Zoos and aquariums around the world need to undergo an evolution from just focusing on entertainment to conservation in order to remain relevant with the public, an international conference has been told.

The Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo is hosting more than 2,000 zoo professionals from around the world at the Association of Zoos and Aquariums annual conference. ItB次元官网网址檚 the first time the event has been held outside of the United States in decades and the first time itB次元官网网址檚 been held in Calgary in 40 years.

While zoos have long been the purview of families - providing fun for a Sunday outing - they have come under criticism from animal rights activists complaining about animals being held in captivity.

B次元官网网址淢odern zoos and aquariums are conservation advocates,B次元官网网址� association president Daniel Ashe said in an interview.

B次元官网网址淎quariums and zoos are changing with the times. Of course itB次元官网网址檚 important for them to be fun places to go and they are fun places to be B次元官网网址� but they also visit to experience animals and thatB次元官网网址檚 the most important aspect.B次元官网网址�

Ashe said nature is under attack and the world is living through what scientists call the sixth mass extinction event in the EarthB次元官网网址檚 history.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 the first extinction event not caused by a meteor or volcanism but caused by humans and what weB次元官网网址檙e doing to the planet,B次元官网网址� he said.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 more important than ever that we know what we can do, and weB次元官网网址檙e inspired by nature and engaged.B次元官网网址�

Jessica Steiner, a senior adviser in conservation networking at the Calgary zoo, told a session that the world is in a period of B次元官网网址渦nprecedented species loss.B次元官网网址�

She said more than 43,000 species are currently considered threatened with extinction globally and zoos are taking on a more important role.

B次元官网网址淎cross North America and around the world, zoos, aquariums and botanic gardens are finding that balancing the demands for entertainment, education and conservation is increasingly difficult,B次元官网网址� Steiner said.

B次元官网网址淐onservation is really an imperative for 21st-century zoos. People are less enamoured with zoos as centres for entertainment only. We need to flip that narrative. We need to be seen as conservation centres and walk the talk.B次元官网网址�

Angela Yang, the director of international field conservation at the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance, said her work involves bringing zoos and global conservation groups together.

B次元官网网址淚 think zoos, aquariums and botanic gardens have a lot of resources and because we kind of work in silos, thatB次元官网网址檚 not commonly known, especially for groups on the ground,B次元官网网址� she said.

B次元官网网址淭he general public probably doesnB次元官网网址檛 know the extent of how zoos are involved in conservation and thatB次元官网网址檚 a story that is still kind of brewing in the zoos but not getting out there for the public.B次元官网网址�

Jamie Dorgan, the interim president and CEO of the zoo in Calgary, said providing entertainment isnB次元官网网址檛 enough anymore.

B次元官网网址淩eally for us the key role we play in our community is getting people to fall in love with wildlife,B次元官网网址� he said.

B次元官网网址淲hen they fall in love with wildlife B次元官网网址� then they want to join us in helping to save wildlife and wild places. Zoos have evolved massively in the last decade to 30 or 40 years.B次元官网网址�