Evaluating the Reliability of Non-Specialist Observers in the Behavioural Assessment of Semi-Captive Asian Elephant Welfare
Recognising stress is an important component in maintaining the welfare of captive animal populations, and behavioural observation provides a rapid and non-invasive method to do this. Despite substantial testing in zoo elephants, there has been relatively little interest in the application of behavioural assessments to the much larger working populations of Asian elephants across Southeast […]
Observer ratings: Validity and value as a tool for animal welfare research
Ratings by human observers have long been used by animal scientists and veterinarians to assess certain physical traits (e.g. body fat), and can also be applied to the assessment of behaviour and a variety of welfare-relevant variables (e.g. pain responsiveness, alopecia/barbering). Observer ratings offer a myriad of advantages, not just practical (e.g. money-saving) but also […]
Establishing ‘quality of life’ parameters using behavioural guidelines for humane euthanasia of captive non-human primates
Chronic pain and distress are universally accepted conditions that may adversely affect an animal’s quality of life (QOL) and lead to the humane euthanasia of an animal. At most research institutions and zoological parks in the USA, a veterinarian, who has physically examined the animal and reviewed the clinical records, ultimately decides when an animal […]