Captivity effects on wide-ranging carnivores
Some species — ring-tailed lemurs and snow leopards, for example — apparently thrive in captivity, whereas others, such as Asian elephants and polar bears, are prone to problems that include poor health, repetitive stereotypic behaviour and breeding difficulties. Here we investigate this previously unexplained variation in captive animals’ welfare by focusing on caged carnivores, and […]
Assessing the importance of natural behavior for animal welfare
The concept of natural behavior is a key element in current Dutch policy-making on animal welfare. It emphasizes that animals need positive experiences, in addition to minimized suffering. This paper interprets the concept of natural behavior in the context of the scientific framework for welfare assessment. Natural behavior may be defined as behavior that animals […]
Natural living—a precondition for animal welfare in organic farming
This article discusses animal welfare in organic farming systems in relation to values and aims in organic farming. It sums up experiences from a 4-year interdisciplinary project. An important finding is that animal welfare is understood somewhat differently in organic farming from what is common in conventional agriculture. It is interpreted in terms of natural […]
How important is natural behaviour in animal farming systems?
It is often assumed and demanded that for a good welfare, farm animals should be given “the freedom to express their natural behaviour”. This demand is problematic for at least two reasons. First, natural behaviour is difficult to delineate because of its variability and flexibility. Second, some behavioural patterns that are clearly natural are in […]
Review of wallowing in pigs: Implications for animal welfare
Most modern production systems, especially in temperate climates, do not offer wallowing facilities to pigs and, to date, this has neither generated much concern in welfare science nor public debate on pig welfare. Nevertheless, wallowing is a natural behaviour of pigs which may be important to them. This paper systematically examines the overall importance of […]
Behaviour of free-range laying hens in distinct outdoor environments
The outdoor range in free-range, egg-production systems contains features that aim to promote the performance of natural behaviours. It is unclear what features of the range laying hens prefer and how these influence hen behaviour. We hypothesised that hens would demonstrate a preference for features of the environment in which their ancestor evolved, such as […]
The impact of exhibit type on behaviour of caged and free-ranging tamarins
The lack of appropriate stimuli associated with captive environments has been documented to cause several behavioural and physiological issues in captive species, including loss of natural behaviours, psychopathologies and decreased reproductive success. Providing free-ranging, naturalistic exhibits that replicate elements of a species’ natural environment is advocated as a means of promoting and preserving the natural […]
Zebrafish welfare: Natural history, social motivation and behaviour
Zebrafish are now one of the most used animal model species in scientific research worldwide. Our current knowledge of wild zebrafish is limited to an estimated range of their natural habitats and their tendencies to form groups. In laboratories, zebrafish are typically housed in situations that differ greatly from their wild conditions. The disconnect between […]