Effects of the Presence of Zoo Visitors on Zoo-Housed Penguins
A special issue of Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens (ISSN 2673-5636).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2025 | Viewed by 140
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Zoos, as vital institutions for public education and recreation, play a crucial role in wildlife conservation. Penguins are one of the most popular animals for zoo visitors around the world. However, penguins are a highly sensitive and social species, and the presence of zoo visitors could stress captive penguins. Although increasing evidence has revealed that the presence of visitors could have negative, neutral, or even positive influences on the behavior of penguins, the effects of the presence of zoo visitors on zoo-housed penguins remains a complex and poorly understood area. Investigations on possible influencing factors, including penguin species, visitor behavior, number of visitors, characteristics of penguin enclosures, and different seasons (molting or breeding) may provide us with a deeper understanding regarding visitor–penguin interactions. In addition, little is known about the effects of long-term visitor presence on the physiological conditions and reproduction outcomes of captive penguins.
The aim of this Special Issue is to present the latest research on the effects of zoo visitors on the following aspects of zoo-housed penguins:
- Animal welfare;
- Behavior;
- Reproduction;
- Physiological parameters;
- Implications on the design of penguin enclosures;
- Implications on captive penguin management strategies.
Dr. Jingle Jiang
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- penguins
- visitor effects
- human–animal interactions
- behavior
- welfare
- reproduction
- physiological parameters
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