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Alternative Approaches in the Assessment of Zoo and Aquarium Exhibits
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Alternative Approaches in the Assessment of Zoo and Aquarium Exhibits

A special issue of Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens (ISSN 2673-5636).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2024 | Viewed by 7613

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Lisa Holmes

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Chester Zoo, Upton-by-Chester, Chester CH2 1EU, UK
Interests: zoo animal welfare; animal behaviour; animal physiology; evolutionary biology; social dynamics
Dr. James Waterman

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Chester Zoo, Upton-by-Chester, Chester CH2 1EU, UK
Interests: behavioural ecology; animal movement; intergroup conflict; statistical analysis; spatial analysis

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The assessment of animal welfare in zoos has rapidly evolved over the past two decades, moving from measures of basic animal needs, through to evaluating the impacts that husbandry routine and housing have on physical and psychological health. Modern zoos aim to design immersive animal exhibits not just for the zoo visitor experience, but to provide animals with an enriching and varied landscape to promote naturalistic behaviours across the 24 hour period. A number of enclosure assessment methods have been implemented over the years, yet many published reports omit the important implications of resource allocation on exhibit utilization. There also remains a lack of taxonomic diversity across such studies, the inclusion of which would provide a useful evidence-base for enclosure design and best practice in the keeping of non-mammalian and other understudied species.

The aim of this Special Issue is to provide an overview of the most recent trends in the evaluation of zoo exhibit and resource utilisation across a range of species. Submissions should focus on the practical applications of methods for use by animal managers to assess current facilities and provide an evidence base for enclosure modifications and future exhibit designs.

Potential topics include but are not limited to:

  • The role of scientific methods to inform animal habitat design;
  • The use of technology to evaluate enclosure usage and/or resource utilisation;
  • Methodological developments in the evaluation of enclosure/resource use, including alternative approaches to statistical analysis;
  • Measuring the impacts of animal movements (within or between institutions) on health and well-being;
  • Measuring the effectiveness of enclosure modifications/enhancements (e.g. heating, lighting and/or furnishings) to improve and enhance animal welfare.

Dr. Lisa Holmes
Dr. James Waterman
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1000 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • zoo
  • animal welfare
  • enclosure use
  • resource use
  • animal behaviour
  • statistical analysis
  • technology

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 3888 KiB  
Article
What’s Black and White and Pink All Over? Lesser Flamingo Nocturnal Behaviour Captured by Remote Cameras
by Paul E. Rose, Jess Chapman, James E. Brereton and Lisa M. Riley
J. Zool. Bot. Gard. 2022, 3(4), 624-640; https://doi.org/10.3390/jzbg3040046 - 21 Nov 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2752
Abstract
The study of animal behaviour is important for the development of husbandry and management practices for zoo-housed species. Yet, data are typically only collected during daylight hours, aligning with human work schedules rather than animal activity patterns. To remedy this, 24 h data [...] Read more.
The study of animal behaviour is important for the development of husbandry and management practices for zoo-housed species. Yet, data are typically only collected during daylight hours, aligning with human work schedules rather than animal activity patterns. To remedy this, 24 h data collection is needed. This study investigated the behaviour of a captive flock of lesser flamingos to understand temporal changes in their time-activity patterns. Two remote camera traps were placed around the birds’ outdoor enclosure and one within the indoor house. Counts of birds visible within specific enclosure zones were recorded from photographic data. Behaviour was defined as active or inactive, and modified Spread of Participation Index (SPI) was used to calculate enclosure zone occupancy. Results indicated that lesser flamingos are active overnight, and to a similar amount as in the daytime. Proportions of birds observed as active were significantly higher at later times of the day (i.e., dusk) when compared to the number of active birds in the morning. Enclosure usage was diverse and indoor and outdoor zones could be used by different numbers of birds at different times of the day. Variation in enclosure usage may indicate the changing needs of the flamingos when housed indoors overnight and when they have night-time access to an outdoor enclosure. This research has identified the need for further research into the nocturnal behaviour and space use of lesser flamingos and suggests the need for 24 h research in captive birds, and other zoo-held species, especially when species are locked indoors or face behavioural restriction overnight due to biosecurity measures surrounding zoonoses outbreaks, e.g., Avian Influenza. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Alternative Approaches in the Assessment of Zoo and Aquarium Exhibits)
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14 pages, 1544 KiB  
Article
An Improvement in Enclosure Design Can Positively Impact Welfare, Reduce Aggressiveness and Stabilise Hierarchy in Captive Galapagos Giant Tortoises
by Léa Fieschi-Méric, Charlotte Ellis, Francesca Servini, Benjamin Tapley and Christopher J. Michaels
J. Zool. Bot. Gard. 2022, 3(4), 499-512; https://doi.org/10.3390/jzbg3040037 - 28 Sep 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3786
Abstract
The interest in the welfare of zoo animals, from both the public and the scientific community, has long been biased towards mammals. However, growing evidence of the complex behavioural repertoires of less charismatic animals, such as reptiles, reveals the necessity to better comply [...] Read more.
The interest in the welfare of zoo animals, from both the public and the scientific community, has long been biased towards mammals. However, growing evidence of the complex behavioural repertoires of less charismatic animals, such as reptiles, reveals the necessity to better comply with their welfare needs in captivity. Here, we present the effects of an enclosure change towards a more natural habitat in captive Galapagos tortoises (Chelonoidis spp.) held at ZSL London Zoo. Using behavioural observations, we found that the tortoises habituated to their new enclosure in six days. This represents the first quantification of habituation latency to a new enclosure in a reptile model to our knowledge—which is important information to adapt policies governing animal moves. The tortoises expressed time budgets more similar to those of wild individuals after their transition to the new enclosure. Interestingly, the hierarchy between the individuals was inverted and more stable after this change in environment. The tortoises interacted less often, which led to a decrease in the frequency of agonistic encounters. We also found that higher ambient sound volume was associated with increased likelihood of interactions turning into fights. Taken together, our results demonstrate the potential of appropriate enclosure design to improve reptile welfare. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Alternative Approaches in the Assessment of Zoo and Aquarium Exhibits)
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