Assessing Animal Welfare in Animal-Visitor Interactions in Zoos and Other Facilities. A Pilot Study Involving Giraffes.

Simona Normando,Barbara De Mori,Ilaria Pollastri,Daniela Florio,Elisabetta Macchi,Linda Ferrante,Valentina Isaja

doi:10.3390/ani8090153

Abstract

Simple SummaryA pilot test of a six-step protocol to evaluate animal-visitor interactions was developed on a “giraffe feeding” program in a zoo. The steps devoted to animal welfare’s assessment are presented in this paper. We observed the giraffes’ behaviour, evaluated the suitability of the area in which the interactions took place, and assessed the intensity of various hazards for animal welfare. The long-term goal of this research project is to test a protocol for the overall evaluation of the quality of animal-visitor interactions in zoos and other facilities. Giraffes could choose whether to participate or not to the feeding interactions with visitors, and did not show any behaviour that suggested they did find the interaction to be a negative experience, so their welfare level was assessed as not to be adversely affected by the interaction with the visitors.In recent years, awareness of the controversial aspects connected with wild animal-visitor interactions (AVIs) in zoos and other facilities has increased due to cultural changes. Therefore, the need to apply transparent procedures to evaluate AVIs programs in zoos and similar facilities has also increased. This study presents results of animal welfare’s assessment of a pilot test of a protocol based on six steps that aim to explore and assess the overall value of AVIs considering the impact both on animals and visitors. In the present paper, we discuss the multifaceted approach to animal welfare assessment during animal-visitor interactions, combining quantitative behavioural observations/analysis and a welfare risk-assessment procedure, which forms the basis of the six-step protocol. Pilot testing of said approach to animal welfare assessment involved giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis) in an Italian zoo. No change in behaviour, suggestive of an increased welfare risk to the animals, was found. The risk analysis reported overall low risks for welfare, whereas enclosure analysis highlighted that the enclosure was suitable for allowing interactions without jeopardising animal welfare, mainly because it allowed animals to choose whether to interact or withdraw from interactions without decreasing the space available to them.

Highlights

Research, animal welfare, conservation, and education of the public are among the most important goals of modern zoos, as stated by the European Community Council Directive [1]
The multifaceted approach to animal welfare assessment hereby presented, once implemented on a practical level including physiologic parameters, shows promise to be useful for zoos, rescue centres, sanctuaries, and other facilities to assess their interaction programs and could be a model to assess other management procedures
As people have become more aware of issues related to animal welfare in zoos and other facilities, there is an increased need to evaluate animal-visitor interactions (AVIs) on an integrated level, using a transparent analysis of all the aspects involved

Summary

Introduction

Animal welfare, conservation, and education of the public are among the most important goals of modern zoos, as stated by the European Community Council Directive [1]. It has been shown that the possibility to be close to the animals and interact with them enhances the appeal of zoos and of specific animal exhibits for the public [3,4]. Enhancing the emotional value of seeing animals in zoos has been shown to increases visitors’. Sanctuaries, rescue centres, and other facilities where animals are kept in human care, offer animal-visitor interactions (AVIs), in which visitors can have a direct (often tactile) contact with the animals. During such interactions, visitors could learn about the species biology, ethology, and conservation. Due to a change in the way animals are perceived, awareness concerning the different, and sometimes controversial, aspects connected with such interactions has spread, leading to an increased scientific interest on the topic [6]

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