The RDA states that future zoos must make a significant positive impact on the conservation of species and are of substantial educational value to visitors. Zoos must keep animals in a humane manner, with their welfare fully safeguarded. Ethical dilemmas must be addressed with care and transparency. These are the preconditions for the zoo of the future, as outlined by the RDA in a new advisory report.
Image: Roel Dijkstra
The reason for this report is the ambivalent attitude of Dutch society towards zoos. While zoos attract millions of visitors every year, they also face criticism. The RDA has therefore taken the initiative to conduct a future exploration.
To move with the times
This exploration applies to all zoos in the Netherlands. Given the broad variety of zoos, not every part of the exploration will apply equally to all of them. However, for the 59 institutions with a zoo permit, one thing is clear: they will have to move with the times. New scientific insights and social expectations require changes in the way zoos fulfil their roles.
The Council outlines a wide range of instruments and options for both the government and the zoo sector for the development of a more humane and future-proof zoo. For the government, this includes setting conditions for the output of activities in the field of species conservation and education, and requiring zoos to align with current insights. Changes in the licensing system are desirable to support this.
For the zoo sector, the RDA proposes, among other things, to develop a broadly supported ethical code and to proactively inform the public about considerations and choices made within zoos.
The highlights of the advisory report in two minutes? Watch the animation below with English subtitles.
An English version of the full report will be available later this year.