Exploring How to Communicate with Zoo Visitors: The Impact of an Elephant Story on Zoo Visitors’ Awareness toward Environmental Issue

Resumo

This study investigates how a picture story based on an Asian elephant promoted public awareness of a nature conservation issue for zoo visitors. A picture story was created based on an Asian elephant at Tennoji Zoo in Osaka and a story-telling demonstration event was organized. The results of the story impact survey for the audience suggest those three types of impacts; 1) Sympathy for the actual individual elephant evoked in the audience, 2) Shock about the real facts of elephants’ habitats, and 3) A cue to think of the complex, symbiotic relationship between humans and wildlife.