NOT A PET…UNTIL IT'S PART OF THE SHOW?
Part 1 of 3
Examining whether educational messages and educational experiences always tell the same story.
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), in partnership with the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), encourages the public to remember an important message:
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Wild and exotic animals are “Not a Pet.”
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The campaign highlights concerns surrounding the trade in live wildlife, the specialized needs of exotic species, potential disease risks and the consequences that can follow when wild animals are purchased as pets.
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It is an important message.
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But it also raises an important question about educational consistency:
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What happens when the message visitors hear and the experience they see appear to tell different stories?
WHEN “NOT A PET” MEETS THE AMBASSADOR ANIMAL
Across AZA-accredited institutions, visitors may also encounter wild animals presented as “ambassadors”—sometimes carried before audiences, positioned beside handlers, walked on leashes, perched on arms or featured in carefully managed close-contact presentations.
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These programs are not simply informal encounters. AZA maintains an Ambassador Animal Policy, requires accredited institutions using ambassador animals to establish institutional policies, publishes guidance concerning their management and use, and provides professional resources related to ambassador-animal programming.
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That distinction matters.
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The issue is not whether every ambassador-animal presentation is unsafe, poorly managed or intended to encourage exotic-pet ownership.
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The more difficult question is whether the experience being demonstrated consistently reinforces the message being taught.
WHAT DOES THE AUDIENCE SEE?
Imagine a child watching:
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• a wild cat sitting calmly beside a trainer…
• a sloth being carried before an audience…
• an exotic bird perched on someone's arm…
• a wild animal walking through a public space on a leash…
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The educator may explain that the animal is not a pet.
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But the audience is receiving information in more than one way. It hears the educator's words while simultaneously observing a wild animal in unusually close proximity to people.
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That creates a question worth investigating:
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Which lesson is most likely to be remembered—the warning or the experience?
EDUCATION IS MORE THAN WHAT WE SAY
People do not learn only from signs, lectures and carefully prepared talking points.
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They also interpret what trusted institutions demonstrate.
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An educator may explain why a serval, sloth, macaw or primate should never be kept as a household pet. Yet when a wild animal is presented as calm, approachable and comfortable in close proximity to people, some visitors may perceive qualities that resemble those associated with companion animals.
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That does not establish that ambassador-animal presentations cause people to want exotic pets.
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Nor does it mean that every visitor interprets these encounters in the same way.
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But it does identify an important educational question:
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Can the visual experience sometimes compete with the verbal message?
CONSISTENCY MATTERS
Wild animals remain wild animals.
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Their participation in educational presentations does not change their biology, their species-specific behavioral and social needs, or the challenges associated with keeping exotic animals in private homes.
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If the educational objective is to help the public understand that wild animals are not pets, then it is reasonable to examine whether every part of the visitor experience reinforces that distinction.
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That isn't an argument for assuming the answer.
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It is an argument for measuring it.
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Because educational effectiveness should ultimately be determined by more than what an institution intended to communicate.
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It should also consider what the audience actually learned.
EXPLORE THE COMPLETE “NOT A PET” SERIES:
Part 2 — Learning by Watching
Continue with what scientific research tells us about how audiences learn from wildlife educational experiences.
Part 3 — Education That Inspires Respect Without Sending Mixed Messages
Explore the final part of the series and the broader implications for how wild animals are presented to the public.
Evidence • Education • Accountability
KeepingWildlifeWild.org
How You Can Help:
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Together, we can encourage a more informed conversation about the treatment and protection of wildlife.
