San Francisco Zoo African Savanna Exhibit Summative Evaluation

A three-pronged summative evaluation of the San Francisco Zoo's new African Savanna exhibit shows it to be very well received by visitors and successful at meeting key affective and cognitive goals. Visitors to this exhibit, especially those who attend a giraffe feeding, enthusiastically demonstrate admiration and wonder towards wildlife, emotional connections to the animals, and excitement at close and unusual viewing opportunities. Visitors care deeply about the quality of life for these animals and readily state that they feel the animals have a good home in this exhibit. Respondents are strongly impressed by the naturalistic habitat and grouping of species together. This not only makes them sensitive to the Zoo's effort to provide a natural environment, it provides them with new information about animal interactions and what life in the wild is really like. Though few visitor comments specifically illustrate awareness of the Zoo as an agent of conservation, many evidence learning about conservation and concern about the urgency of this issue in the Savanna and/or the world. In addition to learning about conservation issues, many visitors cite specific facts about the animals that they learned, often by means of their own observations. Evaluation instruments in the appendix of this report include tracking and timing data sheet/map and a cued exit survey form.

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