Many zoos now emphasize that their roles in conservation extend beyond breeding and species management to capitalizing on their potential to influence the behavior of their visitors for the benefit of wild animals. However, there is limited evidence of behavioral change to support this emphasis and one reason may be that requested behaviors are not viewed favorably by zoo visitors. The purpose of the present study was to involve zoo staff in a process of identifying and prioritizing pro-wildlife behaviors using a set of criteria that included what zoo visitors prefer. This approach engaged staff and capitalized on their expertise, and at the same time maximized the chances that planned campaigns to influence visitor behavior would be well received by visitors and even enhance their experience while at the zoo. This was achieved by replicating Smith's (2009) study but including visitorpreferred attributes identified in Smith, . Across several zoos in Australia, 152 staff participated in seven Nominal Group Technique workshops. Initially over 500 behaviors were identified which were prioritized firstly by filtering behavior lists and then by participants voting on behaviors. When voting, participants tended to choose behaviors promoting wildlife-friendly consumerism and donations. The paper discusses the efficacy of this approach in moving the zoo industry toward recognizing and realizing the potential of collective visitor action.
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