A retrospective study on the prevalence of main clinical findings in brown bears (Ursus arctos) rescued from substandard husbandry conditions
Brown bears (Ursus arctos) are kept under varied captive conditions, some of which may greatly compromise their welfare. Four Paws is an NGO that rescues some of these bears kept in substandard conditions and houses them in species-appropriate sanctuaries, where preventive and reactive veterinary care is provided. This retrospective study aims to provide an overview […]
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 […]
Review: Towards an integrated concept of animal welfare
Animal welfare is an important field of study due to animal sentience, yet there is to date no consensus on the definition of animal welfare. There have been four key developments in the field of animal welfare science since its birth: the theoretical and empirical study of affective states, and hence our understanding thereof, has […]
By Bits and Pieces: The Contributions of Zoos and Aquariums to Science and Society via Biomaterials
Scientific research has long been recognized as one of the four pillars of the zoo or aquarium mission, alongside recreation, conservation, and education. This study sought to quantify a sample of zoos’ participation in scientific research via the provision of biomaterials from animals to outside scientists and the associated training of undergraduate and graduate students […]
Wild boar behaviour during live-trap capture in a corral-style trap: implications for animal welfare
Wildlife traps are used in many countries without evaluation of their effect on animal welfare. Trap-capture of wild animals should minimise negative effects on animal welfare, irrespective of whether the animals are trapped for hunting, research, or management purposes. Live-trap capture of wild boar (Sus scrofa) followed by killing inside the trap by gunshot is […]
Commonalities in Management and Husbandry Factors Important for Health and Welfare of Captive Elephants in North America and Thailand
This review paper is a synthesis of results from multiple studies that we have conducted over the past several years using similar methodologies to identify factors related to welfare of captive populations of elephants in North American zoos and Thailand tourist camps. Using multiple conservation physiology tools, we found that, despite vastly disparate management systems, […]
Large brains in small tanks: intelligence and social complexity as an ethical issue for captive dolphins and whales
Dolphins and whales are highly complex, large-brained social mammals. To date, thousands are kept in concrete tanks in marine parks and aquariums around the world. In these environments, they endure lack of control, lack of stimulation, and loss of the ability to engage in activities necessary for them to thrive. The fact that they are […]
How happy is your pet? The Problem of subjectivity in the assessment of companion animal welfare
The ability to evaluate the welfare of non-human animals accurately and objectively is influenced by a variety of factors including the nature of our relationships with them. Subjective biases in the perception of an animal’s quality of life can have either positive or negative consequences for its welfare and are likely to be particularly exaggerated […]
The physiological function of oxytocin in humans and its acute response to human-dog interactions: A review of the literature
Oxytocin is increasingly recognized to have a role in human-dog bonding and interactions and a positive influence on various health outcomes including cardiovascular function and stress reactivity. This review summarizes current research investigating human-dog interactions and endogenous oxytocin to highlight the potentially beneficial role of oxytocin within human-dog relationships and overall human health. We discuss […]
Behavioral and physiological measures in dairy goats with and without small ruminant lentivirus infection
Although goats exhibit no visible symptoms of discomfort in the subclinical stage of small ruminant lentivirus (SRLV) infection, we examined their welfare at the behavioral and physiological level. Twelve SRLV-seropositive (SRLV) and eight SRLV-seronegative (control) goats in their first, second, and more than second lactation were observed for pain behaviors, locomotor activity, standing, lying, eating, […]