Welfare in zoos
14/10/2022 14:48
5 animal welfare needs:
• The need for a suitable environment
• The need for a suitable diet
• The need to be able to exhibit normal behaviour patterns
• The need it has to be housed with, or apart from other
animals.
• The need to be protected from pain, injury, suffering and
disease
Observations - must take place:
• Behavioural observations - normal vs abnormal
• Enclosure uses - is the animal interacting with its
environment, is it moving around, is it arboreal/terrestrial
etc.
• Social interactions - are they interacting with each other,
expressing normal social structures/behaviours.
• Food water intake
• Enrichment usage
• Physical appearance
Welfare indicators
• Environment based indicators
○ Includes, the size and design of facilities where the
animals are kept, the quantity and quality of food
they receive, the temperature at which they are
exposed etc.
• Animal based indicators
○ Can be grouped into 4 categories
§ Indicators related to the behaviour of animals
§ Indicators related to the appearance
§ Physiological indicators
§ Indicators obtained from the records of
zoological institutions, such as the life
expectancy of animals and the prevalence and
incidence of diseases.
Stereotypical behaviour - repetitive, invariant behaviour without
apparent immediate function
Atypical behaviour - when the occurrence, frequency or intensity
14/10/2022 14:48
5 animal welfare needs:
• The need for a suitable environment
• The need for a suitable diet
• The need to be able to exhibit normal behaviour patterns
• The need it has to be housed with, or apart from other
animals.
• The need to be protected from pain, injury, suffering and
disease
Observations - must take place:
• Behavioural observations - normal vs abnormal
• Enclosure uses - is the animal interacting with its
environment, is it moving around, is it arboreal/terrestrial
etc.
• Social interactions - are they interacting with each other,
expressing normal social structures/behaviours.
• Food water intake
• Enrichment usage
• Physical appearance
Welfare indicators
• Environment based indicators
○ Includes, the size and design of facilities where the
animals are kept, the quantity and quality of food
they receive, the temperature at which they are
exposed etc.
• Animal based indicators
○ Can be grouped into 4 categories
§ Indicators related to the behaviour of animals
§ Indicators related to the appearance
§ Physiological indicators
§ Indicators obtained from the records of
zoological institutions, such as the life
expectancy of animals and the prevalence and
incidence of diseases.
Stereotypical behaviour - repetitive, invariant behaviour without
apparent immediate function
Atypical behaviour - when the occurrence, frequency or intensity
