How Enrichment Aesthetic Shapes Zoo Visitor Perceptions of Chimpanzee Behavior and Conservation

Public perceptions of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) are shaped by the context in which they are viewed. Prior research shows that images of chimpanzees with people or in human-like settings can distort how people perceive their suitability as a pet and their conservation status. This raises questions about how unnatural enrichment provided to zoo-housed chimpanzees might influence public perception of the apes, especially when items resemble human objects. In this study, we investigated how the aesthetic of enrichment-natural versus non-natural-provided to chimpanzees living at the Chattanooga Zoo in Tennessee impacts visitor perceptions of chimpanzee behavior and conservation. Enrichment items were selected to elicit five species-specific behaviors, and they came in natural and non-natural forms for each goal behavior. Each day, chimpanzees received one type of enrichment in their habitat, and adult zoo visitors were invited to complete a survey while observing the apes. We analyzed visitor responses and determined (1) enrichment aesthetic does not impact visitor perceptions of chimpanzee behavior, conservation, or pet suitability, (2) visitors most commonly associate chimpanzees with a conservation status of vulnerable in contrast to their actual status as endangered, and (3) as enrichment objects help visitors consider protecting the natural environment of wild chimpanzees, they show more support for conservation organizations. Our findings provide insight into how enrichment aesthetics may influence visitor perceptions of animals and support broader conservation education goals held by zoos.