Journal of Global Ecology and Environment

Zoos and aquariums have moved well beyond their historical role as menageries of curiosity. They now operate as composite institutions in which conservation science, public education, animal welfare and urban land management converge. This review examines the claim that zoos and aquariums function as socio-ecological testbeds: living laboratories where technological innovation is trialled, evaluated and diffused in ways that bear directly on climate change mitigation and the wider sustainable development agenda. Drawing on a narrative synthesis of recent peer-reviewed literature, the article follows four interlocking technological pathways. The first concerns genetic and reproductive biotechnologies, including cryobanking, assisted reproduction, genome editing and environmental DNA surveillance, which extend the reach of ex situ conservation as habitat loss accelerates. The second concerns digital and computational technologies, spanning artificial intelligence-assisted monitoring, immersive visitor experiences and behaviour-change communication, which reshape how institutions generate evidence and engage the public on climate science. The third concerns operational sustainability: renewable energy adoption, circular waste-to-energy systems and green infrastructure, each delivering direct mitigation benefits alongside habitat for free-ranging urban biodiversity. The fourth situates these pathways within India, where the Central Zoo Authority's regulatory architecture, conservation breeding programmes and emerging Vision Plan illustrate both the promise and the constraints of technological uptake in a resource-constrained, biodiversity-rich setting. Throughout, the review attends to governance gaps, equity concerns and unresolved debates about the educational efficacy of zoo-based interventions, arguing that technological capability alone cannot substitute for institutional reform, international cooperation and sustained investment in the Global South. The article concludes that zoos and aquariums, while no substitute for in situ conservation or systemic decarbonisation, constitute an underappreciated node within the global sustainability infrastructure, one whose testbed function merits closer integration into national biodiversity and climate strategies.