Evoking empathy-An overlooked role of animal statues in zoos

Empathy towards animals is a known influential factor in the likelihood for individuals to engage in conservation behavior, so it is of significant interest that the zoo community considers how to evoke constructive empathetic responses in their guests. To date, much of the research that has been conducted on empathy in zoos has focused on live animals, but are we overlooking a potential instrument of empathy-building? Based on observations made during an evaluation of guest interactions with a bronze animal statue, this paper will explore the potential for static, lifelike animal statues to serve as conduits for empathy-building and make a strong argument for the much needed research in this area.