Animal welfare assessment protocols as a management tool for zoos: the African elephant (Loxodonta africana) as an example Zoovet Conference Bussolengo.

Animal welfare assessment protocols as a management tool for zoos: the African elephant (Loxodonta africana)

as an example

Zoovet ConferenceBussolengo 16th-20th of May, 2012

Manteca X , Almagro V, Enseñat C and Fernández-Bellón H

• Welfare assessment protocols: background

• Developing a welfare assessment protocols for

African elephants (Loxodonta africana)

Plan of the talk

Why welfare assessment protocols?

To identify problem areas

To monitor progress when improvement strategies have been implemented

Not to obtain an overall welfare score

Animal welfare: elements to be considered

Biological functioning – health / nutrition

Emotions

Absence of negative emotions (pain, fear) Presence of positive emotions

Behaviour – possibility to express “important” behaviours

(Duncan and Fraser, 1997)

How to develop a welfare assessment protocol?

Several indicators

Valid, reliable and feasible – avoid subjectivity as much as possible, but be practical!

Balance between animal-based and resource-based indicators

Animal-based measures

More relevant (at least in principle)

Applicable to all types of facilities

Avoid the problem of interaction between environmental factors

Resource-based measures

May be needed for some criteria

May be more feasible

Needed to design improvement strategies

Welfare Quality® asessment protocols

Expressing social behaviour

Good human-animal relationship

Expressing other behaviour

Thirst

Thermalcomfort

Comfort around resting

Ease of movement

No disease

Positive emotional state

Hunger

No injuries

No painful management procedures

Four principles and 12 criteria

Absence of prolonged thirst

Absence of prolonged hunger

(Botreau et al., 2007)

Good housing

Good

feeding

Appropriate

behaviourGood

health

Expressing social behaviour

Good human-animal relationship

Expressing other behaviour

Thirst

Thermalcomfort

Comfort around resting

Ease of movement

No disease

Positive emotional state

Hunger

No injuries

No painful management procedures

Absence of prolonged thirst

Absence of prolonged hunger

Body condition – scale according to breed, age etc

Photos: Brinkmann BOKU

• Welfare assessment protocols: background

• Developing a welfare assessment protocols for

African elephants (Loxodonta africana)

Plan of the talk

Indicator Principle Animal or resource?

Body condition Feeding Animal-based

Appearence of faeces Feeding Animal-based

Quantity and quality of water

Feeding Resource-based

Enclosure size Housing Resource-based

Climatic conditions Housing Resource-based

Lameness Health Animal-based

Skin condition Health Animal-based

Affiliative behaviours Behaviour (social) Animal-based

Intraspecific aggression Behaviour (social) Animal-based

Group size and composition Behaviour (social) Resource-based

Stereotypies Behaviour (other) Animal-based

Time spent foraging Behaviour (other) Animal-based

Environmental enrichment Behaviour (other) Resource-based

Medical training Behaviour (other) Resource-based

Indicator Principle Animal or resource?

Body condition Feeding Animal-based

Appearence of faeces Feeding Animal-based

Quantity and quality of water

Feeding Resource-based

Enclosure size Housing Resource-based

Climatic conditions Housing Resource-based

Lameness Health Animal-based

Skin condition Health Animal-based

Affiliative behaviours Behaviour (social) Animal-based

Intraspecific aggression Behaviour (social) Animal-based

Group size and composition Behaviour (social) Resource-based

Stereotypies Behaviour (other) Animal-based

Time spent foraging Behaviour (other) Animal-based

Environmental enrichment Behaviour (other) Resource-based

Medical training Behaviour (other) Resource-based

RationaleProblems and limitations

Methodological considerationsConclusion

Enclosure size

Perceived as being very important

Wild elephants roam over very large areas

Experimental evidence in other species show that low space allowance may lead to stress and behavioural problems

Easy to measure and objective

However...

(Douglas-Hamilton, 1998; Turner et al., 2000)

Enclosure size

Recommendations are very diverse

Their rationale is not clear

Quality of space is likely to be just as important

(Clubb and Mason, 2003)

Group size and composition

Elephants have a very complex social behaviour and develop strong social bonds with other individuals

Disruption of social bonds has very negative effects on welfare

However, recommendations on the minimum acceptable group size vary from 3 to 6 and their rationale is not very clear. Additionally, group composition is likely to be equally important

(Moss and Pole, 1983; Clubb and Mason, 2003)

Stereotypies

Well accepted as indicators of poorwelfare in a variety of species

However, their relationship with the welfare state of a given individual is not always straightforward and they may persist when conditions have been improved

Therefore, stereotypies should not be taken as a definitive sign that current conditions are sub-optimal

(Rushen and Mason, 2006)

Affiliative behaviours

Evidence in other species show that they are self-rewarding

They may have a buffering effect on stress

However, studies in other species suggest that affiliative behaviours may increase in stressful environments

(Waiblinger et al., 2002; Seyfarth and Cheney, 2011)

Problems and further research

Some indicators (including some that are widely cited) clearly need further evidence

Are we missing something if only “objective” indicators are used?

“Qualitative behavioural assessment” in domestic animals

Is it applicable to zoo animals?

• Assessment protocols are potentially useful and we may build on experience

gained in farm animals

• The protocols should include several indicators addressing the different aspects

of welfare; the WQ® principles are applicable to a wide range of species

• The indicators should be valid, reliable and feasible

• Some indicators widely cited may need further validation

Concluding remarks

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