Visitor—Animal Interactions at the Zoo

Throughout the twentieth century, one of the many reasons people have been drawn to zoos is for the opportunity to interact with less familiar animal species. Major venues of direct human—animal interaction in zoos are animal rides, demonstrations, children's zoos, and public feedings. Visitor interest is so strong in these programs that people are willing to pay additional fees in order to participate in them. In this paper, we discuss how these activities might enhance or detract from the education and conservation missions of zoos, and describe the potential effect of human—animal interactions on zoo animal welfare.