Understanding Temporal Social Dynamics in Zoo Animal Management: An Elephant Case Study
Zoo animal management procedures which lead to changes to social groups can cause disruption in social hierarchies and the temporary breakdown of social relationships. Animals have different roles in social networks. Understanding individual positions in social networks is important for effective management and ensuring positive welfare for all animals. Using elephants as a case study, […]
Body Condition Scores (BCS) in European zoo elephants’ (Loxodonta africana and Elephas maximus) lifetimes – a longitudinal analysis
In further improving zoo elephant welfare, the diet and feeding regime are key factors. Together with the encouragement of physical activity, they may support the management and prevention of overweight and obesity, which are considered a common concern in zoo elephants. Besides weight monitoring, visual body condition scoring (BCS) has proven a practical tool for […]