ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF VETERINARY STORYTELLING IN THE MEDIA ON THE PUBLIC'S PERCEPTION OF ZOOS

Abstract: – Visitors at Brookfield Zoo Chicago were systematically recruited to participate in a survey before and after watching a video highlighting veterinary care of zoo animals. Thirteen survey questions on a 7-point scale evaluated participant perceptions of zoos and animal welfare. Participants reported demographic information, visiting frequency, and knowledge of Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accreditation. Principal component analysis (PCA) on responses from 330 visitors reduced survey questions to one composite score and fitted them to a linear mixed-effects model. The best-fitting model determined that visitor perceptions were significantly more positive after the video, and visitors with knowledge of AZA accreditation had significantly more positive perceptions. Separately, participants rated the extent to which seven different media sources influenced their opinions of zoos and animal care on a 7-point scale, with the zoo's internally produced content rating the highest overall. This preliminary investigation suggests effective media and storytelling about veterinary care at Brookfield Zoo Chicago significantly improved participants' perceptions of zoos and animal welfare. Zoo veterinarians can effectively communicate important topics and inspire trust in zoo animal care and welfare, and the results suggest that zoo messaging is influential in developing zoogoers' opinions over other media sources. More research is needed to determine which aspects of veterinary media are most effective in influencing visitor perceptions. Veterinarians are publicly trusted experts in animal care and welfare, and highlighting the work of zoological medicine clinicians through media positively impacts public education about the conservation, research, and animal welfare missions of accredited zoos.