Digitalization of zoos

Why Zoos Are Going Digital

Zoos, like many institutions, are not exempt from digital transformation. To remain relevant, they must find creative ways to engage visitors—even those who aren’t physically present.

As Karin Falquist, professor at Umeå University in Sweden, explains:

“The idea behind a virtual zoo is to share information and create and retain relations with future, current and past visitors. One of the goals for a digital zoo project is to enhance the visitor’s experience, making it more than just a visit to the park.”

Digitalization allows zoos to:

• Extend access beyond physical barriers.
• Retain visitor relationships over time.
• Create new ways to experience wildlife.

Barriers to Traditional Zoo Visits

Globally, more than 700 million people visit zoos each year. But many don’t return after their first visit. Why?

Visiting a zoo can be a burden:

• Financial – admission, travel, and food costs add up, especially for families.
• Geographic – not everyone lives near a zoo.
• Lifestyle – some visitors avoid crowded spaces.

For many, seeing exotic animals once feels like a “once-in-a-lifetime” experience. Without new offerings, repeat visits often drop off.

How Zoos Encourage Return Visits

Zoos and other attractions, like museums, constantly search for ways to re-engage visitors. While they cannot continually add new animals, they often create:

• Special events
• Seasonal exhibits
• Unique programs

The challenge is finding experiences significant enough to spark curiosity while also supporting conservation and financial needs.

Why Digitalization Works

Museums have shown that technology can boost both education and economic outcomes. For zoos, research is limited, but parallels suggest similar benefits.

Digital zoos do not replace physical visits. Instead, they extend them by offering what we might call the “rest of a lifetime opportunity.”

Benefits include:

• Enhancing a past visit with continued engagement.
• Encouraging first-time visitors to plan an in-person trip.
• Personalizing experiences from anywhere in the world.

Popular Digital Tools in Zoos

Zoos are experimenting with several methods to reach audiences online:

1. Websites & Social Media – Nearly every zoo uses these, but the market is crowded.
2. Wayfinding Apps - an estimated 25-30% of zoos offer an interactive map of the zoo on your device to keep guests informed of everything the zoo has to offer
3. On-Demand Virtual Experiences – About 38% of zoos offer these, especially since 2020. They allow schools, conferences, and groups to engage remotely.
   • Pros: reach large audiences without physical limits.
   • Cons: expensive to produce, not yet a long-term revenue source.
4. Livestream Cameras – Only 29% of zoos provide live animal cams.
   • Impact: zoos report up to 65% of viewers are more likely to visit in person after watching.
   • Challenge: livestreams are often low quality due to limited budgets.

Virtual Zoos and Livestreaming

Some zoos add calls-to-action directly on livestream pages—encouraging donations, adoptions, or merchandise purchases. While research on ROI is limited, early adopters are mitigating risks by experimenting.

Platforms like Zoolife are addressing common barriers:

• High-quality, controllable cameras with 20x zoom.
• Ability to capture photos and video clips.
• Educational talks from zookeepers.

Technology and the Future

According to Karin Falquist:

“To gain an advantage in the shift from analogue to digital services, new innovative formats must be continuously improved with technological support.”

Forward-looking zoos recognize that digitalization is not optional—it’s inevitable. As technology advances, zoos can build stronger global communities and inspire new generations to care about conservation.

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