improvements in the animals' welfare were obtained from allowing them to live free in the trees, thought that they could learn more from such groups than from caged animals, and enjoyed seeing the free-ranging tamarins more than the monkeys in cages. These results suggest that developing more naturalistic zoo exhibits can have considerable benefits not only for the animals involved, but also for public education in conservation issues.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1002/zoo.1430130409
Subjects: Q Science > QL Zoology
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Human and Social Sciences > School of Anthropology and Conservation > DICE (Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology)
Depositing User: O.O. Odanye
Date Deposited: 10 Jun 2009 08:17 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Nov 2021 09:58 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/19962 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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