Corporate support for zoos

[Guest guest]

Dear colleagues,

I noted with interest the recent discussion on

corporate sponsorship in zoos. Nicole Mazur, a post Doctoral research fellow

at Australian National University, wrote a book six years ago examining the

role of corporate endorsement of zoo activities. Whilst it is true that

several American zoos have built attractive and functional exhibits with

corporate support, there is also the possibility of corporate support being

misused to perpetuate animal captivity as John pointed out.

There are many viewpoints on corporate backing of charitable causes, one

being that donation and involvement of corporates strengthen the cause and

allow large firms to exercise their social and environmental

responsibilities. However, there is also the issue of the background and

record of the companies themselves that sponsor charitable activities. Many

companies try to greenwash environmental NGOs by paying money whilst at the

same time carrying on environmentally unsustainable and destructive

activities. I can name some companies that do this:

1) Anglo American De Beers: If there is one company that can well and truly

be called monstrous, this is it. The creator of the world's greatest myth,

'A Diamond is Forever', De Beers has supported conservation projects and the

Oppenheimer family that owns the firm had a private zoo. But De Beers has

had a major role in civil wars in Africa, murder and torture of employees,

support of apartheid policies in South Africa, using child labour in India

and taking advantage of their monopoly by artificially fixing diamond prices

all over the world. This is possibly the most corrupt company in the world.

2) Nestle : Have supported some conservation projects but their policy on

marketing baby food products in the developing world has resulted in the

deaths of thousands of babies. Have also used child labour in Ivory Coast.

3) Cartier: One of the many companies that refuses to come clean on the use

of blood diamonds in their watches. Blood diamonds are those that are

obtained from strife torn regions.

4) McDonalds: McDonalds' contribution to clearing of rainforests in South

America is well known. But they support rainforest exhibits in Singapore Zoo

and Adelaide Zoo amongst others.

5) Exxon : Responsible for one of the world's largest oil disasters, they

fund tiger conservation projects.

These firms contributing to conservation and animal welfare is similar to

Charles Keating and Papa Doc Duvalier providing financial support to Mother

Teresa's Missionaries of Charity. Opinions vary on such work. Many single

issue activists are silent on the role of corporates in issues they are not

involved with. Some believe that these corporations should be allowed to

atone for their sins by putting in money for good causes. The other one, the

one I am convinced of, propounds that these companies are best boycotted

until they change their business policies.Such boycotts have worked, at

least for Anglo American De Beers in USA and can work for other companies

too. Even if these companies started promoting vegan campaigns from today,

one would be pardoned for questioning their motives. And hats off to the

Anglo American media for exposing these companies in a manner that we can

only dream of in India.

Warm regards,

 

After the Ark? traces the evolution of zoos from the private menageries of

the ancient world to the corporatised, bureaucratic organisations of today.

Noah's mission to save all the earth's animals is the analogy underlying

rigorous questioning of how well our modern zoos are fulfilling their stated

aims of conservation, education, research and recreation.

Nicole Mazur analyses the many critical challenges faced by zoos. Drawing

on detailed interviews with many zoo personnel, she looks at how broad

environmental values are affecting conservation policies, and at the

challenges of co-ordinating programs both within Australia and

internationally. She tackles the problematic nature of advertising and

corporate sponsorship in zoos.

How successful are today's zoos in preserving endangered species? Do their

accounting and reporting practices stand in the way of their aims? And how

well do zoos deliver what zoo visitors want from the experience? This

informative, ground-breaking study of the modern zoo will interest teachers,

students and researchers right across the social and environmental sciences.

After the Ark? is essential reading for anyone interested in zoos.

 

Nicole Mazur wrote this book while a Post Doctoral Research Fellow in the

Urban Research Program at the Research School of Social Sciences, Australian

National University.

 

After the Ark? Nicole Mazur, Melbourne University Press, 2001