Zoos claim educational and conservation missions to justify keeping animals in captivity. But how effective is zoo education at changing visitor attitudes and behaviours? The evidence is more mixed than the industry suggests.
The welfare calculus of zoos depends significantly on how effective the educational mission actually is. If zoo visits reliably generate conservation action and funding, the welfare costs of captivity may be partially offset. If education claims are largely aspirational with little behaviour change, the justification weakens considerably. The evidence suggests highly engaged, action-focused zoo education programmes can have genuine impact, while passive exhibit-viewing has minimal effect. This argues for welfare advocates pushing zoos to invest in quality education that actually delivers on conservation promises.