Zoo Workers Battle Grief When Animals in Their Care Die

Zoo workers and volunteers often grieve when animals die, and zoo managers can do a better job of supporting them, a new study finds.

“Zoo professionals and volunteers frequently face significant emotional strain due to animal losses, yet structured organizational support for processing grief remains limited,” lead author Nichole Nageotte, adjunct instructor at Unity Environmental University in Maine, said in a news release.

For the study, researchers from Colorado State University and Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance surveyed 182 zoo workers and volunteers, including 135 animal care professionals, 12 volunteers and 35 other staffers.

Their findings were published Feb. 12 in the journal Human-Animal Interactions.

Study participants who worked at zoos that do less to support grieving workers and volunteers reported hurt, shame, guilt and anxiety in connection with the deaths of animals.

These participants reported feeling as though they couldn’t openly grieve despite having created close bonds with the animals.

Researchers highlighted several possible ways to support the grief process such as allowing workers and volunteers to “say goodbye” to dying animals and allow them to gather fur, feathers or pawprints and footprints as mementos.

They also said an initial option could be the creation of a zoo animal grief or advisory group that meets regularly to discuss industry grief culture, share resources and show compassion around loss.

More information

The Humane Society of the United States has more on how to cope with the death of animals.

SOURCE: Human-Animal Interactions, news release, Feb. 12, 2025