Zoos argue that their role as educators influences public interest and support for conservation. But, it is actually difficult to say how much influence the exhibits and work of zoos really have on their visitors - reports and papers on this subject go in both directions.

Zoos also argue that they support elephant conservation projects directly. And while some zoos play an important role in in situ conservation, for most the support offered is minimal.

Substantial amounts of money are used every year on captive elephants and their exhibits. It has been estimated that it costs about $100,000 to maintain one elephant in a zoo each year. Furthermore, elephant exhibits, however inadequate, run up to $45 million to construct. Just imagine how many elephants (and other species) this kind of money could protect in the wild?
For example, Amboseli National Park was the one elephant population in Kenya that did not suffer from ivory poaching in the 1980s. This population was spared the slaughter through the presence of a long-term elephant-monitoring project, Amboseli Elephant Research Project, whose work helps to protect close to 1,500 elephants in 60 families in their natural habitat. This project is the world’s longest study of elephants and has produced much of the research upon which our current understanding of elephants is based.

In addition to providing protection and monitoring the location, activities, associations and well-being of 1,500 elephants, and organizing veterinary care when necessary, the project employs 20 people from the local community, pays the high school and university bursaries for many students each year, trains elephant biologists from around Africa among many other community services.

The entire project costs an annual $500,000 – about the same as maintaining five elephants in zoos! Much less than 10% of ATE’s annual budget comes from support from zoos and the project struggles for every penny raised. While some zoos are seriously trying to make a difference (and to these we are very grateful) others are using big words for minor efforts.

If zoos wanted to make a valuable contribution to conservation a significantly higher proportion of funds raised would be channeled towards research and conservation of wild elephants. In the end, the future of elephants depends on the survival of national parks, not zoos.