Applied animal behaviour science: Past, present and future prospects

Faces are highly emotive stimuli and we find smiling or familiar faces both attractive and comforting, even as young babies. Do other species with sophisticated face recognition skills, such as sheep, also respond to the emotional significance of familiar faces? We report that when sheep experience social isolation, the sight of familiar sheep face pictures compared with those of goats or inverted triangles significantly reduces behavioural (activity and protest vocalizations), autonomic (heart rate) and endocrine (cortisol and adrenaline) indices of stress. They also increase mRNA expression of activity-dependent genes (c-fos and zif/268) in brain regions specialized for processing faces (temporal and medial frontal cortices and basolateral amygdala) and for emotional control (orbitofrontal and cingulate cortex), and reduce their expression in regions associated with stress responses (hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus) and fear (central and lateral amygdala). Effects on face recognition, emotional control and fear centres are restricted to the right brain hemisphere. Results provide evidence that face pictures may be useful for relieving stress caused by unavoidable social isolation in sheep, and possibly other animal species, including humans. The finding that sheep, like humans, appear to have a right brain hemisphere involvement in the control of negative emotional experiences also suggests that functional lateralization of brain emotion systems may be a general feature in mammals.

The impact of applied ethologists and the International Society for Applied Ethology in improving animal welfare

La Superstition raisonnable est titre qui apparait contradictoire, mais il donne en deux mots l'ensemble de la pensee des Lumieres sur la culture et la civilisation pharaoniques. Les philosophes et les ecrivains du XVIIIe siecle considerent que l'Egypte ancienne est le berceau des arts et des sciences, mais aussi elle est l'origine des cultes irrationnels. Cependant, la production litteraire et philosophique des Lumieres ne se contente pas a etudier cette question d'origine des cultes en evoquant le pharaonisme, mais elle s'y inspire aussi dans certains romans tels Le Taureau blanc, Semeramis. Et Durant tout le XVIIIe siecle, le sujet Egyptien est present, chez les franc-macons, les antiquaires, les historiens d'arts, les erudits les historiens, comme chez certains poetes et romanciers. C'est pourquoi, une des difficultes qui surgit est de trouver un fil conducteur pour etudier la representation de l’Egypte antique dans la pensee du XVIIIe siecle en raison de la diversite de la representation de l’Egypte, non pas seulement au cours du siecle, mais aussi a l’interieur d’un meme ouvrage. C’est en raison de ces diverses approches du pharaonisme par les ecrivains des Lumieres que cette these emprunte des chemins interdisciplinaires, qui se refletent dans la diversite de la bibliographie. Ainsi Cette etude essaie de donner quelques eclaircissements sur des textes qui n’ont pas fait l’objet de reflexion suffisante de la part des dix-huitiemistes alors qu’ils le meritent, car ces textes sont representatifs de l’inquietude philosophique.

The third Chinese veterinary conference was held in Suzhou, China, from 28 to 30 October ([ 1 ][1]). For the first time at a Chinese national conference, a forum on Animal Welfare Development was included on the schedule. The addition of this topic reflects the growing recognition of the importance of animal welfare issues among the Chinese academic community. At the forum, Chinese veterinarians and international experts agreed that improving animal welfare in China will require the development and enforcement of a national code of animal welfare, and that reference texts and educational materials in Chinese will be needed to standardize teaching and to make the issue broadly accessible. Animal protection and welfare issues are also gaining increasing attention in mainstream Chinese society. Take, for example, the recent public support for banning the practice of medicinal bear farming, which involves repeatedly extracting bile from live, captive animals ([ 2 ][2]). Popular figures are also promoting animal welfare issues: For example, the legendary basketball star Yao Ming is the face of a new WildAid campaign, which is combating the ivory trade by targeting potential consumers ([ 3 ][3]). A suite of other animal advocacy nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) such as the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) ([ 4 ][4]), Animals Asia ([ 5 ][5]), and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) ([ 6 ][6]) also operate within China. Despite this growing awareness, however, China has a long way to go in developing and implementing animal welfare standards at an international level. We offer the following suggestions to facilitate this process. China must develop and enact national animal welfare legislation and policies. Although related legislation has been in preparation for years, there are still only fragmentary professional requirements and no national laws dealing directly with animal welfare. The legislation has been delayed by a range of issues, including the need for measurable animal welfare criteria, and the potential for conflict between policy supporters and commercial interests. These issues must be resolved and the legislation process completed as a matter of urgency, in order to provide a stable basis for the improvement of animal welfare across China. Effective implementation of such legislation will require the establishment of government institutions as a platform for the assessment and monitoring of the welfare of farmed, captive, and pet animals across China. Such institutions will require the participation and cooperation of relevant government departments, the academic community, commercial interests, and consumers. Together, these stakeholders can develop and enforce effective and sustainable animal welfare procedures and standards. To accurately convey the concepts of animal welfare and the need for animal welfare standards, community education will be critical. These activities should be targeted especially to professionals who work closely with animals—veterinaries, animal keepers, and researchers—who, by changing their own behaviors, can influence the behavior of the communities in which they work. Relevant educational materials should also be distributed through collaborations with schools and community groups in an effort to educate and influence the largest possible cross section of society. Animal welfare research in China has been limited, in large part due to a lack of funding. This is in turn partly due to the lack of enforced animal welfare standards for animals-related industries, and also to the perception that introducing animal welfare standards can only negatively affect production and profits. Relevant research should therefore be supported and encouraged. Collaborations among Chinese researchers, NGOs, and the international academic communities will result in the incorporation of the most effective international policies, industry standards, and research into the development of Chinese education programs and standards. 1. [↵][7] The Third Chinese Veterinary Conference ([www.cnvc.org.cn/en][8]). 2. [↵][9] 1. X. Sheng 2. et al ., Nature 484, 455 (2012). [OpenUrl][10][PubMed][11] 3. [↵][12] WildAid, “Yao Ming Heads to Africa to Document Rhino and Elephant Poaching Crisis,” 10 August 2012 ([www.wildaid.org/yaomingblog][13]). 4. [↵][14] World Society for the Protection of Animals, China ([www.wspa.org.cn/][15]). 5. [↵][16] Animals Asia ([www.animalsasia.org][17]). 6. [↵][18] International Fund for Animal Welfare ([www.ifaw.org/china][19]). [1]: #ref-1 [2]: #ref-2 [3]: #ref-3 [4]: #ref-4 [5]: #ref-5 [6]: #ref-6 [7]: #xref-ref-1-1 View reference 1 in text [8]: http://www.cnvc.org.cn/en [9]: #xref-ref-2-1 View reference 2 in text [10]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DNature%253B%2BPhysical%2BScience%2B%2528London%2529%26rft.stitle%253DNature%253B%2BPhysical%2BScience%2B%2528London%2529%26rft.aulast%253DBuffett%26rft.auinit1%253DH.%2BG.%26rft.volume%253D484%26rft.issue%253D7395%26rft.spage%253D455%26rft.epage%253D455%26rft.atitle%253DIndian%2Bscience%253A%2BEnhance%2Bvisibility%2Bof%2BIndia%2527s%2Bacademies.%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F22538600%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [11]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=22538600&link_type=MED&atom=%2Fsci%2F338%2F6111%2F1150.atom [12]: #xref-ref-3-1 View reference 3 in text [13]: http://www.wildaid.org/yaomingblog [14]: #xref-ref-4-1 View reference 4 in text [15]: http://www.wspa.org.cn/ [16]: #xref-ref-5-1 View reference 5 in text [17]: http://www.animalsasia.org [18]: #xref-ref-6-1 View reference 6 in text [19]: http://www.ifaw.org/china

Broom's (2014) book is a well-researched and thoroughly written exploration and evaluation of the journey from the origins of animal welfare science to what we can say we now know and need to consider in relation to animal sentience and welfare. This book will help to counter any skepticism among academics and policy makers.

Our aim is to demonstrate a method of determining the extent to which behavior maximizes fitness. We believe the temporal organization of behavior to be in part dependent on the animal's genetic makeup and subject to natural selection and that behavioral strategies may be as adaptive as structural characters. The question of the adaptiveness of behavior has been found hard to study in the past (Tinbergen 1963) because of the difficulty of quantitative verification of hypotheses. The method presented here tests specifically whether deployment of behavioral options is optimally related to environmental conditions.

PurposeThe primary purpose of this study is to investigate whether welfare issues are important to consumers also relating to fish. Second, it aims to identify segments based on animal and fish welfare issues, environmental concerns and ambivalence about farmed fish.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire was designed to investigate consumers' concern for environmental and animal and fish welfare issues together with variables used in profiling segments in the study. The measurement scales used here are adapted from validated scales in previous studies. The survey was conducted in Valencia, Spain, among 450 randomly‐chosen respondents.FindingsAnimal welfare issues related to farmed fish do not seem to be important for the consumers in Valencia. There are, however, differences among the consumers relating to general environmental and animal welfare concern, and ambivalence. Three segments were identified: the unconcerned (27 per cent), the wild fish concerned (34.5 per cent) and the ambivalent (38.5 per cent). Attitudes toward farmed fish, the importance of natural food and social class were most important in profiling differences between clusters.Practical implicationsThe findings indicate that the animal welfare issue has not yet become a barrier for farmed fish in Valencia. The results may help fish‐farming companies to find their target group among the consumers, based on environmental and animal welfare issues. The results also indicate that there are consumers who are somewhat ambivalent about farmed fish. For this group, more information and knowledge can change their attitudes so they become more positive toward farmed fish in the future.Originality/valueThe paper provides useful information for fish‐farming companies or the authorities planning healthy‐eating campaigns targeting fish.

This paper describes the overall achievements of the Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW) Panel of EFSA and its support unit since 2003. The AHAW Panel deals with animal health and animal welfare issues, primarily related to food-producing animals, at the human-animal-environment interface. Scientific opinions adopted by the AHAW Panel are comprehensive scientific reviews and risk assessments and provide the scientific grounds for the identification of control options, most of them being reflected in European Union legislation on animal health and welfare. Between 2004 and 2012, the AHAW Panel delivered 47 scientific opinions related to animal health and 38 scientific opinions on animal welfare on a wide variety of issues. The welfare of animals is a matter of much public concern and has an overall impact on the condition of the animals, with consequences for productivity, disease and food safety. A major achievement of the AHAW Panel has been to establish a unique multidisciplinary capacity, combining expertise in addressing animal health and welfare issues. The AHAW Panel has also demonstrated its capacity to respond rapidly to urgent requests, thus becoming a prominent partner of risk managers in response to crises. Over time, the AHAW Panel has become internationally recognised as a leader in risk assessment in the field of animal health and welfare, based on EFSA core values of scientific excellence, independence and transparency. The development of robust methodological frameworks for the assessment of risks related to animal health and welfare is a continuing process for the AHAW Panel. Over the past ten years, EFSA has achieved greater participation from the scientific community, stakeholders and interested parties, and fostered cooperation with relevant organisations in the EU Member States in the area of animal health and welfare. The AHAW Panel has demonstrated that evaluating health and welfare and assessing risk in animal populations serves to protect public health, the environment and the economic benefit we derive from animals.

EFSA Supporting PublicationsVolume 12, Issue 11 902E External scientific reportOpen Access The use of animal-based measures to assess animal welfare in the EU – state of art of the last 10 years of activities and analysis of the gaps. Preparatory work Flaviana Gottardo, Flaviana Gottardo Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health – University of PadovaSearch for more papers by this authorBarbara Contiero, Barbara Contiero Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health – University of PadovaSearch for more papers by this authorMarta Brscic, Marta Brscic Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health – University of PadovaSearch for more papers by this author Flaviana Gottardo, Flaviana Gottardo Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health – University of PadovaSearch for more papers by this authorBarbara Contiero, Barbara Contiero Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health – University of PadovaSearch for more papers by this authorMarta Brscic, Marta Brscic Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health – University of PadovaSearch for more papers by this author First published: 13 November 2015 https://doi.org/10.2903/sp.efsa.2015.EN-902Citations: 2 The present document has been produced and adopted by the bodies identified above as authors. This task has been carried out exclusively by the authors in the context of a contract between the European Food Safety Authority and the authors, awarded following a tender procedure. The present document is published complying with the transparency principle to which the Authority is subject. It may not be considered as an output adopted by the Authority. The European Food Safety Authority reserves its rights, view and position as regards the issues addressed and the conclusions reached in the present document, without prejudice to the rights of the authors. Published date: 13 November 2015 AboutPDF ToolsExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL References Anderson US, Kelling AS and Maple TL, 2008. Twenty-five years of zoo biology: a publication analysis. Zoo Biology, 27, 444– 457. doi: 10.1002/zoo.20177. EFSA Panel on Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW), 2012. Statement on the use of animal-based measures to assess the welfare of animals. EFSA Journal 2012; 10(6):2767, 29 pp. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2012.2767. Goulart VD, Azevedo PG, Van de Schepop J A, Teixera CP, Barcante L, Schetini de Azevedo C and Young RJ, 2009. GAPs in the study of zoo and wild animal welfare. Zoo Biology, 28, 561– 573. doi: 10.1002/zoo.20285. Keeling L and Veissier I, 2005. Developing a monitoring system to assess welfare quality in cattle, pigs and chickens. Proceedings Conference on Welfare Quality. Science and Society Improving Animal Welfare, Brussels, Belgium, 46– 50. Main DJC, Kent JP, Wemelsfelder F, Ofner E and Tuyttens FAM, 2003. Applications for methods of on-farm welfare assessment. Animal Welfare, 12, 523– 528. Main D, Whay H, Leeb C and Webster A, 2007. Formal animal-based welfare assessment in UK certification schemes. Animal Welfare, 16, 233– 236. Schetini de Azevedo C, Fernandes Cipreste C and Young R. J, 2007. Environmental enrichment: a GAP analysis. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 102, 329– 343. doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2006.05.034. Webster AJF, Main DCJ and Whay HR, 2004. Welfare assessment: indices from clinical observation. Animal Welfare, 13, S93– S98. Welfare Quality®, 2009. Welfare Quality® assessment protocol for cattle, pigs and poultry. Welfare Quality® Consortium, Lelystad, The Netherlands. Whay HR, Main DCJ, Green LE and Webster AJF, 2003. Animal-based measures for the assessment of welfare state of dairy cattle, pigs and laying hens: consensus of expert opinions. Animal Welfare, 12, 205– 217. Winckler C, Capdeville J, Gebresenbet G, Hörning B, Roiha U, Tosi M and Waiblinger S, 2003. Selection of parameters for on-farm welfare-assessment protocols in cattle and buffalo. Animal Welfare, 12, 619– 624. Citing Literature Volume12, Issue11November 2015902E ReferencesRelatedInformation

Animal welfare science is a relatively new scientific discipline, evolving mostly from within veterinary medicine over the latter half of the twentieth century into an independent specialty in its own right. Originally, the field of study was heavily focused on animal behavior (ethology), but it has emerged into a truly multi- and inter-disciplinary science, encompassing such sciences as behavior, physiology, pathology, health, immunology, endocrinology, and neuroscience, and influenced by personal and societal ethics. The first academic organization devoted to the scientific study of animal welfare was established in 1966 as the society for veterinary ethology (SVE), demonstrating its veterinary roots by being then affiliated with the British Veterinary Association. The world’s first Professor of Animal Welfare was appointed 20 years later at the University of Cambridge’s Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, and in 1991, the SVE became the International Society for Applied Ethology, in recognition of its geographical spread and its evolution from veterinary medicine. Over the last quarter of a century, there has been further expansion of the field and now animal welfare science is represented in many universities’ veterinary medicine and animal science departments across the world. Animal welfare science has become part of the core curriculum for many veterinary degrees, is a recognized specialty qualification within the veterinary professions of Europe, USA, and Australia and courses in animal welfare science as a stand-alone discipline are offered worldwide at Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctorate degree levels. Within research, there have been similar patterns of expansion and a spread from a heavy focus on farm animal welfare to the welfare of zoo, laboratory, and companion animals and the impacts of humans on wildlife. There continue to be studies that compare the welfare of populations within systems, but there is also more attention given to gaining in-depth knowledge of the welfare of individual animals, knowing that populations are not homogenous and that individuals within the same system may be experiencing quite different welfare states. We not only continue to use “traditional” welfare indicators but also work to develop novel indicators for use in experimental settings or in the field. As our fundamental knowledge base increases, we look for increasing application and we respond to challenges that arise from our own research questions and findings and from societal needs. In this paper, I will focus on a number of the areas that I see represent Grand Challenges within our discipline.

Dairy farmers' expectations and receptivity regarding animal welfare advice: A focus group study

Beliefs influence the intentions of people to behave in certain ways towards animals. This study presents survey responses from 237 people working in zoos in China and Europe and describes their demographic characteristics. It explores their beliefs about zoo animal behaviour, welfare and ethical issues, and zoo practices, using a survey methodology. These beliefs may be influenced by individual demographic or cultural factors such as age, genderand region of employment, as well as experiential or situative 'norms' within the work environment. Beliefs were significantly influenced by the region of employment with Chinese respondents beliefs being significantly different to beliefs from respondents in the United Kingdom or the rest of Europe. Hierarchical cluster analysis of the survey generated clusters of people from both regions who indicated positive beliefs about zoo animal welfare as well as clu sters indicating a lack of understanding of some zoo animal welfare issues. In addition, a cluster suggesting cognitive dissonance between beliefs about animals welfare and zoo practices was generated from Chinese responses. Factor analysis identified that prioritisation of in-situ conservation within good animal welfare was a key feature in Chinese respondents, whereas European beliefs prioritising in-situ conservation were distinct from those on supporting good animal welfare. This paper identifies similarities and differences in beliefs about zoo animal welfare and zoo husbandry practices between Europe and China, and discusses the underlying norms and values that these beliefs may reflect.

Research into the conditions that promote good animal welfare is essential to equip zoos and aquariums with the knowledge to create environments in which animals thrive. In order to collate the empirical information that is available regarding animal welfare in zoos and aquariums with regard to topics, methods and species, a systematic literature review was conducted of the primary peer-reviewed journals publishing zoo-based and welfare-based research. Journals included Animal Welfare, Animals, Applied Animal Behaviour Science, International Zoo Yearbook, Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, Journal of Zoo and Aquarium Research, and Zoo Biology. The literature review spanned 2008–2017 and revealed that 7.6% (n=310) of reviewed publications (n=4,096) in these journals were zoo- or aquarium-based and animal-welfare focused. The main topics studied included enrichment, social conditions and enclosure design, while understudied topics included the welfare of ambassador animals, and the welfare impacts of sound and light. Behaviour was by far the dominant welfare parameter used and the use of hormonal measures declined over this period. Taxonomic representation in these publications was notably skewed. Mammals were the focus of 75% of studies, and 82% of studies were vertebrate-focused (great apes being the dominant taxa). This study considers potential reasons for these patterns and highlights research areas for future emphasis that could serve to fill gaps in current knowledge regarding zoo and aquarium animal welfare, including more research into affective states that underlie an animal’s welfare status.

Animal welfare is part of the Mission Statement of the Faculty of Veterinary Science at the University of Sydney and is taught throughout the undergraduate curriculum. Two units of study have a particular focus on animal welfare: Professional Practice in years 1, 2, and 3 and Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare Science in year 3. There is an emphasis on the refinement and development of alternatives to the use of animals in teaching. With a conscientious objection policy in place, these elements of our approach demonstrate the increasing importance of ethical teaching in the faculty. Undergraduate students have recently founded a vibrant special interest group called Veterinary Students for Animal Welfare. The faculty is advised on matters relating to animal welfare by its Animal Welfare Advisory Committee, chaired by the Sub-Dean for Animal Welfare. With the development of a Faculty Animal Welfare Policy, the faculty is progressing to a more proactive and public profile on animal welfare issues.

OBJECTIVE To explore the extent to which veterinary colleges and schools accredited by the AVMA Council on Education (COE) have incorporated specific courses related to animal welfare, behavior, and ethics. DESIGN Survey and curriculum review. SAMPLE All 49 AVMA COE-accredited veterinary colleges and schools (institutions). PROCEDURES The study consisted of 2 parts. In part 1, a survey regarding animal welfare, behavior, and ethics was emailed to the associate dean of academic affairs at all 49 AVMA COE-accredited institutions. In part 2, the curricula for the 30 AVMA COE-accredited institutions in the United States were reviewed for courses on animal behavior, ethics, and welfare. RESULTS Seventeen of 49 (35%) institutions responded to the survey of part 1, of which 10 offered a formal animal welfare course, 9 offered a formal animal behavior course, 8 offered a formal animal ethics course, and 5 offered a combined animal welfare, behavior, and ethics course. The frequency with which courses on animal welfare, behavior, and ethics were offered differed between international and US institutions. Review of the curricula for the 30 AVMA COE-accredited US institutions revealed that 6 offered a formal course on animal welfare, 22 offered a formal course on animal behavior, and 18 offered a formal course on animal ethics. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results suggested that AVMA COE-accredited institutions need to provide more formal education on animal welfare, behavior, and ethics so veterinarians can be advocates for animals and assist with behavioral challenges.