Howell Tiffani J, McLeod Emily M, Coleman Grahame J
Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, Animal Welfare Science Centre, The University of Melbourne, North Melbourne, Australia.
Zoo Biol. 2019 Dec;38(6):461-470. doi: 10.1002/zoo.21509. Epub 2019 Aug 8.
Connection with a zoo animal may increase conservation-mindedness in zoo visitors, potentially resulting in conservation-oriented behavior change. No research has attempted to establish what this "connection" actually means. Visitors (N = 85) to Melbourne Zoo were asked to name the animal with which they most connected, the extent to which they connected with it, and to qualitatively describe what it meant to connect with that animal. Many (but not all) participants connected with charismatic megafauna: primate, great ape, large carnivore, or large herbivore. Qualitative analysis revealed five common themes in the meaning of connection: Appreciation, Attribution, Inspires Emotions, Interaction, and Proximity. Overall connection level was significantly correlated with perceptions of conservation caring for the chosen species. Future research should aim to determine what factors affect a zoo visitor's connection level, which could impact attitudes and behaviors toward conservation.
与动物园动物的接触可能会增强动物园游客的保护意识，从而有可能导致其行为向注重保护的方向转变。尚无研究试图确定这种“接触”究竟意味着什么。墨尔本动物园的游客（N = 85）被要求说出他们最有接触感的动物、与该动物接触的程度，并定性描述与该动物接触意味着什么。许多（但并非所有）参与者与有魅力的大型动物有接触：灵长类动物、大猩猩、大型食肉动物或大型食草动物。定性分析揭示了接触意义中的五个共同主题：欣赏、归属、激发情感、互动和亲近。总体接触水平与对所选物种保护关怀的认知显著相关。未来的研究应旨在确定哪些因素会影响动物园游客的接触水平，这可能会影响他们对保护的态度和行为。
