Baltimore (May 27, 2005) – People love to see animals, and according to opinion poll results released by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA), 95 percent of U.S. adults agree that visiting accredited zoos and aquariums and seeing animals helps people appreciate them more and encourages people to learn more about them.
Another finding shows that 86 percent of respondents agree that visiting zoos and aquariums encourages people to donate money or time to animal conservation efforts.
“These statistics support what we have consistently heard from our guests: People want to see animals in AZA-accredited zoos because it’s how they learn about, and come to love and care for the future of these wonderful animals,” said Paula Schaedlich, deputy director of programs at the National Aquarium in Baltimore. “The Aquarium plays a critical role in helping connect people with animals and nature.”
Sydney Butler, AZA’s executive director added: “We have learned through this poll that people agree that zoos and aquariums not only help them to learn about animals, but that they are also committed to the welfare of the animals. AZA accredited zoos and aquariums care for 800,000 animals daily and are dedicated to providing the best of care, with new and expanded facilities, and the most up-to-date veterinary practices available.”
The survey also shows that 94 percent of the public agrees that children are more likely to be concerned about animals if they learn about them at zoos, marine life parks and aquariums. “It’s important in our society today that children have the opportunity to learn about and care about animals from around the world,” Butler said, speaking on behalf of AZA’s 211 accredited members.
The poll shows that most adults (95%) agree that seeing live animals in zoos and aquariums gives children a greater appreciation for animals. Ninety-three percent of respondents agree that their families enjoy going to zoos and aquariums where they can see living animals up close.
Later this year, the National Aquarium in Baltimore will open Animal Planet Australia: Wild Extremes, an exhibit that brings the Northern Territory of Australia to the United States. A 35-foot waterfall will greet guests as they travel from the new Chesapeake Bay Plaza, also set to open later this year, to the land Down Under.
More than 100 species will live in the habitat, and many of them will be found nowhere else in North America. The exhibit explores how plants and animals survive, and even thrive, in the intense conditions of northern Australia: floods, droughts and fires occur on an annual basis.
Butler added that he is not surprised to see education identified as a key part of a family’s zoo and aquarium experience. “It is important for people, particularly children, to learn about animals, like elephants, and then turn their experience into an interest in conserving and protecting animals. Almost any professional working at an AZA-accredited zoo or aquarium will tell you that their passion and dedication to animals goes back to their experiences at zoos and aquariums when they were children. We all share this love of animals, and we are committed to the daily and long-term care of our animals, as well as wild animals and their habitats,” he said.
Through the Aquarium’s conservation department, people have a direct link with community habitat restoration projects. Last year, the Aquarium led nearly 850 volunteers in restoration projects throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Their efforts restored 14 acres of important wetland habitat.
In June, the Aquarium’s conservation team will lead its largest wetland restoration project ever on Poplar Island, one of the largest restoration sites in the world. Eighty volunteers are needed each day; those interested in more information should e-mail conserve@aqua.org.
In addition to wanting a fun, safe family experience when visiting a zoo or aquarium , adults (94 percent) agree that zoos and aquariums teach children about how people can protect animals and the places they live. Ninety-five percent said it is either somewhat important or essential that zoos and aquariums present educational materials in an “enjoyable and entertaining manner.”
Following are some additional findings from the new research:
- 96 percent of respondents agree that it is important that people work to conserve animals such as those found in aquariums and zoos.
- 95 percent of respondents agree that many of the successes to save endangered or declining species are at least in part a result of work done in zoos and aquariums.
- 93 percent of respondents agree that it is important that an aquarium or zoo be accredited by a national association.
Methodology
Harris Interactive® conducted the study online on behalf of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association and the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums between September 16 and 21, 2004, among a nationally representative sample of 1,102 U.S. adults aged 18 and over. The data were weighted to be representative of the total U.S. adult population on the basis of region, age within gender, education, household income, race/ethnicity and propensity to be online.
In theory, with probability samples of this size, one could say with 95 percent certainty that the results for the overall sample have a sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. This online sample is not a probability sample.
About the National Aquarium in Baltimore
The National Aquarium in Baltimore, a non-profit organization, is Maryland’s most exciting and popular cultural attraction, as well as one of the region’s leading conservation and education resources, hosting more than 1.6 million visitors per year. The Aquarium’s mission is to connect people with aquatic life in order to create a better world for both. It is dedicated to education and conservation through more than a dozen programs that serve the environment and the community.
About the American Zoo and Aquarium Association
Founded in 1924, the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) envisions a world where all people respect, value and conserve animals and nature. AZA currently has 211 accredited members in the U.S., Canada, Bermuda and Hong Kong. Look for the AZA logo whenever you visit a zoo or aquarium as your assurance that you are supporting a facility dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you, and a better future for all living things. AZA is a leader in global wildlife conservation, and your link to helping animals in their native habitats.
About Harris Interactive®
Harris Interactive Inc. (www.harrisinteractive.com), the 15th largest and fastest-growing market research firm in the world, is a Rochester, N.Y.-based global research company that blends premier strategic consulting with innovative and efficient methods of investigation, analysis and application. Known for The Harris Poll® and for pioneering Internet-based research methods, Harris Interactive conducts proprietary and public research to help its clients achieve clear, material and enduring results.
Harris Interactive combines its intellectual capital, databases and technology to advance market leadership through U.S. offices and wholly owned subsidiaries: London-based HI Europe (www.hieurope.com), Paris-based Novatris (www.novatris.com), Tokyo-based Harris Interactive Japan, through newly acquired WirthlinWorldwide, a Reston, Virginia-based research and consultancy firm ranked 25th largest in the world, and through an independent global network of affiliate market research companies. EOE M/F/D/V
