MEASURING THE EFFECTS OF EDUCATION ON ZOO VISITOR AWARENESS AND BEHAVIOURS RELATING TO ORANG-UTAN CONSERVATION

Without rapid intervention, Orang-utans may become extinct in the wild within ten years due to habitat loss. One of the main reasons for the loss of their habitat is rainforest clearing for palm oil plantations. Because Australian consumer behaviour affects the demand for palm oil products, education is paramount.

Ms Elissa Pearson, Dr Carla Litchfield and Dr Jill Dorrian from the University of South Australia are investigating the role of zoos in contributing to the conservation of Orang-utans in the wild through public education (visitor education and close-up experiences with Orang-utans).

AIMS

The broader project aims to determine: 

• Zoo visitors' knowledge of Orang-utans
• Zoo visitors' attitudes toward Orang-utans
• Zoo visitors' prior behaviour to support Orang-utan conservation
• Whether visiting the zoo changes visitors' intentions for future conservation behaviour

The project is also measuring the effectiveness of Melbourne Zoo's Don't Palm us Off campaign.  To learn more about the campaign, click here.

METHODS

The broader research project is being conducted at several Australian Zoos, including Melbourne, Taronga, Adelaide and Monarto Zoos (Monarto Zoo does not have Orang-utans and so is being used as a control). At each of these zoos, 70-100 visitors have been selected at random and asked to complete a short survey about their Orang-utan related knowledge and behaviours.

The researchers are visiting Melbourne Zoo four times to evaluate the effectiveness of the Don't Palm us Off campaign. The first two phases of data (prior to campaign and six months into the campaign) have now been collected.

RESULTS

Since the start of the Don't Palm us Off campaign:

• Visitors who correctly identified palm oil as the primary threat to Orang-utan survival increased from 54.3% to 97%
• The proportion of visitors that would prefer palm oil labelling increased from 69.9% to 90%
• 87% (up from 66.3%) of visitors now indicate that palm oil would influence their purchasing decisions as a shopper
• Three quarters of visitors petition Food Standards Australia and New Zealand for compulsory labelling of palm oil
• The proportion of visitors reporting that they avoid palm oil containing products increased from 18.7% to 28.7%

Zoo visitors across both phases of the research expressed a high level of affinity toward Orang-utans in both their attitudinal scores and their emotional responses to the zoo experience.

PROJECT OUTCOMES

One main goal of all zoos is to contribute to species conservation through public education. The findings to date indicate that Melbourne Zoo's Don't Palm us Off campaign has been extremely successful in increasing awareness about palm oil and the resultant habitat loss this product causes for Orang-utans.  The campaign is inspiring zoo visitors to become actively involved in Orang-utan conservation.

The findings also suggest that zoo visitors hold very positive attitudes toward Orang-utans. Providing visitors with relevant information about the survival challenges facing Orang-utans can effectively motivate visitors to change related conservation behaviours.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

- on Melbourne Zoo's Don't Palm us Off campaign - click here

- on the broader research project - click here to go Zoos South Australia Conservation Ark

- on Orang-utan conservation - click here to go to the Australian Orang-utan Project website