The Viewing And Education Effects Of Visitors In Zoos

Education plays a significant role and function in zoos. Viewing animals is foundation and the important component of public education in the zoo. The purpose of this thesis is analyzing the effects of viewing and education based on visitors studies, according to existing exhibits and education settings in China zoos, and to provide valuable information for improving the exhibits design and education settings. During May to November of 2001, the surveys were conducted respectively in exhibition of Brown Bear, Amur tiger, Macaque, Indian Elephant, Hippopotamus in Harbin Zoo, Beijing Zoo and Guangzhou Zoo, using the observing method to record the viewing time, behavior of visitors, and questionnaires survey to investigate the education perception of visitors. The results revealed that: (1) the average viewing time of 1500 visitors is 119second (±7s), and the main factors impacting on the viewing time of visitors significantly are exhibition characteristics, including exhibit size(t=8.42), visual barriers(t=-7.20), variety(t=2.58), distance(t=-10.46), visibility(t=4.27), next exhibit(t=421) and crowd(t=-422); animal characteristics including activity level(t=7.37), animal size(t=9.56) and infant presence(t=4.22) and other factors including visitor group size(t=5.51), reading signs(i=227) and temperature(t=-6.81). Although the factors have different impacts in three zoos, the activity level of animal have significant influence in every exhibit. (2) Visitors behaved variously in different species exhibits, including shouting, reading interpreting signs and feeding animals. (3) From 900 questionnaires, we know that the educational content preferred by visitors is animal conservation, and the interpretation of docents is the most favorite way for education. The using rate to interpreting signs is high, 91.6% visitors read the signs, but their cognition to State key protected animals of China is not enough, indicating that the effectiveness of education settings need to be improved. Visitor's satisfaction of education is high and the demand levels of visitors for viewing animals and education is quite low. Some strategies and advices in the aspects of exhibits design, improving the effectiveness of education and visitor management were proposed in according to the survey results.