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Measuring Animal Welfare Nadja Wielebnowski, PhD Conservation and - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Measuring Animal Welfare Nadja Wielebnowski, PhD Conservation and - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Measuring Animal Welfare Nadja Wielebnowski, PhD Conservation and Research Manager Oregon Zoo Zoo Animal Welfare Science: An Emerging Field Animal Welfare Committee Promoting Excellence in Animal Care Established in 2001 Formal
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- Established in 2001
- Formal inclusion and recognition
- f animal welfare as a central
tenet of AZA’s animal programs
Animal Welfare Committee
Promoting Excellence in Animal Care
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AZA AWC Welfare Definition
Animal Welfare refers to an animal’s collective physical, mental, and emotional states over a period of time and is measured on a continuum from poor to excellent.
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Implicit Concepts
- Emotional & cognitive experiences
- “Cradle to Grave”
- Tradeoffs
- Measures of good welfare
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Enrichment + Enclosure Design + Nutrition + Research Programs + Veterinary Care + Husbandry Training + Population Management + Staff Training
Maximize the Welfare Potential
Resource Based Assessments: AZA Accreditation
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Beyond Great Care
Great care is a prerequisite for good welfare. For animals to thrive we need to take into account psychological aspects of welfare such as mental, emotional, and social health.
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- At individual animal level
- Relative, not absolute
- No single measure
Animal Based Welfare Assessment
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- Physical Appearance & Health
Body condition, muscle tone, species-specific health parameters
Types of Welfare Assessments
- Physiology
Hormone levels, stress response, reproduction, nutrition
- Behavior
Time budgets, behavioral diversity, activity, species-appropriate behaviors
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Behavior Lab – Oregon Zoo
- Behavior Check sheets
- Data Collection Apps
- I-Pads
- Camera/Video Recording
- GPS/Accelerometers
- VAST Volunteers!!!
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Behavioral Indicators
Negative: Stereotypic behaviors, aggression, self-injury, low behavior diversity Positive: Self maintenance, curiosity, play, high behavioral diversity
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Endocrine Lab – Oregon Zoo Hormone Monitoring: Feces, Urine, Saliva, Serum
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Physiological Indicators
Measuring Hormones:
- Reproductive function
- Adrenal function/stress response
O H3C H3C C CH3 O
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Reproductive Monitoring
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The Stress Response “Good” versus “Bad”
200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 Fecal Corticoids (ng/g) Days of Study
“Eustress” “Distress”
Gorilla 100 200 300 400 500 600 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 51 53 55 57 Feacl glucocorticoids (ng/g) SLIDE 16
Physical Indicators
- Good body condition and weight
- Fur, feather, skin condition
- Reproductive success
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Combining Measures
Elephant Welfare Project 2010-14
70 AZA Zoos 255 Elephants 26 researchers Goal: Provide objective baseline data and identify risk factors that may impact welfare
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Combining Measures
Elephant Welfare Project 2010-14
- Body Condition & Health
- Physiology
- Behavior
- Personality
- Social Interactions
- Space Use/Activity
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- Multigenerational, matriarchal herds
- Males and females
- Calves
Family Matters!
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Social Complexity and Choices
- Variable groupings
- Time alone
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Exercise - Motivation Is Key
<2 miles/day >15 miles/day
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Space
- Complexity of space
- Substrate
- Interaction and Choices
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Foraging/Feeding
- Diversity
- Predictable/Unpredictable
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Ongoing Data Collection
- Physiological data (fecal and serum samples)
- GPS/accelerometer data
- Behavior data (video tapes, cameras, observers)
- Body condition and other health parameters
New PhD Student, Sharon Glaeser
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THANKS!
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