0:00:02 > 0:00:06This programme contains some scenes which some viewers may find upsetting from the start
0:00:06 > 0:00:08'A visit to the zoo has been a staple of family life
0:00:08 > 0:00:10for more than a century.'
0:00:13 > 0:00:16A lot of us will remember the experience of seeing
0:00:16 > 0:00:20our first wild animal at the zoo as a child.
0:00:22 > 0:00:26But is it time that zoos took a long, hard look at what they do?
0:00:28 > 0:00:33Zoos, if they stay as they are, inevitably will become extinct.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35The public will just stop going to them.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41I'm Liz Bonnin. I've studied and worked in zoos,
0:00:41 > 0:00:45and I've observed just how intelligent animals can be.
0:00:45 > 0:00:49Chase and tickle, he wants to chase and tickle with you now.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53I want to chase and tickle with you too!
0:00:53 > 0:00:57But the more science is revealing about animals,
0:00:57 > 0:01:01the more difficult questions are being raised
0:01:01 > 0:01:05about why and how animals are kept in zoos.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07Why are zoos still keeping elephants
0:01:07 > 0:01:13now that we know captivity can halve their life expectancy?
0:01:13 > 0:01:16To us it just became more and more clear that there was no...
0:01:16 > 0:01:18there was no way to really make this work.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20We want to be able to sleep at night.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23Did captivity drive one of SeaWorld's orcas
0:01:23 > 0:01:25to kill his trainer?
0:01:25 > 0:01:30There is no evidence whatsoever that there is any mental
0:01:30 > 0:01:33aberration that is a result of living in a zoological park.
0:01:34 > 0:01:38Why do so many zoo animals exhibit behaviours
0:01:38 > 0:01:41that are hardly seen in the wild?
0:01:41 > 0:01:44It does indicate that something is not right.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47Is the battle to save endangered animals
0:01:47 > 0:01:49one that zoos can simply never win?
0:01:51 > 0:01:56We feel like janitors of the human culture.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59We're trying to clean this mess up.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02I want to ultimately find out if zoos need to change,
0:02:02 > 0:02:04to serve animals and humans better.
0:02:06 > 0:02:08Or if they should be consigned to history.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24A day out at the zoo, in Copenhagen.
0:02:24 > 0:02:30In 2014, the zoo offered families an educational experience that
0:02:30 > 0:02:32some might find disturbing.
0:02:34 > 0:02:40A two-year-old giraffe called Marius was culled,
0:02:40 > 0:02:46then dissected in front of them and fed to the lions.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49What happened here lifted the lid on a practice
0:02:49 > 0:02:51few other zoos embrace so publicly.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58Today I'm here to see it happen again.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04Copenhagen Zoo has culled another animal.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08This time it's a sable antelope.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10How was she culled? What method did you use?
0:03:10 > 0:03:13She was shot with a rifle and you can see,
0:03:13 > 0:03:17if you want to, that she was shot right in the brain here.
0:03:17 > 0:03:23And obviously, this is not a very enjoyable part of our job,
0:03:23 > 0:03:27but the key here is to do it so the animals have no idea what's coming
0:03:27 > 0:03:30and it has to be swift and efficient.
0:03:31 > 0:03:37The culling of Marius triggered a global storm of protest.
0:03:37 > 0:03:42In the firing line was Bengt Holst, director of research at the zoo.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45Bengt, were you surprised by the reaction,
0:03:45 > 0:03:49by the backlash that you got because of the culling of Marius?
0:03:49 > 0:03:52Yes, very much indeed, and that's because we have done this,
0:03:52 > 0:03:56we have used this concept for more than 30 years here in the zoo,
0:03:56 > 0:03:59and we have done it with lions and with bears
0:03:59 > 0:04:02and leopards and antelopes and a lot of different animals,
0:04:02 > 0:04:04not with giraffes until now.
0:04:04 > 0:04:09But it was really strange because we have never had this reaction before.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11It may seem cruel,
0:04:11 > 0:04:15but culling has come about with the modernisation of zoos.
0:04:18 > 0:04:19In the 19th century, when zoos began,
0:04:19 > 0:04:22most of the animals were taken from the wild.
0:04:25 > 0:04:29Zoos would order animals for spring time, you know, because there was
0:04:29 > 0:04:33a new season and you'd bring them in and if they survived the summer,
0:04:33 > 0:04:37that was great, but if not, you'd just order some more next year.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40Since the 1980s, zoos have aimed to develop a more positive
0:04:40 > 0:04:44relationship with the natural world.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46Today it's much more conservation-minded.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49It's ethically wrong to take all animals in from the wild, so we
0:04:49 > 0:04:53strive at being self-sustaining with as many animals as ever possible.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00Now, more than 90% of the animals in zoos are born in captivity.
0:05:00 > 0:05:08And around 90% of all species kept are not endangered in the wild.
0:05:08 > 0:05:12Animals are carefully paired across zoos around the world
0:05:12 > 0:05:15to avoid in-breeding and to ensure genetic diversity.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18But there is a consequence.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21If you want to do serious breeding with animals,
0:05:21 > 0:05:24where you go for a healthy population far into the future,
0:05:24 > 0:05:27then you cannot avoid having, at some stage,
0:05:27 > 0:05:30if they breed well, a surplus.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32That's because zoos can't breed just the animals
0:05:32 > 0:05:37they need to maintain a sustainable population.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40You cannot go into a shop and buy three males and four females,
0:05:40 > 0:05:43for example, if that's what you need for your population.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45You have to let them breed
0:05:45 > 0:05:49and you cannot predict what is the sex ratio.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53At Copenhagen, surplus animals are also produced
0:05:53 > 0:05:58because the zoo takes a particular approach to animal welfare.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01This particular animal is considered surplus to the programme,
0:06:01 > 0:06:04in the sense that her genes are already represented
0:06:04 > 0:06:09fairly well through numerous of her siblings.
0:06:09 > 0:06:13The parents of this antelope, just like Marius's parents,
0:06:13 > 0:06:18were not paired in the international breeding programme.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20Instead, Copenhagen decided to allow them
0:06:20 > 0:06:27to breed, rather than use methods to stop them, as other zoos do.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30Why cull, as opposed to using contraceptives?
0:06:30 > 0:06:31Because by using contraceptives,
0:06:31 > 0:06:35you take away the breeding behaviour from the animals.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37I think it's very important that we give the animals
0:06:37 > 0:06:41an opportunity to perform as much natural behaviour as ever possible.
0:06:41 > 0:06:45And breeding behaviour is a big part of that natural behaviour.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47If you take away that part, you have a welfare problem.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49You reduce their welfare.
0:06:51 > 0:06:52Before considering culling,
0:06:52 > 0:06:57zoos look at moving surplus animals to other zoos.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01But space is limited, and priority is given to housing animals
0:07:01 > 0:07:04that are valuable to the breeding programmes.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08This sort of proves that there are no surplus animals.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10Everything has a role to play.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15As controversial as Copenhagen's policy is,
0:07:15 > 0:07:19perhaps what's most surprising is how openly it's carried out here.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24It's not known how many other zoos take the same approach to breeding,
0:07:24 > 0:07:30but it's estimated that between 3,000-5,000 healthy animals
0:07:30 > 0:07:34are culled by European zoos every year.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38I would say in general, it is actually pretty common,
0:07:38 > 0:07:42but many zoos are not so open about it.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45Some are doing it in disguise.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48When Marius the giraffe hit the headlines,
0:07:48 > 0:07:51Copenhagen says it was criticised by other zoos.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56We got attacks from other zoos, also in Europe.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58Zoos that practise culling, or...?
0:07:58 > 0:08:01Yes, some zoos that practise culling.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03Does this mean that the zoos that were culling,
0:08:03 > 0:08:06but had attacked you, were saying you shouldn't have made it public,
0:08:06 > 0:08:09you shouldn't have engaged in the conversation?
0:08:09 > 0:08:12Some even said that you should have done it without...
0:08:12 > 0:08:16Keep it behind the scenes and then don't mention it at all.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18But I think it's not the way forward.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30The journey zoos are on from the less-enlightened
0:08:30 > 0:08:34days of the past has reached a critical point.
0:08:34 > 0:08:38The ever-growing human population means the wild has shrunk,
0:08:38 > 0:08:40with species disappearing faster than ever.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48And science has moved on in leaps and bounds
0:08:48 > 0:08:50in its understanding of animals.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53But are zoos adapting with the times?
0:08:53 > 0:08:55If you peel it all back,
0:08:55 > 0:08:57and you look at, say, London Zoo in 1828 -
0:08:57 > 0:09:03and all the other zoos throughout the 19th century -
0:09:03 > 0:09:06they all had big animals,
0:09:06 > 0:09:10showy animals, colourful animals, mainly from Africa or from Asia.
0:09:10 > 0:09:14The typical zoo today has got exactly the same collections.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16They have not moved on from that.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20Zoos tell us that the welfare of their animals
0:09:20 > 0:09:22is at the heart of what they do.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24But is it?
0:09:24 > 0:09:27Zoos have certainly published dozens of scientific papers
0:09:27 > 0:09:28about their animals.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32But all that you can find,
0:09:32 > 0:09:35all these studies carried out by various zoos around the world,
0:09:35 > 0:09:38it's not always easy to talk to zoos about some of this research.
0:09:41 > 0:09:43So it's hard to judge whether they're really keeping up
0:09:43 > 0:09:49with the latest scientific insights into animal needs.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52At least, in most cases.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56There is one zoo that's been quite keen to talk to us about their work
0:09:56 > 0:10:00and the stickier issues surrounding the welfare of captive animals.
0:10:04 > 0:10:05- ARCHIVE:- 'A day at the zoo.
0:10:05 > 0:10:11'The Detroit Zoological Park ranks with the finest in the world.'
0:10:11 > 0:10:14Opened in 1928, Detroit Zoo kept the same animals
0:10:14 > 0:10:18most other zoos did - including elephants, a star attraction.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23I've heard people say, "Oh, they haven't got an elephant in that zoo,
0:10:23 > 0:10:25"can't be any good."
0:10:25 > 0:10:28And if your zoo isn't popular
0:10:28 > 0:10:31because it doesn't have the animals that the public wants to see,
0:10:31 > 0:10:34they'll probably have to close the doors.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38So we have to educate the public.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46I'm visiting the zoo to find out about a novel approach to
0:10:46 > 0:10:51animal welfare, a vision that's raising a question for all zoos.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57This place is taking a long, hard look at the scientific evidence
0:10:57 > 0:11:01to determine what animals it should keep and what it shouldn't.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08The zoo's director, Ron Kagan, wants to show me why, when it came
0:11:08 > 0:11:12to elephants, he broke with 150 years of zoological tradition.
0:11:14 > 0:11:21This used to be the indoor enclosure for Detroit's two Asian elephants.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24Now, notice, there is more room for people...
0:11:24 > 0:11:26- I was going to say! - ..than there is for elephants.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28I didn't want to be smart about it, but how come
0:11:28 > 0:11:32- there's more room for the people? - Because zoos, in the beginning,
0:11:32 > 0:11:34were thinking a little bit more
0:11:34 > 0:11:36about people than they were about animals.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40When they lived here, both elephants developed arthritis
0:11:40 > 0:11:42and chronic foot problems.
0:11:42 > 0:11:46Many captive elephants have major problems with their feet
0:11:46 > 0:11:48because they're not walking enough
0:11:48 > 0:11:52and they're not walking on the right material.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55The Michigan climate exacerbated the problem of not giving
0:11:55 > 0:11:58the elephants enough space.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01When we had particularly long, harsh winters,
0:12:01 > 0:12:05and the elephants had to stay indoors for long periods of time,
0:12:05 > 0:12:09we knew that wasn't good for them. To us, it just became more
0:12:09 > 0:12:11and more clear that there was no way to really make this work.
0:12:11 > 0:12:15We want to be able to sleep at night.
0:12:15 > 0:12:20In 2004, Detroit announced it was moving its elephants to a sanctuary.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23There were people that said, oh, your attendance is going to drop
0:12:23 > 0:12:26and this is going to hurt revenue and it's going to...
0:12:26 > 0:12:29We said, you know, we don't think that's right.
0:12:29 > 0:12:33But we're just not prepared to knowingly keep animals
0:12:33 > 0:12:35that we don't think are doing well.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39At the time, the zoo had just under a million visitors a year.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46Now, it gets almost one and a half million.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49The reaction from the American Association of Zoos and Aquariums
0:12:49 > 0:12:54who wanted the elephants moved to another zoo was less positive.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57I lost my AAZA professional membership.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00But what was their explanation for that?
0:13:00 > 0:13:06The explanation was that I had discussed this publicly.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09- I'm struggling with that.- Well... - Why are they so guarded?
0:13:09 > 0:13:13Because, as is often the case in a profession,
0:13:13 > 0:13:19people don't like dealing with complex ethical issues
0:13:19 > 0:13:21in a public forum.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25And that was very unsettling for a lot of people in the zoo world.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31But Ron was determined to push on with a radical
0:13:31 > 0:13:35rethink of what a zoo should be.
0:13:35 > 0:13:39Instead of going, well, a good zoo must have elephants
0:13:39 > 0:13:40and rhinos and tigers and lions,
0:13:40 > 0:13:45you go, a good zoo must have animals that it knows can thrive
0:13:45 > 0:13:47and it should not have animals that can't thrive.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51Detroit Zoo could see their own elephants were not thriving.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58But assessing the welfare of captive elephants around the globe
0:13:58 > 0:14:01requires a more systematic approach.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06And that's where science comes in.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12Zoos have what are called stud books for most of the animals
0:14:12 > 0:14:17they keep - records of their genealogical background
0:14:17 > 0:14:22as well as births, deaths, transfers and imports of animals.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24No-one really knew how well
0:14:24 > 0:14:28the European zoo population of elephants were doing
0:14:28 > 0:14:30until scientists studied these records.
0:14:30 > 0:14:32And what they found was disturbing.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36The most significant revelation
0:14:36 > 0:14:39was how long the elephants in European zoos were living.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45It turned out captive-born female Asian elephants -
0:14:45 > 0:14:49the majority of the zoo population - were living 19 years on average.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53Scientists wanted to benchmark this against the wild.
0:14:55 > 0:14:59We looked to the nearest thing, which was timber camps in Burma.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02And they've got a very good, equivalent stud book
0:15:02 > 0:15:03for their population.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05And we're by no means saying that
0:15:05 > 0:15:07that is an ideal environment for elephants.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09It's hard, they get worked hard.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11But even with all that, we find that
0:15:11 > 0:15:14they were living till they were about 40.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16So at least double what we were seeing in zoos.
0:15:18 > 0:15:23It really raised a massive red flag that something is not right
0:15:23 > 0:15:25in the way that zoos are keeping elephants.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30The research was published and a backlash began.
0:15:32 > 0:15:36From zoos, it was on the whole quite negative and hostile.
0:15:36 > 0:15:40And there was a reaction to discrediting us,
0:15:40 > 0:15:44rather than looking at their practices
0:15:44 > 0:15:45and the welfare of their elephants
0:15:45 > 0:15:47so that something could be done about it.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56So why are zoos still keeping elephants?
0:15:57 > 0:16:00It's breakfast time at Twycross Zoo in Warwickshire.
0:16:00 > 0:16:04Three of these female Asian elephants were brought
0:16:04 > 0:16:07here from timber camps in the 1980s.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10The latest addition to the herd is two years old.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17The zoo's director, Sharon Redrobe, is happy to discuss
0:16:17 > 0:16:20what the science is revealing about elephants in captivity.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26The data is showing that elephants are dying at a much earlier age
0:16:26 > 0:16:30in captivity in zoos. So how does one react to that as a zoo director?
0:16:30 > 0:16:35It's clearly not good enough in zoos at the moment.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38The challenge with elephants is that they live,
0:16:38 > 0:16:40they should live, a very long time.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43So any changes we make now won't be seen for 30, 40 years.
0:16:43 > 0:16:47But we do know that we used to feed them a lot of cake,
0:16:47 > 0:16:50for goodness' sake, and they used to get really bad teeth,
0:16:50 > 0:16:51then they used to get very aggressive
0:16:51 > 0:16:54and people would shoot them.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57This zoo allows the elephants to make choices,
0:16:57 > 0:17:02rather than directly handling them, as many zoo keepers still do.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04According to the science, two risk factors limit
0:17:04 > 0:17:09the life spans of elephants in captivity - stress and obesity.
0:17:11 > 0:17:13What will be really interesting is to see things like,
0:17:13 > 0:17:16baby Escher when she grows up, will she have arthritis?
0:17:16 > 0:17:19I really hope not, because we've changed the flooring,
0:17:19 > 0:17:22we've changed their diets. So now we don't have fat elephants.
0:17:22 > 0:17:27By establishing how elephants are faring in captivity with empirical
0:17:27 > 0:17:32evidence, scientists have helped to raise the ambition of some zoos.
0:17:32 > 0:17:36I think this generation of elephants have suffered,
0:17:36 > 0:17:40and you can see that in the scientific data. We can see it.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42It's a shame, shame on us.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45But the next thing is what we're going to do about it.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47And the next generation needs to be protected,
0:17:47 > 0:17:49and we learn from the past.
0:17:54 > 0:17:58The Government has told British zoos they must improve the welfare
0:17:58 > 0:18:02of their elephants by 2021, or risk having to phase them out.
0:18:05 > 0:18:09I think the jury's still out in terms of whether enough
0:18:09 > 0:18:13will be done, because I think the changes needed are probably so big.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17I'm very sceptical as to whether
0:18:17 > 0:18:19that will happen in this time period.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31Science is giving zoos a new tool to help assess
0:18:31 > 0:18:33the needs of their animals.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35A method of determining why animals
0:18:35 > 0:18:38often behave differently in zoos than in the wild.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43Something that was poorly understood by those
0:18:43 > 0:18:45who first kept animals, like this.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51Now, when this was built in the 1920s,
0:18:51 > 0:18:56it was a really revolutionary kind of big space.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58Which is shocking when you think about it,
0:18:58 > 0:19:00but it was a long time ago.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03And in those days, the animals were simply behind bars.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09This far from adequate space was home to the zoo's polar bears.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13When I've seen some of the early footage,
0:19:13 > 0:19:15I've seen as many as a dozen polar bears.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17Now, the interesting thing to remember -
0:19:17 > 0:19:21and sometimes people don't know this when they go to zoos -
0:19:21 > 0:19:24is that there's some animals that are very social, like elephants.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26Primates, most primates.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29Polar bears are not, so you normally would never see
0:19:29 > 0:19:34more than two together, except if it's a mother and cubs.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37So this must have been a very tricky thing to manage back then.
0:19:39 > 0:19:43This overcrowded environment may well have affected the way
0:19:43 > 0:19:44the polar bears behaved.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48I'm sure there was a lot of stereotypy,
0:19:48 > 0:19:51but nobody was monitoring that or measuring that in the old days.
0:19:58 > 0:20:00This is stereotypic behaviour,
0:20:00 > 0:20:04abnormal and repetitive with no obvious purpose.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09Animals still are developing stereotypic behaviour,
0:20:09 > 0:20:12so it's not just a bygone era.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15It's a modern phenomenon that is still an issue.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18And I do think it does indicate that something's not right with
0:20:18 > 0:20:22the environment, and those animals aren't getting what they need.
0:20:29 > 0:20:34Stereotypic behaviour is hardly ever seen in the wild,
0:20:34 > 0:20:37but it's often seen in zoos.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39A 2004 Oxford University study
0:20:39 > 0:20:42reported that around 80% of carnivores
0:20:42 > 0:20:46performed stereotypic behaviour in captivity.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53I'm on my way to meet one of the scientists who gathered data
0:20:53 > 0:20:56on abnormal behaviour in captive animals
0:20:56 > 0:20:58to find out what the root causes might be.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01What she found fundamentally challenged
0:21:01 > 0:21:03the way zoos keep and manage animals.
0:21:11 > 0:21:16This is the Belle Isle Zoo in Detroit, which opened in 1895.
0:21:18 > 0:21:23It once housed one of the species most prone to stereotypic behaviour,
0:21:23 > 0:21:27polar bears.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29Ever since she studied zoology,
0:21:29 > 0:21:33Professor Georgia Mason has been fascinated by stereotypic behaviour.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39I was learning all about how animal behaviour has evolved
0:21:39 > 0:21:43and how evolution has shaped animals to be really efficient.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46And then, in captivity, you'd see all this extravagant,
0:21:46 > 0:21:49wasteful pacing and head bobbing.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52These animals should just be relaxing. This is the life of Riley.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54They've got everything they need.
0:21:54 > 0:21:59Professor Mason investigated why animals display this behaviour,
0:21:59 > 0:22:02which many scientists believe is linked to stress
0:22:02 > 0:22:05and could reflect psychological damage.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08It made me think, these things aren't arbitrary.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11They're obviously reflecting something about the animal's
0:22:11 > 0:22:14natural biology, so let's see if we can tell what that is.
0:22:16 > 0:22:20Professor Mason compared how much time carnivores in zoos spent
0:22:20 > 0:22:25pacing with how far they range over time in the wild.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29There was a striking correlation.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32We found that species that naturally have large home ranges
0:22:32 > 0:22:36and species that travel a relatively long way each day,
0:22:36 > 0:22:40they're the ones most at risk of this behaviour in captivity.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45The species most at risk was the polar bear,
0:22:45 > 0:22:48which has the largest home range of all land mammals -
0:22:48 > 0:22:52sometimes over 250,000 square kilometres.
0:22:54 > 0:22:56When Professor Mason came to publish her paper,
0:22:56 > 0:22:59she challenged zoos to fundamentally improve
0:22:59 > 0:23:04the way they keep wide-ranging carnivores or phase them out.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06That really put the cat amongst the pigeons.
0:23:06 > 0:23:10Why do you think it was so incendiary?
0:23:10 > 0:23:13I actually don't know! Because there's lots of conversations
0:23:13 > 0:23:16within the zoo community about, strategically,
0:23:16 > 0:23:18which species should they prioritise?
0:23:18 > 0:23:19Should it be the endangered ones,
0:23:19 > 0:23:22should it be the ones it's easiest to keep well?
0:23:22 > 0:23:24Should it be the ones that most inspire the public?
0:23:24 > 0:23:26- I mean, it's a fascinating debate. - It is.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30And as part of that conversation, I would think you should be
0:23:30 > 0:23:32allowed to say, let's not keep these.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34Not because it's impossible to keep them well,
0:23:34 > 0:23:37but because it requires knowledge that we don't have yet,
0:23:37 > 0:23:39or resources that could be better spent on something else.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46Among the theme parks of Orlando in Florida,
0:23:46 > 0:23:50one zoological institution is struggling to persuade the public
0:23:50 > 0:23:54that it's meeting the needs of some of the world's largest animals.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00- TV NEWS:- 'This is SeaWorld.
0:24:00 > 0:24:04'The atmosphere is part zoo, part circus.'
0:24:04 > 0:24:10SeaWorld has displayed killer whales since 1964,
0:24:10 > 0:24:14but it's now mired in controversy after a documentary called Blackfish
0:24:14 > 0:24:20alleged that captivity severely compromises their welfare.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23The film Blackfish examined the events leading up
0:24:23 > 0:24:26to the fatal attack on a trainer by a male orca,
0:24:26 > 0:24:29here at SeaWorld Orlando.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32Like many people, I was moved by what I saw.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36The footage and the accounts from ex-trainers were compelling,
0:24:36 > 0:24:39and SeaWorld chose not to take part in the film.
0:24:39 > 0:24:43I went as far as calling for it to be shut down on Twitter.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46Now, SeaWorld have decided to talk to me today,
0:24:46 > 0:24:50and I really want to hear their side of the story.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59Can science cut through the heated debate
0:24:59 > 0:25:02about the welfare of SeaWorld's orcas?
0:25:04 > 0:25:07Dr Chris Dold is SeaWorld's head vet.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11He's going to show me the orca that killed his trainer.
0:25:11 > 0:25:13Oh, I think I can see...
0:25:13 > 0:25:17- Look at that! So this is Tilikum? - So this is Tilikum, right here.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23How would you describe Tilikum?
0:25:23 > 0:25:28The most impressive animal in a zoological park, anywhere.
0:25:28 > 0:25:33During a performance in 2010, Tilikum pulled his trainer,
0:25:33 > 0:25:34Dawn Brancheau, into the pool.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39PHONE CALL:
0:25:46 > 0:25:48Within minutes, she had drowned.
0:25:51 > 0:25:56Why do you think Tilikum attacked and killed Dawn?
0:25:56 > 0:26:01It's a question that's been asked, and in the question right there,
0:26:01 > 0:26:03it's a mischaracterisation of what happened.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06This was not an attack, this was a terrible accident.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09And an accident that impacted all of us deeply.
0:26:09 > 0:26:13What happened? If it wasn't an attack, what exactly happened?
0:26:13 > 0:26:15An accident, truly.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18One of the things that we work with our whales on
0:26:18 > 0:26:21is how humans and whales safely interact, right?
0:26:21 > 0:26:25Tilikum is different from the rest of our group of whales in that those
0:26:25 > 0:26:28sorts of normal, safe working behaviours were not taught to him.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34Did the constraints of captivity contribute
0:26:34 > 0:26:36to Tilikum's behaviour that day?
0:26:40 > 0:26:44A 2012 study tracked a wild orca that travelled
0:26:44 > 0:26:49almost 9,400 kilometres in 42 days, nonstop.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53How far can they travel in any one day?
0:26:53 > 0:26:55We'd see them pass our field camp
0:26:55 > 0:26:57and then we'd find out, 24 hours later,
0:26:57 > 0:26:59that they were 100 miles away.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02They've gone through millennia of evolution.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04Natural selection is what it is.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07These animals have to move those distances to stay healthy.
0:27:09 > 0:27:13Three trainers have been killed by captive orcas.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16Tilikum has been involved in the deaths of two.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18One before SeaWorld owned him,
0:27:18 > 0:27:22as well as the death of a man who entered his pool in Orlando.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25According to SeaWorld's records,
0:27:25 > 0:27:30their orcas have injured trainers 12 times between 1988 and 2009.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34This is an animal that ranges 100 miles a day,
0:27:34 > 0:27:39that travels not only to hunt, that communicates vast distances
0:27:39 > 0:27:40and is now in captivity.
0:27:40 > 0:27:44Could this somehow contribute to a psychosis that leads to
0:27:44 > 0:27:47an animal killing not one, but two, but three individuals?
0:27:47 > 0:27:51The key thing is that Tilikum's behaviour -
0:27:51 > 0:27:56and there is no evidence whatsoever that there is any mental aberration
0:27:56 > 0:28:00that is a result of living in a zoological park or otherwise.
0:28:00 > 0:28:04How do we know, when we don't have the research to show that?
0:28:04 > 0:28:07Is it conjecture, is it opinions?
0:28:07 > 0:28:09I think it's experiential evidence.
0:28:09 > 0:28:11But is experiential good enough?
0:28:11 > 0:28:14Does any of this not have to rely
0:28:14 > 0:28:16on strong, empirical, scientific data?
0:28:16 > 0:28:21I think, over time, deep, empirical evidence will come forward.
0:28:21 > 0:28:23Since Dawn Brancheau's death,
0:28:23 > 0:28:28action by a federal safety agency has stopped SeaWorld's trainers
0:28:28 > 0:28:31from being in the water during orca shows.
0:28:35 > 0:28:38The question of whether killer whales might suffer
0:28:38 > 0:28:42psychological problems in captivity remains unanswered.
0:28:43 > 0:28:48Scientists have investigated the cognitive capacities of dolphins,
0:28:48 > 0:28:51members of the cetacean family that includes orcas.
0:28:53 > 0:28:56So this is one of the dolphins in front of the mirror,
0:28:56 > 0:29:00and you can see he's doing something called contingency checking.
0:29:00 > 0:29:02He's making strange motions with his head to see
0:29:02 > 0:29:04if the image in the mirror is doing the same thing,
0:29:04 > 0:29:07and once he figures out that that's him in the mirror,
0:29:07 > 0:29:09then he goes on to use the mirror
0:29:09 > 0:29:13to explore himself in a lot of different ways.
0:29:13 > 0:29:15So here's one example of that.
0:29:15 > 0:29:17What do I look like upside down?
0:29:17 > 0:29:20It's a beautiful thing to watch.
0:29:20 > 0:29:22And here's another dolphin who has been
0:29:22 > 0:29:26fooled into believing that he has been given a mark
0:29:26 > 0:29:30under his pectoral fin and he's actually moving in a way in front
0:29:30 > 0:29:34of the reflective surface to see if there is an actual mark there.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37It's extraordinary behaviour, it's compelling behaviour.
0:29:37 > 0:29:44What this research tells us is that these beings have a sense of self.
0:29:44 > 0:29:49They have a sense of who they are, what they look like
0:29:49 > 0:29:53and what their circumstances are.
0:29:53 > 0:29:56So they know it was them yesterday, it's them today in the mirror,
0:29:56 > 0:29:58and it will be them tomorrow.
0:29:58 > 0:30:01But science has yet to determine
0:30:01 > 0:30:05whether animals with complex cognitive capabilities
0:30:05 > 0:30:08suffer more, or in fact can adapt well, in captivity.
0:30:08 > 0:30:10SeaWorld have their own view.
0:30:11 > 0:30:15With the relative intelligence of cetaceans,
0:30:15 > 0:30:18it's actually, I think, what has allowed them to thrive so well
0:30:18 > 0:30:20in zoological settings.
0:30:20 > 0:30:24And that's because, unlike some species of animals that just want
0:30:24 > 0:30:26to be by themselves and want nothing to do with humans,
0:30:26 > 0:30:30cetaceans clearly work readily with us.
0:30:30 > 0:30:33And that's why we're able to provide such remarkable care for them.
0:30:36 > 0:30:42The welfare of SeaWorld's orcas is under scrutiny like never before.
0:30:42 > 0:30:45The California Coastal Commission approved SeaWorld's
0:30:45 > 0:30:49multi-million-dollar plan to expand its pools in San Diego.
0:30:49 > 0:30:53But only if it stops breeding orcas there.
0:30:53 > 0:30:55SeaWorld is challenging the ruling.
0:30:57 > 0:31:00Do you envisage a time in the future where, with scientific evidence,
0:31:00 > 0:31:04you will choose not to keep killer whales in captivity any more?
0:31:04 > 0:31:07And keep other animals that have been shown to thrive
0:31:07 > 0:31:10through hard, empirical data?
0:31:10 > 0:31:16No. I don't imagine that future, because we know our killer whales
0:31:16 > 0:31:19are thriving in the habitats where we keep them now.
0:31:21 > 0:31:24SeaWorld has published a paper showing their orcas
0:31:24 > 0:31:27live as long as those in the wild.
0:31:27 > 0:31:30Independent scientists are working on rebuttals,
0:31:30 > 0:31:33due to concerns about the methodology they used.
0:31:34 > 0:31:38We've sort of reached the point where we just conclude as a
0:31:38 > 0:31:42society that there are no solid data that they can thrive in captivity.
0:31:42 > 0:31:44It's all hand-waving from SeaWorld.
0:31:44 > 0:31:47And so, we need to conclude that this isn't appropriate any more.
0:31:47 > 0:31:52This is a species that isn't suitable for a zoo life.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11Detroit Zoo believes it's found a way to enable
0:32:11 > 0:32:15its polar bears to thrive, but it's come at a hefty price.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23They call it the Arctic Ring of Life - now home
0:32:23 > 0:32:26to just two polar bears, a male and a female.
0:32:29 > 0:32:31At over 1.6 acres,
0:32:31 > 0:32:36this enclosure is more than eight times the size of the old one.
0:32:36 > 0:32:38But that's not its only key feature.
0:32:40 > 0:32:43- We believe the bears have to have some choices.- Yeah.
0:32:43 > 0:32:46The habitat was designed... There are two separate habitats,
0:32:46 > 0:32:48so they have opportunities to choose to be with another bear
0:32:48 > 0:32:49or without another bear.
0:32:51 > 0:32:55Choice is an important part of a polar bear's natural behaviour
0:32:55 > 0:32:57as it moves around in the wild.
0:32:58 > 0:33:00They're making lots of decisions.
0:33:00 > 0:33:02They're choosing where to be based on prey abundance,
0:33:02 > 0:33:04mate availability, that kind of thing.
0:33:04 > 0:33:07So it could be that really the solution for these animals in zoos
0:33:07 > 0:33:09is to allow them to make more decisions,
0:33:09 > 0:33:12give them more control, give them more day to day variability.
0:33:12 > 0:33:16So rather than thinking, oh, no, we have to give them giant enclosures,
0:33:16 > 0:33:19the solutions could be more imaginative.
0:33:19 > 0:33:21- You see how the hill goes up?- Yeah.
0:33:21 > 0:33:24For bears, one of their most important senses to them
0:33:24 > 0:33:26is their sense of smell.
0:33:26 > 0:33:29And so there's nothing blocking the wind
0:33:29 > 0:33:32when they go to the top of the exhibit.
0:33:32 > 0:33:37According to a 2013 study by three American zoos,
0:33:37 > 0:33:40polar bears with stimulating environments and a view out of
0:33:40 > 0:33:44the enclosure show significantly less stereotypic behaviour.
0:33:46 > 0:33:49Detroit Zoo say they see less stereotypic behaviour
0:33:49 > 0:33:53with their bears here than in their old enclosure.
0:33:53 > 0:33:57This hasn't been quantified yet, but it is encouraging,
0:33:57 > 0:34:00considering animals like these are not suitable
0:34:00 > 0:34:02for release back into the wild.
0:34:02 > 0:34:04It's highly unlikely they could survive.
0:34:04 > 0:34:09So what can we say about the lives of these polar bears now?
0:34:09 > 0:34:13I would say, I believe she has a pretty good life.
0:34:13 > 0:34:18That is so subjective. That's just me.
0:34:18 > 0:34:22I've known her since she was born and I could be totally wrong.
0:34:22 > 0:34:25But I believe she has the things that are meaningful.
0:34:28 > 0:34:33This enclosure cost around 16 million to design and build.
0:34:33 > 0:34:35At that kind of price, trying to meet the welfare
0:34:35 > 0:34:40needs of animals like polar bears forces zoos to make hard choices.
0:34:42 > 0:34:45If you want quality, you have to give up on quantity.
0:34:45 > 0:34:46You can't do every animal.
0:34:46 > 0:34:48You can't have a postage stamp collection
0:34:48 > 0:34:51and expect to be able to have all the animals thrive.
0:34:53 > 0:34:57The emphasis on animals thriving in captivity, not just surviving,
0:34:57 > 0:35:01may sound obvious, but it could revolutionise the zoo world.
0:35:05 > 0:35:09If zoos really did put welfare at the very top,
0:35:09 > 0:35:12how would zoos be different?
0:35:12 > 0:35:18Well, you'd have fewer animals in each zoo.
0:35:18 > 0:35:22You'd have fewer species in each zoo.
0:35:22 > 0:35:28You'd have species in a climate that is appropriate.
0:35:28 > 0:35:31And there's no question in my mind, that's where things are going.
0:35:31 > 0:35:34I think you'll see fewer zoos with polar bears,
0:35:34 > 0:35:37fewer zoos with elephants, fewer zoos with gorillas.
0:35:37 > 0:35:41And different ones will have different expertise.
0:35:41 > 0:35:44And you know, that means that you might have to travel further
0:35:44 > 0:35:46if you want to go see a particular type of animal.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49But there's no reason that every city should have a zoo that
0:35:49 > 0:35:54each one has zebras, giraffes, elephants, rhinos, etc.
0:36:00 > 0:36:04Around zoos, the world is changing.
0:36:04 > 0:36:05We're living through an unprecedented
0:36:05 > 0:36:07mass extinction crisis.
0:36:09 > 0:36:12The rapid rise of the human population has dramatically
0:36:12 > 0:36:14reshaped the natural environment,
0:36:14 > 0:36:17destroying habitats at an alarming rate.
0:36:18 > 0:36:21Dr Jane Goodall has seen how the wild has shrunk
0:36:21 > 0:36:27since she first studied chimpanzees in Tanzania in 1960.
0:36:27 > 0:36:29And, for her, it makes a compelling case for zoos.
0:36:31 > 0:36:33If the world is beautiful,
0:36:33 > 0:36:36and like it was when I went first to Africa,
0:36:36 > 0:36:39that's where all chimps should be.
0:36:39 > 0:36:40But it's not.
0:36:43 > 0:36:47I've seen so many places where there's logging coming closer,
0:36:47 > 0:36:51chimpanzees under threat.
0:36:51 > 0:36:54And, quite honestly, when you go to a really good zoo
0:36:54 > 0:36:57which has a big outside enclosure, then you think, well,
0:36:57 > 0:37:02actually, if I was a chimp, I'd probably rather be here
0:37:02 > 0:37:05than out in all these dangerous situations in the wild.
0:37:07 > 0:37:10Because of human impacts, species are disappearing at a rate
0:37:10 > 0:37:15100 times faster than would be expected.
0:37:15 > 0:37:19Zoos are saying that saving animals is their fundamental role.
0:37:19 > 0:37:23At about the same time that television and film
0:37:23 > 0:37:27were taking over from the simple task that zoos had
0:37:27 > 0:37:30of showing you what a polar bear looks like,
0:37:30 > 0:37:33zoos then changed their direction and said,
0:37:33 > 0:37:35we are conservation centres.
0:37:35 > 0:37:37This is our primary purpose, is conservation.
0:37:39 > 0:37:41If we weren't breeding and maintaining animals,
0:37:41 > 0:37:43then some of these animals would be
0:37:43 > 0:37:45going rapidly extinct in the wild,
0:37:45 > 0:37:48and we wouldn't have this ark principle,
0:37:48 > 0:37:51this repository of animals, to ever put them back.
0:37:51 > 0:37:52This is the role now of zoos.
0:37:52 > 0:37:55It's changed radically since the '50s and the '60s,
0:37:55 > 0:37:57of just show and tell wild animals.
0:37:57 > 0:38:00We are now part of the solution.
0:38:00 > 0:38:05I don't think this is a sustainable claim for zoos to say that
0:38:05 > 0:38:07they're conservation centres.
0:38:07 > 0:38:11It's a very thin, slender little column that they've
0:38:11 > 0:38:13built for themselves to stand on.
0:38:19 > 0:38:21When it comes to breeding endangered species,
0:38:21 > 0:38:25zoos have gained vast amounts of expertise and knowledge,
0:38:25 > 0:38:27thanks to years of dedication.
0:38:29 > 0:38:32Take the effort to save the California condor,
0:38:32 > 0:38:35one of the world's most endangered birds.
0:38:37 > 0:38:41I'm keen to help out, but Mike Clark from LA Zoo has got other ideas.
0:38:41 > 0:38:44You don't want me to hold the eggs for you?
0:38:44 > 0:38:47You're not on the permit, the federal permit to touch the eggs.
0:38:47 > 0:38:50- You have to have a federal permit to handle them?- Oh, yeah.
0:38:51 > 0:38:55In the 1980s, there were just 22 California condors
0:38:55 > 0:38:57left in the wild.
0:38:57 > 0:39:00The last of the species were brought into a zoo,
0:39:00 > 0:39:03and the captive breeding programme began.
0:39:06 > 0:39:08So this would be egg LA-10-15.
0:39:08 > 0:39:12Each egg is closely monitored.
0:39:12 > 0:39:15- There you go.- Oh, look at that, that's fantastic. Look at that.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22As the chicks are reared, contact with zoo keepers is limited.
0:39:26 > 0:39:32This is a condor hand puppet, something we make right here.
0:39:32 > 0:39:36The hand-reared chicks are fed by puppets.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39Some birds showed no fear of humans when they were released,
0:39:39 > 0:39:41so the keepers had to adapt.
0:39:43 > 0:39:46So what would this puppet do, other than just drop the food?
0:39:46 > 0:39:49The chicks can get kind of rambunctious and become
0:39:49 > 0:39:51abusive towards the puppet, because there's no consequences.
0:39:51 > 0:39:54And so the puppet would actually have to move them away,
0:39:54 > 0:39:56like, you're not going to do that, that's not the way to behave.
0:39:58 > 0:40:00Over three decades,
0:40:00 > 0:40:03zoos have perfected the method of breeding condors.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09But successfully reintroducing them into the wild is a much
0:40:09 > 0:40:11greater challenge.
0:40:13 > 0:40:17This is Hopper Mountain, north of Los Angeles, one of the sites
0:40:17 > 0:40:19where captive-born condors are released.
0:40:22 > 0:40:26I'm with Estelle Sandhaus, a scientist from Santa Barbara Zoo.
0:40:33 > 0:40:37'On the other side of this canyon is a historic nesting site,
0:40:37 > 0:40:38'if only I could see it!'
0:40:44 > 0:40:46Gosh, it's really thrilling to see it.
0:40:46 > 0:40:49Yeah, absolutely, absolutely.
0:40:49 > 0:40:51God, she's gorgeous, isn't she?
0:40:51 > 0:40:53Yeah, she absolutely is.
0:40:53 > 0:40:54It's amazing.
0:41:00 > 0:41:05These mountains have been turned into a zoo of sorts.
0:41:05 > 0:41:09The birds are constantly monitored because, without
0:41:09 > 0:41:12intensive management, the population would once again collapse.
0:41:17 > 0:41:19The reason can be found at LA Zoo.
0:41:22 > 0:41:25'This is 360, a sick condor brought in from the wild.'
0:41:25 > 0:41:27He's a beaut.
0:41:30 > 0:41:33'What happened to him reveals just how much human behaviour is
0:41:33 > 0:41:36'undermining this reintroduction programme.'
0:41:38 > 0:41:40This is a ventral view of the whole body
0:41:40 > 0:41:44and if you look carefully, you can see a high density object,
0:41:44 > 0:41:48that's metal, and that is the piece of lead that was poisoning him.
0:41:48 > 0:41:52Across the region, hunters often use lead ammunition,
0:41:52 > 0:41:55which shatters inside the animals they hunt.
0:41:55 > 0:42:01As scavengers, condors feed on the carcases and can easily be poisoned.
0:42:02 > 0:42:07These are additional radiographs of 360 from June of 2010,
0:42:07 > 0:42:12June of 2012 and then 2015, like you see here.
0:42:12 > 0:42:15So, actually he's been in three times for lead poisoning.
0:42:15 > 0:42:17How old is he?
0:42:17 > 0:42:20- Ten.- Ten years old and he's been in three times.- Yeah.
0:42:20 > 0:42:22'360 was lucky.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25'Vets removed this latest particle,
0:42:25 > 0:42:28'but 59 others have died from lead poisoning
0:42:28 > 0:42:30'since the reintroduction programme began.'
0:42:32 > 0:42:33Look at that wing span.
0:42:33 > 0:42:38I mean, there's no question when you see such a spectacular species,
0:42:38 > 0:42:40of course it should be protected.
0:42:40 > 0:42:42Of course we can't let it go extinct,
0:42:42 > 0:42:46but what's the point of releasing it again if all the threats persist?
0:42:46 > 0:42:48I think that with these birds out here, we are able
0:42:48 > 0:42:51to capture people's hearts and minds
0:42:51 > 0:42:55and really advocate for them and ask folks to change their habits.
0:42:58 > 0:43:02After more than 30 years and more than 40 million,
0:43:02 > 0:43:07there are now 228 California condors in the wild.
0:43:09 > 0:43:13With the California condor, zoos have achieved the near impossible.
0:43:13 > 0:43:17I mean, it's taken a huge amount of effort and money
0:43:17 > 0:43:20and intensive, relentless interventions to keep
0:43:20 > 0:43:25the birds just about alive out here, but the battle they've been fighting
0:43:25 > 0:43:29for decades now can't be won without changing human behaviour.
0:43:32 > 0:43:35This is not just a job to save the species.
0:43:35 > 0:43:41This is a human problem and we feel like janitors of the human culture.
0:43:41 > 0:43:45We're trying to clean this mess up.
0:43:45 > 0:43:48Until the culture changes and the lead is out of their food source,
0:43:48 > 0:43:50me and the people I work with will be treating leads
0:43:50 > 0:43:52until we retire, and probably beyond.
0:43:58 > 0:44:02When it comes to conservation, British zoos claim that
0:44:02 > 0:44:06at least 3% of their expenditure goes towards projects in the field.
0:44:06 > 0:44:10Figures like this are hard to quantify across the zoo world,
0:44:10 > 0:44:14but zoos say their conservation role is not just about funding.
0:44:16 > 0:44:19We can use animals as ambassadors, we can use them for education
0:44:19 > 0:44:20and that's really important.
0:44:20 > 0:44:23We have half a million people a year seeing these elephants
0:44:23 > 0:44:26and that's our opportunity to hook them into valuing them,
0:44:26 > 0:44:29seeing what they're like for real, smelling them,
0:44:29 > 0:44:32which you don't get from the TV, and then valuing wildlife is how
0:44:32 > 0:44:35we're going to change the future, cos it's this generation
0:44:35 > 0:44:39of humans that needs to change their behaviour to save the wild.
0:44:39 > 0:44:43The goal of zoos to educate the public about the importance
0:44:43 > 0:44:46of conservation is laudable, but so far,
0:44:46 > 0:44:50their success has not been scientifically proven.
0:44:50 > 0:44:54The claim that seeing elephants in the zoo will turn you
0:44:54 > 0:44:58into a conservationist is a completely false claim.
0:44:58 > 0:45:02There's no evidence at all that seeing animals in zoos
0:45:02 > 0:45:04changes people's opinion.
0:45:12 > 0:45:16As our cities continue to grow, along with our
0:45:16 > 0:45:19insatiable consumption of the planet's resources,
0:45:19 > 0:45:24the destruction of wild habitats is speeding up.
0:45:24 > 0:45:27Surveying this seemingly unstoppable tide
0:45:27 > 0:45:30is conservation scientist Dr Sarah Bexell.
0:45:32 > 0:45:34As a veteran of captive breeding programmes,
0:45:34 > 0:45:37she has strong personal views.
0:45:37 > 0:45:41I definitely for a long time have been worried that we
0:45:41 > 0:45:44are sending the wrong message to the general public,
0:45:44 > 0:45:48that you can drive your SUV and you can have as many children
0:45:48 > 0:45:49as you want.
0:45:49 > 0:45:52Don't worry, we'll save a couple of the cute ones for you.
0:45:52 > 0:45:57Science is going to save the animals we deem worthy of saving.
0:46:02 > 0:46:06For the past 25 years, Sarah has worked on some of
0:46:06 > 0:46:09the world's biggest reintroduction programmes -
0:46:09 > 0:46:12the golden lion tamarin in Brazil,
0:46:12 > 0:46:15the black-footed ferret in the American West,
0:46:15 > 0:46:19the giant panda programme in China.
0:46:20 > 0:46:24Like others, this project is succeeding in breeding animals,
0:46:24 > 0:46:27but struggling to build a self-sustaining population
0:46:27 > 0:46:29in the wild.
0:46:29 > 0:46:33Around 400 pandas have been bred in captivity,
0:46:33 > 0:46:36but just five have been released and only three survive.
0:46:39 > 0:46:42All things considered, a huge amount of money
0:46:42 > 0:46:45has been spent on the captive breeding programme
0:46:45 > 0:46:50for pandas and considering so few, although precious individuals,
0:46:50 > 0:46:54have been reintroduced, has it been worth it?
0:46:54 > 0:46:55Is it worth it?
0:46:59 > 0:47:00Ah.
0:47:02 > 0:47:06I mean, we've learned a lot, absolutely.
0:47:06 > 0:47:10Filled volumes of journals and textbooks and...
0:47:11 > 0:47:15But we have not made significant headway in terms of conservation.
0:47:15 > 0:47:21So, I mean, I guess right now, we would almost have to say
0:47:21 > 0:47:26it has been quite a failure and even though many of these projects even
0:47:26 > 0:47:29were considered successful for short periods of time,
0:47:29 > 0:47:31they've lost ground.
0:47:36 > 0:47:39And should we continue them?
0:47:39 > 0:47:43Right now, I'm feeling no, because I'm really worried that it's
0:47:43 > 0:47:47sending the wrong message to humanity.
0:47:47 > 0:47:49It's giving humanity false hopes.
0:47:53 > 0:47:57Captive breeding appeared to be a conservation panacea,
0:47:57 > 0:48:00promising to curb extinctions and replenish the wild.
0:48:00 > 0:48:04But as humanity's destruction of habitat gathers pace,
0:48:04 > 0:48:07Sarah believes zoos need to level with us
0:48:07 > 0:48:11about what saving endangered species would really require.
0:48:13 > 0:48:16I think we need to be brutally honest with the world,
0:48:16 > 0:48:21that science is not just going to clean up the mess for you all.
0:48:21 > 0:48:23We all have to get behind this,
0:48:23 > 0:48:25we all have to be a part of the solution.
0:48:29 > 0:48:33Perhaps the most controversial of all zoo breeding programmes
0:48:33 > 0:48:36is that of the northern white rhino.
0:48:36 > 0:48:41The effort to save this species from extinction began in the mid-1970s
0:48:41 > 0:48:46as the persecution of these animals by humans increased dramatically.
0:48:47 > 0:48:49No animal is safe from poachers.
0:48:49 > 0:48:52There were three more white rhino until a few months ago.
0:48:52 > 0:48:55Then poachers butchered them at point blank range
0:48:55 > 0:48:57to steal their valuable horns.
0:48:59 > 0:49:03As northern white rhinos were relentlessly hunted over decades,
0:49:03 > 0:49:07the future of the species came to depend entirely
0:49:07 > 0:49:10on the ability of zoos to breed them,
0:49:10 > 0:49:12and that proved far from easy.
0:49:14 > 0:49:16The species is now extinct in the wild
0:49:16 > 0:49:20and unravelling the reasons why reveals just how many
0:49:20 > 0:49:24aspects of the breeding programme fell short of expectations.
0:49:28 > 0:49:32This is the Dvur Kralove Zoo in the Czech Republic.
0:49:32 > 0:49:36I'm here to see a very special animal.
0:49:36 > 0:49:37This is Nabire.
0:49:39 > 0:49:45'Nabire is one of the last five northern white rhinos on Earth.'
0:49:45 > 0:49:48Can we say hello, with an apple?
0:49:48 > 0:49:50Moment.
0:49:50 > 0:49:52Little bit back, no.
0:49:52 > 0:49:54Yeah, pull everything back. She might chew on my cuff.
0:49:54 > 0:49:57- Take it like this.- Just like that? OK, so not flat hand.
0:49:57 > 0:49:59- OK, put that inside. - OK, I can put that inside.
0:49:59 > 0:50:01I can give you an apple, beauty.
0:50:03 > 0:50:08- Oh, OK, here we go.- Perfect. - Here we go.
0:50:08 > 0:50:10Ohhh!
0:50:10 > 0:50:13HE SPEAKS CZECH
0:50:13 > 0:50:18Nabire is of breeding age, but unfortunately she's now infertile.
0:50:20 > 0:50:23The history of the captive population is
0:50:23 > 0:50:26a story of extinction taking place in slow motion.
0:50:30 > 0:50:34Since 1975, when northern white rhinos were first brought to
0:50:34 > 0:50:38this zoo, just four calves had been born in captivity.
0:50:39 > 0:50:41For many years,
0:50:41 > 0:50:46the zoo didn't know how to maximise the chances of breeding.
0:50:46 > 0:50:48We started to understand
0:50:48 > 0:50:49if you have, you know,
0:50:49 > 0:50:51all the animals at one place for a long time,
0:50:51 > 0:50:55it somehow blocks the, let's say, breeding appetites.
0:50:56 > 0:51:01As they failed to breed, the female rhinos were becoming infertile.
0:51:03 > 0:51:06When there were just two fertile females left,
0:51:06 > 0:51:10a decision was made to attempt artificial insemination.
0:51:10 > 0:51:12All our hope is on her
0:51:12 > 0:51:15and we will try to get her pregnant as soon as possible.
0:51:16 > 0:51:19But the attempt failed.
0:51:19 > 0:51:21Failing with the artificial insemination doesn't mean
0:51:21 > 0:51:23the programme failed.
0:51:23 > 0:51:27We were quite optimistic that we would achieve a pregnancy over time,
0:51:27 > 0:51:33if we would get full support for such assist reproduction programme.
0:51:36 > 0:51:40The zoo devised a new strategy.
0:51:40 > 0:51:43The last two fertile females were sent
0:51:43 > 0:51:47to the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya.
0:51:49 > 0:51:53It was fully understandable, but it stopped our programme
0:51:53 > 0:51:58and, based on the experience we have now, you know,
0:51:58 > 0:52:01that was most likely not the right decision.
0:52:02 > 0:52:05In Kenya, one female became infertile.
0:52:05 > 0:52:08The other was too physically weak to breed.
0:52:08 > 0:52:13In 2014, two of the remaining rhinos died in captivity,
0:52:13 > 0:52:17leaving a total of just five.
0:52:22 > 0:52:26But there might still be a chance to stop the northern white rhino
0:52:26 > 0:52:28from disappearing from the planet for ever.
0:52:30 > 0:52:34In California, scientists are trying to achieve in the lab
0:52:34 > 0:52:38what hasn't been possible in the zoo.
0:52:38 > 0:52:41In this batch we have boxes of tubes
0:52:41 > 0:52:46and this tube here contains stem cells of the northern white rhino.
0:52:46 > 0:52:50These stem cells were made from northern white rhino skin.
0:52:50 > 0:52:53So they can become any cell of the body?
0:52:53 > 0:52:55Any cell of the body.
0:52:55 > 0:52:57So in that small sample lies potentially...
0:52:57 > 0:52:59More than a million cells.
0:52:59 > 0:53:01And the future of the northern white rhino.
0:53:01 > 0:53:03- It's as simple as that, really, isn't it?- Absolutely.
0:53:03 > 0:53:04It's extraordinary.
0:53:08 > 0:53:12Professor Jeanne Loring saw how stem cells could be used to save
0:53:12 > 0:53:14endangered species.
0:53:17 > 0:53:19If we can make gametes from those cells,
0:53:19 > 0:53:24we can then take the sperm from one animal, an animal that's already
0:53:24 > 0:53:29dead, and eggs from another animal and make an entirely new individual.
0:53:29 > 0:53:33An embryo would be implanted into a surrogate animal,
0:53:33 > 0:53:37the closely related southern white rhino.
0:53:39 > 0:53:44The contents of this freezer are now part of a new multi-million-dollar
0:53:44 > 0:53:48effort to engineer northern white rhinos into existence
0:53:48 > 0:53:50within ten years.
0:53:50 > 0:53:55Professor Loring and Professor Hildebrandt are working with
0:53:55 > 0:53:59San Diego Zoo and Dvur Kralove Zoo on the rescue plan.
0:53:59 > 0:54:04The San Diego Zoo put dramatic resources in this rescue programme
0:54:04 > 0:54:08which wasn't seen before.
0:54:08 > 0:54:12What we hope to achieve is that with this new approach,
0:54:12 > 0:54:17we can establish a new population of healthy northern white rhinos
0:54:17 > 0:54:21which then can mate natural-wise in the future.
0:54:27 > 0:54:31But trying to bring back a species after it has gone extinct
0:54:31 > 0:54:33is fraught with uncertainty.
0:54:33 > 0:54:35SHE EXHALES
0:54:37 > 0:54:41Despite immense efforts by zoos over decades,
0:54:41 > 0:54:45the northern white rhino is slipping away.
0:54:47 > 0:54:51It's impossible not to get emotional,
0:54:51 > 0:54:55setting eyes on one of the last five remaining northern white rhinos.
0:54:58 > 0:55:03The factors that led to the situation are complex
0:55:03 > 0:55:06and we have learned from our mistakes
0:55:06 > 0:55:11and what we might do differently now, given the chance.
0:55:11 > 0:55:16But the hard truth is, we failed this species.
0:55:19 > 0:55:23And if we fail with such a charismatic, popular animal...
0:55:25 > 0:55:29..then what hope is there for other species,
0:55:29 > 0:55:34the thousands of other species that are threatened or endangered?
0:55:52 > 0:55:56The public's relationship with zoos has remained intact since this
0:55:56 > 0:56:00elephant house opened in Copenhagen Zoo more than a century ago.
0:56:03 > 0:56:05But can zoos survive for another century?
0:56:09 > 0:56:11As it becomes more and more evident
0:56:11 > 0:56:13that many of the big animals that are
0:56:13 > 0:56:19the standard stars of zoos should not be in captivity for scientific
0:56:19 > 0:56:23reasons, that these animals are not thriving and cannot thrive,
0:56:23 > 0:56:28I think that the public will react in similar ways to the way they've
0:56:28 > 0:56:32reacted to the revelations about what was happening in SeaWorld.
0:56:32 > 0:56:36I never even thought that they would go extinct 20 years ago,
0:56:36 > 0:56:38but now I'm certain that they will.
0:56:40 > 0:56:44There are a lot of people today who say that zoos should shut down.
0:56:44 > 0:56:45What do you think?
0:56:45 > 0:56:48I think those arguments of zoos being part of a problem
0:56:48 > 0:56:52and using animals and having massive welfare issues and not educating
0:56:52 > 0:56:55the public and not doing conservation,
0:56:55 > 0:56:57was true in the '40s, '50s, '60s
0:56:57 > 0:57:01and - shame on us - probably in the '70s and early '80s as well.
0:57:01 > 0:57:03But genuinely, in the last 10 or 15 years,
0:57:03 > 0:57:07the world's changed and a lot of zoos have woken up to that and
0:57:07 > 0:57:10a lot of zoos are run now by people like me who passionately understand
0:57:10 > 0:57:14this, understand the arguments and we're trying to make a difference.
0:57:19 > 0:57:24Throughout their history, zoos have adapted and grown and changed,
0:57:24 > 0:57:27and it's evident in the architecture of any zoo you look at.
0:57:27 > 0:57:31I mean, this used to be the only enclosure for an adult elephant
0:57:31 > 0:57:34throughout the winter months back in the '60s.
0:57:36 > 0:57:39Clearly, zoos have moved on.
0:57:39 > 0:57:42This is Copenhagen's newest indoor enclosure for elephants,
0:57:42 > 0:57:46but are zoos changing enough?
0:57:47 > 0:57:51The zoo of the future, you'd have a lot of binoculars around the place,
0:57:51 > 0:57:54because your elephants will be right away on the other side
0:57:54 > 0:57:59and your chimpanzees would be high in a tree up there, five storeys up.
0:57:59 > 0:58:02You'd need your binoculars. That's the kind of zoo.
0:58:02 > 0:58:04It's not what you'd call a zoo now.
0:58:05 > 0:58:07- RON KAGAN:- There is a bright future
0:58:07 > 0:58:12for zoos, as long as zoos are totally committed to
0:58:12 > 0:58:16continuing to do research so that we understand what animals need,
0:58:16 > 0:58:21and that if we can't meet those needs, that we don't keep them.
0:58:22 > 0:58:25So, in light of what the science is now telling us,
0:58:25 > 0:58:29are zoos willing to reappraise their fundamental roles as zoological
0:58:29 > 0:58:32and conservation organisations?
0:58:34 > 0:58:38The potential for zoos to educate about how we can interact
0:58:38 > 0:58:41with wildlife responsibly is enormous,
0:58:41 > 0:58:45but to reach the goal many scientists speak of
0:58:45 > 0:58:48would require substantial change.
0:58:48 > 0:58:52The question now is how much zoos and we, the public,
0:58:52 > 0:58:53want that change to happen.