VISITOR MANAGEMENT IN ZOOS
Dr. R.L. Singh
IFS (Retd.)
Successful captive wild animal management depends, a great deal, upon
the visitor management, because unless people at large, appreciate the
contribution of zoos towards wildlife conservation the objective of zoo
management will remain unfulfilled. Also the needed financial and legal support
would remain in wanting.
The number of zoo visitors is increasing day by day. As citizens become
further distanced from nature due to growing urbanization, zoo visits remain the
only convenient mode of contacting nature and enjoying wilderness experience,
for most of the people, percent population of a country go to National parks and
wildlife once a year. This shows, both the magnitude of the visitor-management
task and also the scope of conveying the message of wildlife conservation
through zoos to a captive audience.
The two known approaches to management are policing approach and
inspirational approach. At ticket window, entry and exit gates policing approach is
suitable. Inside the zoo inspirational approach is preferred for motivating the
visitors to earn their support for up keeping the welfare of wild animals by zoo
management.
The inspirational approach aims at conveying the conservation message
to the visitor by highlighting the universality of wild animals and ethical, cultural
and educational values of wild animals.
For conveying the universality of wildlife, variety of wild animals from
different parts of the earth are to be housed in the zoo. Birds reptiles, fishes and
mammals including nocturral creatures living in animal houses, designed on the
pattern of natural habital of that wild animal and furnished in well thought manner
tells the visitor that our planet is being shared by so many other species. From
this angle, zoos should collect variety of wild animals by exchanging from other
zoos with their own surplus animals. The source of animals procured from must
be depicted in the sign-board of the animal houses, in order to convey the
message that animals are zoo-bred and not captured from free-living wild
population.
Ethical message originates from the fact that wild animals housed in the
zoo as captives, are freedom-loving creatures which have refused domestication
by man and given freedom they would instantaneously leave their man made
houses in cities and go back to nature. The information displayed on the
signboard, showing to the visitor that the wild animal, one is enjoying to watch, is
native of distantly located forests and in many cases of a foreign country gives
the message that the humans should treat captive wild animals as guests from
nature and accept the responsibility of making their stay as comfortable and
natural as possible. The different restrictions imposed upon the visitors, like no
entry with polythene, no shouting, no movement on vehicles inside the zoo, no
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throwing of stones to make the wild animals react, no feeding the wild animals by
visitors no games inside the zoo etc will then be readily accepted by the visitors.
Culture message should be conveyed by highlighting the fact that different
species have evolved different life styles, group behavior, courtship manners,
pairing patterns and infant caring. This would reflect the diversity of culture and
invoke appreciation for variety.
Educational approach to visitor management aims at highlighting the
feeding habits, diseases, reactions to seasonal variations like migration,
hibernation, nesting, distinct qualities like speed, physical strength, smelling and
hearing power etc of wild animals. Effect of human activities on destruction of
habitat, extinction of species should also be explained. All this can be done with
the help of nature interpretation centre, which is an important tool of visitor
management.
Recreational activities like walking on nature trail and touch table games.
Climbing on watch towers of different heights for different age groups.
Constructed along tree trunks are a good way of providing alternative
engagements to visitors and diverting over crowding near animal houses,
however, visitors should not be permitted with their own sport kits or recreational
facilities like music system.
Research scholars from universities, and similar institutions, wishing to
carry out research on biology, diseases and behavior of wild animals are to be
managed as a special type of visitors. Only authentic research scholars,
sponsored by the recognized institutions with written project should be permitted.
One of zoo officers should be associated as a co-supervisor in all such cases
both from the welfare of wild animal angle and also from the angle of improving
the knowledge of zoo managers. Scientific knowledge impresses visitors and
should be used as a visitor management tool. This would discourage visitors
from treating the zoo as one of the picnicking centers.
Media persons, all over the world, treat zoos as important source of news.
Zoo hospital treating sick wild animals both indoor and outdoor, rivalries,
pregnancies, births and deaths in animal houses new arrivals from other zoos,
etc are extensively reported as news of common interest. Management of media
persons should be handled at the level of the zoo Director and daily briefing at a
prefixed time, peterably 3 to 4 P.M. should be conducted at the high’s level.
Exclusive briefing to selected reporters should be avoided as it encourages
adverse reporting by the rivals of the favored reporters.
The extreme-time peaking of visitors on certain days of the year is a visitor
management problem requiring more of policing treatment than inspirational. For
example on requiring like Eid, Christmas. Diwali, Ram Navami, Guru Parva and
days of political rallies suddenly zoo gates get crowded by visitors, numbering
many more times than average daily number. Often it is beyond the carrying
capacity of the zoo. However, these are the days when zoo earms maximum
revenue through sale of tickets and are awaited because no zoo in the world is
financially self-supporting. Opening of more ticket counters, entry and exit gates,
deployment of more uniformed staff inside the zoo, preferably from amongst the
retired zoo staff is to be done in advance. Request to law & order authorities, fire
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brigade, first Aid Centre is also to be sent in advance for readiness.
Announcement on loud speaker at entry gate about dos and don’ts in the zoo,
lost & Found children is also to be arranged.
Zoo management should also encourage visitors to record their
suggestions in the register kept at exit gate, for the improvement of captive
animal management.
Information about plant spices found and free-ranging birds nesting in the
zoo campus provides an alternative to nature loving visitors.
Facilities for physically handicapped visitors like concessions in entry fee,
wheel chair at nominal charge and a guide are also to be provided.
In brief visitor management should aim at presenting zoo as learning
centre by skillfully providing information about wild animals and their habitat,
reflecting upon the universality of wild animals and their Right, encouraging the
participation of visitors in maintaining and improving the zoo as a centre of
wildlife conservation.
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