They provide an opportunity for millions of people to view animals up close. But are they doing enough to help endangered species in the wild, or should they be working harder?
NEWS that a breeding pair of giant pandas could arrive at Edinburgh Zoo next spring has provoked reactions ranging from excitement to extreme disapproval.
Lauded as the "rockstars of the animal world" because of their crowd-pulling power, the pair
's arrival is expected to send zoo visitor numbers soaring.
But environmentalists have expressed concern that the zoo's plan to breed pandas in captivity is of limited benefit to the animals' conservation.
Earlier this year, Edinburgh Zoo also revealed plans to breed chimps as it opened its huge £5.6 million Budongo Trail exhibit.
While the zoo claims its breeding programmes help to ensure the survival of endangered species, some animal charities insist the money would be better spent conserving habitats in the wild.
It's well known that the zoo sponsors the Budongo Conservation Field Station in Uganda – but how much else does the public really know about the zoo's conservation efforts?
Wildlife charity the Born Free Foundation says zoos spend a disproportionately small amount on conservation.
It commissioned an independent poll in 2006 to ask the public how much of a zoo's turnover they thought was dedicated to conservation.
The survey found most people assumed between a quarter to 40 per cent was dedicated to conservation when, in reality, Born Free says even the better zoos – of which the charity concedes Edinburgh is one – only commit five or six per cent.
Born Free's chief executive Will Travers says he would like to know how much money the zoo puts into its much- publicised sponsorship of the field station
"The zoo had a total spend of £202,992 on conservation in 2006," he says. "What proportion of that will go to Budongo?
"One has to judge whether captive breeding is going to make a significant contribution to the species.
"The priority should be to support and fund the conservation of the habitats of the several hundred thousand chimps still in existence in the wild.
"That's where we disagree so strongly with these monolithic showpiece exhibits like the Budongo Trail.
"Edinburgh sets itself up as a centre of excellence with regard to conservation. It's down to the zoo to justify its claims in relation to conservation by letting the public know what those figures are and seeing if they meet the public's aspirations."
In 2007, the zoo says it spent £208,000 on projects in the wild, including the BCFS. But it also highlights as important conservation work its investment in transporting animals from collections around the world to help form breeding pairs. Money was also spent on building suitable enclosures for those animals and for other areas of care, such as food and medicine.
David Windmill, chief executive of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, which owns Edinburgh Zoo, says: "We have been funding the conservation of chimps in the Budongo Forest in Uganda since 2005.
"Our funds have helped to support vital activities such as snare removal, research into chimpanzee behaviour and the employment and education of local people. Our assistance has also allowed the resident group to breed in a safe environment."
With regard to the new plans to breed giant pandas from cubs loaned from the Wolong Research Centre in China, the chief executive says any cubs produced will eventually go back to Wolong.
"Any cubs produced as a result of the giant panda breeding programme will eventually go back to Wolong, where reintroduction programmes will begin in the next couple of years," he says.
"Furthermore, the money that the Chinese government receives from the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland for the duration of the loan will go directly to conservation projects for giant pandas in China."
The zoo comes in for heavy criticism for not spending more on conservation projects in the wild.
Perhaps it could do more – but it is important not to forget that by attracting popular animals such as chimps and giant pandas to the zoo, countless children and adults will be inspired by wildlife – and by paying their entrance fee, raise more money for conservation.
The zoo is, after all, a charity, and money spent there is invested back into conservation, education about conservation and research to help conservation projects.
Although it doesn't do as much conservation in the wild as some environmentalists believe it ought to, there is little doubt that zoo staff have the best interests of the animals at heart, just as much as those working with them.
Top ten endangered species1. Socorro dove (extinct in wild)
2. Partula snail
3. Montserrat Oriole
4. Bali starling (almost extinct)
5. Amur leopard (only 40 left)
6. Blue-crowned laughing thrush
7. Visayan warty pig
8. Waldrapp Ibis
9. Yellow-breasted capuchin
10. Amur tiger (Only 300 left)
The full article contains 824 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
