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Visitor reaction to pacing behavior: influence on the perception of animal care and interest in supporting zoological institutions
Author(s) -
Miller Lance J.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
zoo biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.5
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1098-2361
pISSN - 0733-3188
DOI - 10.1002/zoo.20411
Subject(s) - visitor pattern , animal welfare , tiger , perception , perspective (graphical) , wildlife , welfare , biology , ecology , political science , computer science , neuroscience , computer security , artificial intelligence , law , programming language
Many publications within the field of zoo animal welfare have stated the importance of decreasing stereotypic behavior (e.g., pacing) to help ensure a positive visitor experience. The idea behind these statements is that visitors want to see animals engaged in natural behavior. Additionally, it is thought that watching an animal exhibit species‐appropriate behavior could help increase a visitor's connection to wildlife and ultimately their interest in conservation. However, until recently, no information was available to validate such statements. The purpose of this research was to examine people's reaction to viewing an animal engaged in pacing behavior. Participants were randomly selected to fill out a survey after watching a short video of either a tiger pacing or resting (control). Results indicate that having viewed a tiger pacing significantly decreases people's perception of the level of care animals receive at that facility. In addition, people's interest in supporting zoos decreased as a result of viewing this behavior. Results are discussed from an animal welfare, business, and conservation perspective. Zoo Biol 31: 242–248, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.