Majestic statues of lions or giant panda banners adorn zoo entrances. Large crowds usually gather around big exhibits housing elephants, giraffes or tigers. And gift shops often sport several big-animal themed merchandise items. Sometimes a portion of proceeds go towards specific conservation efforts, like saving the snow leopard or restoring the red panda population.
But even though these large animals at the zoo receive the most attention, they are often not critical to biodiversity. These animals are called flagship species — a species with appealing features that experts select to make people care about conservation.
Zoos dedicate a lot of time and resources to engage people in learning about biodiversity and conservation, and advocates carefully craft messaging about these species to make their stories compelling.
