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Animal Care
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The Welfare of Zoo
Animals
The promotion of good
welfare for zoo animals is a
priority that BIAZA takes
very seriously. Zoos and
aquariums meet the needs of
the animals in their care by
understanding what
constitutes good welfare,
and by providing appropriate
housing and husbandry.
Measuring welfare
Animals do not always follow
human behavioural patterns.
A smiling chimpanzee is
afraid, not happy; very few
animals use their faces to
communicate in the way we
do. Cheetahs in the
wild will pace the
boundaries of their
territories, as they might
pace the boundaries of their
zoo enclosures; for other
species pacing might not be
normal and could indicate a
problem. Animal welfare
assessment can be
accomplished by considering
several components:
Firstly physical health.
Looking out for symptoms of
illness or injury can
monitor the physical health
of an animal; a sick animal
may appear unusually tired
or may stop eating, an
injury to a leg can present
itself in a limp or even in
extreme circumstances the
animal may not stand.
Advances in veterinary
science enable quick
diagnosis and the provision
of appropriate medication.
Preventative medicine is
also integral to maintaining
physical health; prevention
is better than cure. So good
physical health is also
dependant on the food
provided. Good food can
prevent disease, by boosting
the immune system (the
animals’ natural defence
against disease) and by
preventing nutritional
deficiencies.
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Then there’s Mental
health.
How can we monitor what is
going on in an animal’s
mind? How can we tell when
an animal is uncomfortable
in its environment? How can
we tell when it is
frustrated or under stress?
Research has demonstrated
that an animals’ behaviour
can indicate its underlying
psychological state. As the
situation can be complex, a
professional with experience
and knowledge of a
particular type of animal is
needed to assess what is and
what is not normal
behaviour. Other indications
also reflect mental
well-being, for example in
times of stress we know that
a stress hormone called
cortisol is secreted.
Technological advances mean
that we can now measure an
animals’ stress level from
its urine or faeces!
One of the most important
factors for any animal is
the company it keeps.
Animals should be kept in
social groups that are
similar to those in the wild
in a Zoo or an Aquarium.
Group size in the wild is
often determined by food; if
there is a lot of food group
sizes are large, if food is
scare group sizes will be
small. Food is not limited
in zoos, so what other
factor might be important in
determining the social
group?
The breeding patterns of
wild animals are varied but
fundamental to one of the
key objectives for zoos and
aquariums, to maintain
long-term viable populations
of endangered animals
through captive breeding. To
achieve successful mating
and reach this goal, zoos
frequently mimic the
breeding patterns of wild
animals; this is also
considered to be beneficial
for welfare. Some animals
live alone pairing briefly
for breeding, while others
pair for life. Social
animals can live in large
groups with many males and
females, spending little or
all of their time together.
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