Human populations are rising, climate is changing, species are becoming extinct: in an increasingly urban world people are having an unprecedented and negative impact. The mission of most modern zoos is conservation, which is achieved through a myriad of programmes, including in-situ captive breeding and ex-situ programmes. But zoos are probably mostly associated with providing human-animal interactions, at a variety of levels. These two activities are both contradictory, whilst being complimentary. This paper will explore, how zoos might be able to achieve a mission of species conservation, whilst providing a large portion of the global population (over 700 million visitors annually) with an experience which meets their needs too connect with nature, and it is suggested to effect positive behavioural change.