Advances in Applied Zoo Animal Welfare Science

ABSTRACT

Nonhuman animal welfare science is the scientific study of the welfare state of animals that attempts to make inferences about how animals feel from their behavior, endocrine function, and/or signs of physical health. These welfare measurements are applicable within zoos yet inherently more complex than in farms and laboratories. This complexity is due to the vast number of species housed, lack of fundamental biological information, and relatively lower sample sizes and levels of experimental control. This article summarizes the invited presentations on the topic of “Advances in Applied Animal Welfare Science,” given at the Fourth Global Animal Welfare Congress held jointly by the Detroit Zoological Society and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums in 2017. The article focuses on current trends in research on zoo animal welfare under the following themes: (a) human–animal interactions and relationships, (b) anticipatory behavior, (c) cognitive enrichment, (d) behavioral biology, and (e) reproductive and population management. It highlights areas in which further advancements in zoo animal welfare science are needed and the challenges that may be faced in doing so.

KEYWORDS:

• Research
• behavior
• human–animal interaction
• cognitive enrichment
• management

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Paul Hemsworth, David Powell, and Jason Watters for valuable discussions. In addition, we would like to thank the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums-Center for Zoo Animal Welfare Congress Organizing Committee for a thought-provoking and timely event, enabling zoos, welfare groups, and scientists from all over the world to come together with the aim of moving toward high animal welfare standards in zoos.