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the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums, the Verband
der Zoologischen Gärten (VdZ), the World Association of Zoos and
Aquariums (WAZA), Europabüro of the City of Nuremberg, and
Nuremberg Zoo.
The Symposium followed one common goal: the establishment of
welfare indicators applicable to one key species, the bottlenose
dolphin. More than 80 people representing different institutions
and organizations and diverse opinions regarding the pros and
cons of animals under human care attended the symposium. The
participating scientists and people covered areas like Veterinary
Medicine, Behavioural Biology, Cognitive Psychology, Zoo- and
Wildlife Biology.
At the beginning Pavel Poc and Dag Encke emphasized the need
to implement scientific methodologies in order to measure Animal
Welfare. The European Union, as well as zoo organisations,
recognize the necessity of increasing our the efforts towards an
understanding of what animals under human care need to ensure
that they experience good welfare.
Representing the Official Veterinary Agency from Greece Anastasia
Kommenou highlighted the role of modern zoos but also the
necessity to search for objective welfare indicators. Showing the
wide spectrum of animal species, zoos play an important role in
increasing public awareness about the conservation of biodiversity.
Within this context animal welfare has experienced an incessant
evolution since it was pronounced for the first time many decades
ago. As Kommenou correctly pointed out the human feelings
about animals under human care encompass views and concepts
that range from extreme positions like animal abuse and cruelty
to animal liberation and rights but also opinions from people with
convincing arguments that zoos can offer environments that meet
the needs of the animals. Due to the fact that animal welfare
cannot be defined as a single and reliable measure a toolbox
containing different measures should be the optimal approach to
secure the needs of each species and each individual animal. This
toolbox contains three types of measures: a) Direct animal based
measures that reflect the animals’ mental and physical state, b)
indirect environment or resource based measures, and c) indirect
human dimensions of animal welfare. However even if this toolbox
approach sounds logically there are still many gaps to cover, as the
definition and also the assessment differ from the scientific theory
stage to the practical level and implementation. Finally Kommenou
recommended the development of indicators that are easy to
apply as well as inexpensive and quick to perform.
Heather Bacon from the University of Edinburgh began her talk
with the European Union statement in which animals are being
officially recognised as ‘Sentient Beings’ (Lisbon
treaty, 1997). Recognising that animals are sentient
and may suffer, confers an ethical responsibility for us
to ensure they experience good welfare. Furthermore
Bacon focused in her presentation on the fact that
animal welfare is science and therefore it is subject to
scientific methodologies and thus can be measured.
One major measure is behaviour, being the natural
behaviour the animals are showing in the wild the
reference of what is normal. Animal-behaviour,
-ecology and physiology studies have expanded rapidly
and provide an interesting framework on which Zoo
Management should be based. An evidence-based
approach is essential to improve zoo animal welfare
by benchmarking current welfare states and then
promoting positive welfare in zoo animals.
The importance of behavioural studies was also
the main focus of Norbert Sachser´s presentation.
The welfare of an animal can be assessed by physiological and
behavioural measures. However, physiological parameters alone
(e.g., plasma concentrations of cortisol) can be rather misleading.
Hence a combination of physiological and behavioural measures
should be applied to assess an animal’s welfare state. Concerning
principles of how to achieve good welfare, Sachser claimed that
the relationships between (a) evolution and welfare, (b) life history
and welfare, and (c) the current environment and welfare should be
taken into account. Regarding evolution it was suggested that not
copying, but orienting towards the species natural life contributes
greatly to the understanding of what is important to achieve good
welfare under human-made housing conditions. Regarding life
history, in group-living vertebrates the requirements to achieve
good welfare in adulthood are: the experience of security during
early phases of life and the learning of coping strategies during
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| Summary of the contents of the workshop presentations