Are you familiar with ZOOXXI? In this interview, Adrià tells us about this educational project transforming the Barcelona Zoo.
– What is the ZOOXXI platform and why does it propose to transform but not close zoological institutions?
The ZOOXXI platform is a citizen initiative that emerged in Barcelona eight years ago, when a group of specialists and activists analyzed the feasibility of closing the Barcelona Zoo. Historical perspective reveals that the closure of other zoos around the world has always led to a deterioration in the living conditions of the animals. Due to the impossibility of reintroducing them to their natural habitat, most of them end up in other zoos. Given that many zoos, including Barcelona's, are part of international associations that promote the breeding and exchange of animals, closing the zoo would mean that these animals would once again end up within this network.
For this reason, ZOOXXI proposes a reconversion of zoos as we know them, updating them to the morality of the moment and always from the scientific basis that confirms that non-human animals are sentient beings, with the capacity to be affected positively and negatively and therefore, endowed with their own interests.
Furthermore, zoos possess a whole series of conditions that enable them to serve as centers for the care and assistance of confiscated or abandoned animals, thus allowing for the development of a zoo model that becomes useful for the animals.
– What are the main proposals put forward by the ZOOXXI platform?
ZOOXXI envisions a more locally focused zoo, one that would house confiscated and injured animals and host programs for the reintroduction of native wildlife. Furthermore, it proposes curbing the breeding and trade of exotic animals, which, whenever possible, would be sent to sanctuaries and reserves.
The ZOOXXI platform also advocates for a more political, more citizen-driven zoo, where specialists from civil society participate in decision-making; ultimately, an institution of the city and for the city that acts as an engine of change in our relationship with other animals.
There is also a commitment to a more technological zoo, where the latest advances in multimedia audiovisual technology and immersive experiences allow visitors to observe animals as they are free in their habitat.
In terms of conservation, the focus will be on promoting in situ programs, that is, those carried out in the natural habitat of the endangered species, since it is in these cases that the success of reintroduction is optimized.
Finally, an education based on empathy and respect for other animals is proposed, an approach that also provides the opportunity to move towards achieving an inclusive society.
– How is a project like ZOOXXI, which focuses on new technologies and in-situ conservation, financially sustained?
The model proposed by ZOOXXI is no more expensive than the current one. To give you an idea, just remember that the dolphinarium that was planned for Barcelona (but will no longer be built) had a budget of around 10 million euros. The technologies we're talking about are evolving rapidly, and costs are becoming increasingly affordable.
In fact, the triad of technology, economics, and conservation plays a fundamental role in the proposal. Scientific advances in conservation will not bear fruit if the conservation strategy is not accompanied by the protection of habitats and ecosystems. ZOOXXI proposes to create a collaborative network in this area by intersecting the three disciplines of the triad. This network would be based on linking the implementation of new technologies to a conservation program; that is, zoo visitors will know that their money is directly contributing to the preservation of the habitat and the protection of the species that a particular technological application in the zoo will allow them to learn about.
It is also worth noting the proposed network, where zoos, instead of exchanging live animals, will exchange audiovisual material from their respective conservation programs. This would result in different zoos investing in the protection of different habitats, stimulating an increase in the number of protected areas and multimedia material accessible to both the public and the scientific community.
– What support are you receiving from the institutions?
This is a citizen-led initiative, and as such, it is being received by institutions. The political parties Barcelona en Comú, Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya, and Partit Europeu Demòcrata Català have already opened their platforms to ZOOXXI to promote and discuss it. Furthermore, the APDDA (Parliamentary Association for the Defense of Animals) organized the 3rd Parliamentary Conference on Animal Protection in the Congress of Deputies, with ZOOXXI's participation.
We also have the support of the Centre for Animal Ethics Studies at Pompeu Fabra University and organizations such as PRODA (Professionals for Animal Rights) and CoPPA (Coordinator for the Protection and Prevention of Abuse).
AVATMA (Association of Veterinarians Against Bullfighting and Animal Abuse) and the Great Ape Project have also publicly positioned themselves in favor of ZOOXXI.
The platform also features collaborations from the academic field, such as the former director of the Barcelona Zoo, Carmen Maté; the president of ADDIA (Association for the Defense of the Rights of Children and Adolescents), Carlos Villagrasa; the president of the Committee for the Protection of Animals of the College of Veterinarians of Barcelona, Jaume Fatjó; or the doctor in philosophy and professor of Aesthetics and Ethics at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Marta Tafalla.
– Why do you think it is necessary to reformulate the current educational model at the Barcelona Zoo?
The current educational model at Barcelona Zoo is based on an exclusively conservationist rhetoric. Consequently, the educational discourse presents biodiversity as the main guiding principle. The ZOOXXI platform proposes to differentiate this approach, which means recognizing the value of biodiversity and therefore working towards conservation, but also valuing the individual: a tiger confined in a zoo is not a representative of a species that must be protected, but rather this tiger as an individual has its own interests that must be respected.
– What does ZOOXXI's educational proposal consist of?
The recognition that animals are not only representatives of a species or a set of shapes and chromatic patterns that fascinate us, but are also individuals with the capacity to feel and enjoy, becomes the scaffolding on which to build an educational model based on empathy, since the consequence of recognizing their interests reveals the injustice of captivity on the one hand, and of its commodification on the other.
An educational model based on empathy towards other animals not only allows us to deconstruct our relationship with them, but also to move towards a culture of non-violence. Several scientific studies have established that fostering empathy towards other animals in the classroom leads to benefits in interpersonal relationships, including a decrease in verbal and non-verbal aggression and the promotion of prosocial behaviors.
– In the medium/long term the number of exotic animals would decrease, how can we learn about the elephant without the elephant?
Confining animals means depriving them of their way of life. Therefore, the presence of elephants in zoos allows them to do little more than exploit the animal's aesthetic appeal. Consequently, they fall into the trap of overlooking characteristics that define animals far beyond their physical appearance, such as their ability to relate to other individuals or interact with their environment. This means that the presence of exotic animals does not imply that the zoo's educational function is being fulfilled satisfactorily; quite the contrary. ZOOXXI proposes a more realistic approach: to learn about animals in the wild through technology, to understand their identity as individuals, and to observe their way of life in their natural habitat.
– What can society do to support this campaign?
Anyone over 16 years of age and registered as a resident of Barcelona can contribute their signature during the collection process, which will begin next March and last for four months. During this period, people can also participate as volunteers. Furthermore, residents of Catalonia can act as witnesses during the campaign, and businesses that wish to do so can become designated signature collection points.
ZOOXXI places in our hands the ability to reshape our relationship with other animals through a participatory initiative, so citizens can support it in many other ways, from following and spreading the project on social media, to actively getting involved in one of its working groups, which cover disciplines as diverse as science, art or communication, among others.