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Of the San Diego Developing the new “heart” of the San Diego Zoo by Adrienne McGraw, JFK University Museum Studies Program and Stephanie Weaver, San Diego Zoo Introduction as well as to collect more in-depth information on Virtually every zoo is in the process of being rebuilt, three different topics. The first questionnaire dealt replacing the oldest exhibits with new, naturalistic with visitor preference for current Zoo animals and animal care and breeding facilities. One of the oldest exhibits, guests’ agendas for their visit, and opinions remaining portions of the San Diego Zoo is at its about the usefulness of current signage found center, literally steps away from the front entrance. throughout the Zoo. The second and third question­ Next to the beloved Flamingo Lagoon stand monkey naires consisted of questions regarding visitors’ cages and a bird yard constructed in the 1930’s. It familiarity with animals that will likely be in the has long been planned to replace this area with multi­ NHOZ enclosures, as well as their preferences for species habitats representing both Asian and African these animals and the potential interpretive themes of rainforests, and now a capital campaign is underway the exhibit. The architects requested that visitors also to build the New Heart of the Zoo (NHOZ). The be questioned about whether or not they enjoyed exhibit design is fairly well set, with completed being inside free-flight aviaries. A very large free­ models and elevations, so the interpretive team was flight enclosure is in the design plans, yet a clear formed last summer to develop the Big Idea for this sense of visitor preference for these had never been huge undertaking, which we hope will break ground documented. in the fall of 2001. We took the opportunity to do formative evaluation for this project for a three-week It was determined that zoo guests were most likely to period during July and August, 2000. agree to be subjects while they were eating. There­ fore, the questionnaires were administered in three Goals and Methods popular eating areas during peak use times. Several To gain an understanding of visitor flow patterns in tables evenly located throughout each site were the current Heart of the Zoo area and to assess selected in advance and people sitting at each of these preferences that visitors have for the new content, a tables were approached at various times of day and visitor studies project was conducted in July and different days of the week to provide a random and August 2000. After pre-testing, three short question­ non-biased selection. A minimum of 100 was admin­ naires were developed with the following goals: istered for each questionnaire over a three-week period. Questionnaires were conducted as verbal Study 1: To learn what visitors’ destination goals are interviews, included props, and were recorded on upon entering the Zoo, so that appropriate paper by the surveyor. Tape-recorded interviews wayfinding issues can be addressed were not done due to the limitations of the surveyor’s Study 2: To deter­ time. Adults were mine what aspects of asked the questions, the NHOZ exhibit although most often, area will be the top the group seated at attractions the table, including children, engaged in Study 3: To deter­ the discussion. mine what potential themes visitors may What We Learned be interested in For Study 1, visitors seeing at the NHOZ were questioned exhibit. about the types of animals that they had We chose to use three come to see at the separate question­ The Monkey Yard is one of the oldest remaining exhibits at the San San Diego Zoo. Of naires to keep guest Diego Zoo, dating back to the 1930s. (Photo: Zoological Society of the visitors surveyed impact to a minimum San Diego) 4 Vol. IV/Issue 1 Visitor Studies Today! San Diego Zoo (cont.) (n=110), 68.2% reported that they had come, in part, tional sign at the Zoo and asked to indicate which to see the giant pandas. Over half (53.6%) of the total they remembered seeing and using, and whether they visitors responding reported that they felt their visit preferred those signs with words only, icons only to the Zoo would not be complete without seeing the (pictures of animals, etc.), or those with both words pandas. It should be noted that, during this time and icons. Directional signposts are well-used by period, the baby panda was receiving a great deal of visitors, with over ninety percent reporting that they press and advertising, including around-the-clock saw and used these signs during their visit. Over half coverage on “Panda Cam” on the San Diego Zoo of those surveyed said that the directional signposts Web site, street banners and billboards at several sites containing both words and icons were helpful, while in San Diego, and radio/television advertising. Table the presence of words on these signs was preferred 1 shows the top ten animals visitors come to the San by 23.5% of visitors and just 12.9% preferred the Diego Zoo to see. The animals listed were responses icons only. However, mention was made on several to an open-ended question and were later grouped occasions that non-English speakers would need during data analysis to give us more pertinent data. signs with icons. The groupings were created in part by location in the Study 2 and Study 3 were used to find out which Zoo, (e.g. reptiles are nearly all on Reptile Mesa) as animals and themes in the new Heart of Zoo may be our goal for this study was wayfinding. A staff the most popular. Using Study 2, we asked what member pointed out that the list might be different in familiarity visitors had with the animals from Asian the future if there was a different “hot” animal at the and African rainforests to be included in the new Zoo. exhibit. Visitors were shown a list of these animals’ Table 1. common names (see Table 2) and were asked if they Animal that visitors come to the % of knew what kind of animals these were. San Diego Zoo to see respondents 1. Pandas 68.2% Table 2. Table 3. 2. Polar bears 27.3% Asian Animals Asian Animals 3. Reptiles (includes alligator, crocodile, lizard, Bornean bearded pig pig snake, turtle, tortoise) 26.4% Clouded leopard leopard 4. All animals 24.6% Bornean Prevost’s squirrel squirrel 5. Tigers 22.7% Genet (large-spotted or small­ small furry carnivore 6. Gorillas 22% spotted) 7. Primates (includes macaques and monkey) 21.8% Owston’s palm civet 8. Elephants 20% Banded linsang 9. Big cats (includes cheetah, leopard, lion, puma) 18.2% African Animals African Animals 10. Giraffes 14.5% Pygmy hippopotamus Red-flanked or Bay duiker pygmy hippo L’hoest’s or Lesser spot-nosed small antelope The next set of questions on Study 1 was developed guenon monkey to help determine where visitors are likely to go upon Mandrill otter first entering the Zoo’s front gates. Since the entire Golden-bellied or Red-crowned bat entrance area will be changed with the NHOZ ex­ mangabey aardvark hibit, we want to have a good sense of current visitor Cape clawless otter Hammerheaded bat patterns so that proper orientation and wayfinding Ruwenzori mountain fruit bat tools can be developed. While there was not an Aardvark overwhelming trend, we learned that bus tours and visiting the pandas appear to be the most popular choices, with approximately twenty percent of Of the Asian animals, none were known by a major­ visitors choosing each of these options first. Beyond ity of the respondents (n=109). Only two animals, knowing where visitors go after entry, we also the clouded leopard and the Bornean bearded pig, wanted to know how useful the current signage is, so were familiar to forty percent or more of the visitors, that with new developments, wayfinding aids will with 41.3% recognizing the leopard and 40.4% meet visitor needs. recognizing the pig. The African animals were more well-known by visitors than the Asian animals. The Visitors were shown photos of each type of direc­ continued on next page Vol. IV/Issue 1 Visitor Studies Today! 5 San Diego Zoo (cont.) aardvark was familiar to 91.7% of respondents and because, as she perceived it, people have become the pygmy hippo was recognized by 83.5%. The apathetic to a topic that was “hammered” into people. mandrill was known by just over half of the respon­ This topic was seen as a broad category by some, and dents. they felt that many sub-themes could be mentioned in Visitors were then asked to list those types of animals this context. Table 4 shows visitor preference for the that they would be interested in seeing. Since it is themes. (Note: Since visitors could choose more recognized by Zoo staff that even common names than one theme, percentages add up to >100.) may be unfamiliar to guests (see Table 2 again), the Table 4. original list of animals was abbreviated to a simpler Most interest in theme Percent of respondents list and was shown to the visitor (see Table 3). Layers of the rainforest 53.6% Wildlife conservation and endangered species 47.3% Respondents could choose as many animals as they How rainforests are connected globally 46.4% wanted. The Asian clouded leopard was the most Animals in a cultural context 44.5% popular choice of all animals from both the Asian and Asian rainforests 30.9% African lists, with 88.1% of respondents (n=109) African rainforests 20.0% expressing interest in seeing this animal.
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