Educação ambiental em zoológicos: a perspectiva do visitante não escolar

Abstract

Nowadays, zoos have several functions, such as: conservation, education, recreation, and research. All of them, even when made by the institutions, sometimes are not realized for the audience in a common visit; in other words, a visit without being guided by an environmental educator and for the target audience from an educational institution. The present study aimed to analyze how the visitors, who were not part of the scheduled audience from educational institutions and attended during weekdays, from six zoos in the Brazilian Southeast Region, comprehend the activities that are carried out in these places. The investigation was conducted in two institutions per state. In Minas Gerais was the Fundação de Parques Municipais e Zoobotânica, in the city of Belo Horizonte, and the Parque Zoobotânico Dr. Mário Frota, in the city of Varginha. In Rio de Janeiro, the institutions were the Zoológico Municipal de Volta Redonda and the Bioparque, in the city of Rio de Janeiro. And in São Paulo was the Parque Ecológico Municipal Americana and the Parque Zoológico Municipal Quinzinho de Barros, in the city of Sorocaba. The methodologies included bibliographic research, observation, and questionnaires with the visitors, submitted to and approved by the Ethical Committee from the Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ). A total of 297 questionnaires were analyzed, and the data showed the lack of investments in the educational activities area, in which 66% of the institutions did not conduct half of the evaluated activities (n = 17). The activities done normally do not include the spontaneous audience who visit the zoos during the weekend as their target audience. Besides the evaluation of the activities, visitors were asked about environmental questions, such as their favorite animal and an example of an endangered species. The data showed that 32% of the interviewees (n = 117) did not know at least one endangered species example. Regarding the current goals of a zoo, as previously mentioned, the audience was not aware of, or did not know how to rate, what really happens in the institutions. Most of the attendees believe that scientific research is conducted, that animals are well cared for, and educational and recreational activities take place, however, they cannot share the information they were supposed to learn from those services. Therefore, this study identified a deficiency in the effectiveness of environmental education and inclusion of the non-student audience in the activities carried out by the institutions, aiming to develop a critical sense that allows the evaluation of the institution they attended.