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. It含羞草研究社檚 the first time the event has been held outside of the United States in decades and the first time it含羞草研究社檚 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.

含羞草研究社淢odern zoos and aquariums are conservation advocates,含羞草研究社� association president Daniel Ashe said in an interview.

含羞草研究社淎quariums and zoos are changing with the times. Of course it含羞草研究社檚 important for them to be fun places to go and they are fun places to be 含羞草研究社� but they also visit to experience animals and that含羞草研究社檚 the most important aspect.含羞草研究社�

Ashe said nature is under attack and the world is living through what scientists call the sixth mass extinction event in the Earth含羞草研究社檚 history.

含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 the first extinction event not caused by a meteor or volcanism but caused by humans and what we含羞草研究社檙e doing to the planet,含羞草研究社� he said.

含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 more important than ever that we know what we can do, and we含羞草研究社檙e inspired by nature and engaged.含羞草研究社�

Jessica Steiner, a senior adviser in conservation networking at the Calgary zoo, told a session that the world is in a period of 含羞草研究社渦nprecedented species loss.含羞草研究社�

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

含羞草研究社淎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,含羞草研究社� Steiner said.

含羞草研究社淐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.含羞草研究社�

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.

含羞草研究社淚 think zoos, aquariums and botanic gardens have a lot of resources and because we kind of work in silos, that含羞草研究社檚 not commonly known, especially for groups on the ground,含羞草研究社� she said.

含羞草研究社淭he general public probably doesn含羞草研究社檛 know the extent of how zoos are involved in conservation and that含羞草研究社檚 a story that is still kind of brewing in the zoos but not getting out there for the public.含羞草研究社�

Jamie Dorgan, the interim president and CEO of the zoo in Calgary, said providing entertainment isn含羞草研究社檛 enough anymore.

含羞草研究社淩eally for us the key role we play in our community is getting people to fall in love with wildlife,含羞草研究社� he said.

含羞草研究社淲hen they fall in love with wildlife 含羞草研究社� 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.含羞草研究社�