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José Kok presents Workshop paper 5
In workshop 2: Assessment of zoo animal welfare
Friday, 12 September 2008 from 14h00-15h45 in the Het Pand chaired by Paul Koene
APPRAISAL OF ZOO ANIMAL WELFARE
J. Kok 1,2 , J.H. van Weerd 3,4
180
Workshop paper 5
1 Ouwehand Zoo Rhenen, Grebbeweg 111, 3911 AV Rhenen, The Netherlands
2 Alertis, PO Box 9, 3910 AA Rhenen, The Netherlands
3 Artis Royal Zoo. Plantage Kerklaan 38-40, 1018 CZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
4 Dutch Zoo Federation (Nederlandse Vereniging van Dierentuinen), P.O. Box 15458, 1001 ML Amsterdam,
The Netherlands
Animal welfare is the Achilles-heel of zoos. Whatever the raison-d’être zoos may claim, if welfare
of the animals in their care is compromised, their very existence becomes subject of debate.
It is therefore in the interest of zoos to safeguard the welfare of the animals in their care. Unlike
domestic livestock, animals in zoos are perceived to be the living representatives of their wild
counterparts. The animals’ welfare is therefore often judged in conjunction with their - captive –
environment, and emphasis is put on the animals natural behavior. Stereotypies, functional as they
may be for an individual animal to cope with adverse circumstances and once acquired difficult to
lose, are the more obvious under zoo circumstances and viewed as proof that the artificial
environment is inadequate.
The Netherlands have only recently introduced legislation to safeguard a certain measure of quality
in zoos. In 2002 the European Zoo directive of 1999 was made into Dutch law. Typically, the
legislation mention species-specifity and the possibilities of the artificial zoo-surroundings to allow
for this, viz. locomotion, climate and biorhythm, social behavior, mating behavior and excretion.
Dutch zoos are exploring possibilities for self-evaluation and quality control and have developed
their own protocols for professional ethics. Also in these, the possibility for allowing as much as
possible for species specific life processes is pivotal. At the same time, the European zoos as a
whole have laid down minimum standards for keeping species in husbandry guidelines. These
mostly apply to the physical aspects of the zoo environment.
Animal welfare or its absence is difficult to ascertain under zoo circumstances. Minimum standards
in this respect do nothing more than attempting to safeguard the absence of suffering. Zoo standards
should be aiming at increasing the animals wellbeing, by not only providing the minimum physical
circumstances, but also by eliciting species specific behavior and characteristics.
Contact information: José Kok or email jose.kok@ouwehand.nl
Complete address: Ouwehand Zoo Rhenen, Grebbeweg 111, 3911 AV Rhenen, The Netherlands
Species: Zoo animal