A Reexamination of the Relationship between Training Practices and Welfare in the Management of Ambassador Animals
There is an ethical need to document and develop best practices for meeting ambassador animals’ welfare needs within the context of meeting zoo and aquarium program objectives. This is because ambassador animals experience direct and frequent contact with humans. This paper rigorously synthesizes behavioral research and theory, contemporary practices, and personal experiences to offer key […]
The Longevity Legacy: The Challenges of Old Animals in Zoos
As knowledge of husbandry has improved with the keeping of wild animals in zoos over the last 200 years, so longevity has also improved, bringing with it challenges owing to the development of pathologies associated with ageing. In this chapter, the principal skeletal and dental pathologies of aged zoo mammals are described, and the results […]
Aquatic and Terrestrial Invertebrate Welfare
Invertebrates (animals without backbones) make up over 95% of the earth’s species yet compared with vertebrates (animals with backbones like fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals) our understanding of and efforts relating to the topic of welfare is relatively minimal. We have selected seven of the most economically important and widely recognized invertebrate taxa to […]
Giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis feeding: How stereotypies and other behaviours changed at Kolmårdens djurpark in Sweden
Kolmården djurpark keeps one of the most northern living giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis groups in the world, and this comes with its challenges. For a long part of the year, the outside temperature is too cold for giraffes, resulting in extended periods spent indoors, combined with a shorter duration of trees bearing leaves than further south. […]
Evaluation of factors affecting the behaviour of Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris) in captivity
The National Zoological Park (NZP), New Delhi is one of the large category zoos of the country housing a number of endangered species of animals. The zoo is visited by a large number of visitors every year. The zoo provides a naturalistic environment and other facilities like feed, healthcare, etc. to the captive animals. However, […]
Enhancing welfare in a mixed exhibit: The impact of dispersed whole food on activity levels and feeding behaviours of Mexican military macaws and red-billed curassows
Presenting chopped food in a bowl is a traditional feeding technique in zoos worldwide. However, it may not provide sufficient stimulation for many species to satisfy their behavioural needs. Recent studies suggest that dispersing food within enclosures may be a better alternative, especially in mixed exhibits where food competition is a concern. In this study, […]
Behavioral responses of captive brown bears Ursus arctos to the odor of conspecific urine
The behavior of brown bears Ursus arctos in captivity is often stereotypic. Given that olfactory communication plays a primary role in the life of Ursidae, this study investigated the behavioral responses of brown bears to the odor of conspecific urine and its effectiveness in reducing stereotypies in captivity. The study was conducted in six zoos […]
Contrafreeloading Indicating the Behavioural Need to Forage in Healthy and Feather Damaging Grey Parrots
Contrafreeloading (CFL) is a concept that describes the preference of an animal to work for food even when identical food is freely available, and reflects an intrinsic motivation to engage in foraging-related activities. However, altered brain neurochemistry, which can be induced by chronic exposure to a suboptimal living environment, may affect this intrinsic motivation in […]
Fish Welfare in Public Aquariums and Zoological Collections
A wide variety of fish species have been displayed in public aquariums and zoological collections for over 150 years. Though the issue of pain perception in fish is still being debated, there is no disagreement that negative impacts on their welfare can significantly affect their health and wellbeing. A general description of the basic biological […]
Increasing foraging times with appetitive and consummatory foraging enrichment in grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus)
Foraging enrichment is considered one of the most effective ways to enhance expression of species-typical behaviours and prevent the development of abnormal (repetitive) behaviours in captive animals. However, foraging enrichments for parrots have thus far not been able to approximate natural foraging time budgets nor completely eliminate abnormal behaviours such as feather damaging behaviour. This […]