What is the future for zoos?

What is the future for zoos?

Daniel Simmonds (Zookeeper) gives expert video advice on: Do the gorillas trust you?; Do you trust the gorillas?; How can you tell gorillas apart? and more...

I think they'll always be a future for zoos. It's really important that people remember that zoos today have a real specific function, not just ZSL London Zoo, but all modern, progressive zoos have a function to provide funding to field conservation. And specifically, ZSL London Zoo provides millions and millions of pounds every year to more than 40 conservation projects around the world, including the conservation of the Western Olin Gorillas in the wild. And it's important to remember that if there are no zoos, there's no funding for those projects. So if you think we've got three gorillas here, but there are a hundred thousand Western Olin Gorillas in the wild, you always need to remember what's more important: the three gorillas here at the zoo, or the future existence of the entire species? The latter is obviously more important. So it is important to have the zoo in the future to raise awareness, but also keenly, to raise the money for the conservation.