Investigating Zoo Management Based on Visitors‘ Perception of service performance: a case of zoo Rabbitland, Malaysia
The investigation of visitors’ perceptions of service performance is essential in identifying best practices for zoo management. This is critical to ensure a worthwhile experience for visitors and guarantee the long-term viability of the business. However, despite the current demands and expectations of visitors, the facets of zoo management remain under-researched. This study conducted a […]
The utility of social network analysis for informing zoo management: Changing network dynamics of a group of captive hamadryas baboons (Papio hamadryas) following an introduction of two young males
Comprehensive knowledge of social groups within zoos allows for better understanding of the issues surrounding group stability and how to provide captive animals with optimal care. A developing area of sociality research that works to improve this understanding is social network analysis (SNA), which allows scientists to apply quantitative measures of group systems to represent […]
Why Are Enrichment Practices in Zoos Difficult to Implement Effectively?
The good intentions of zoos to introduce enrichment practices that stimulate animals mentally and physically are not always achievable. Changes to the policies and procedures in organisations are difficult to fulfil for a range of reasons frequently investigated in change management literature. The implementation of these changes can be the source of ineffective attempts to […]
Principal Component Analysis as a Novel Method for the Assessment of the Enclosure Use Patterns of Captive Livingstone’s Fruit Bats (Pteropus livingstonii)
The Spread of Participation Index (SPI) is a standard tool for assessing the suitability of enclosure design by measuring how captive animals access space. This metric, however, lacks the precision to quantify individual-level space utilization or to determine how the distribution of resources and physical features within an enclosure might influence space use. Here we […]
Impacts of the season and reproductive status on fecal reproductive and adrenocortical steroid metabolites in zoo Cuban crocodiles (Crocodylus rhombifer)
Conservation strategies for crocodilians often include captive breeding to create stable assurance populations. Evaluating adrenal and gonadal hormone patterns can provide animal managers with data to more effectively monitor animal welfare and reproductive status. This study evaluated the effects of season (breeding, nesting, or off), sex (male and female), and reproductive status of females (egg‐laying/housed […]
The influence of animal welfare accreditation programmes on zoo visitor perceptions of the welfare of zoo animals
In recent years, formal accreditation programmes based upon contemporary animal welfare science have been developed to assess animal welfare within zoos. Animal welfare is an important responsibility for any zoo, but does accreditation provide everyday zoo visitors with assurance about the welfare of the animals they encounter? To answer this question, a survey of visitors […]
Ladder Use and Clubbing by a Bonobo (Pan paniscus) in Apenheul Primate Park
Abstract 10.1002/zoo.10064.abs Two types of tool use were shown by a captive bonobo (Pan paniscus) in a large outdoor enclosure at Apenheul Primate Park in The Netherlands. A wild-born young adult female (estimated to be 9 years old) used fallen branches as ladders to bypass protective sheaths to gain access to trees. Later she used […]
A program for certification of zoo management personnel
Curators and Applied Science
Patterns of aggression among captive american flamingos (Phoenicopterus ruber)
Many species of flamingo are endangered in the wild but common in zoos, where successful captive breeding programs are a management priority. Unlike their counterparts in the wild, captive flamingo individuals are easy to mark and follow, facilitating longitudinal data collection on social dynamics that may affect reproduction. We studied a captive group of American […]