The DOI matches its Crossref record; 95 of the 98 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
A preliminary model of human-animal relationships in the zoo
Open accessAbstract
The concept of the human–animal relationship (HAR) is widely used in farm animal research to describe the outcome of the different qualities and quantities of interaction between stockpersons and the animals in their care. Thus, negative, positive or neutral HARs may result from the effect of mostly negative (e.g. rough handling), neutral (e.g. no handling) or positive (e.g. gentle handling) interactions. In this paper the concept is applied to zoo animals in an attempt to provide a model not only of HARs between zoo animals and keepers, but also between zoo animals and unfamiliar people, primarily the visiting public. Behavioural responses of animals to zoo visitors are inconsistent both within and between taxa, and the history of interactions the individual animal has experienced, and hence the HARs it has developed, may be one of the variables that leads to this inconsistency. The model starts, like the farm animal models, with the animals’ fear of humans, which is itself dependent upon species. The subsequent history of interactions the animal experiences, both with familiar and unfamiliar people, then determines the animal's HAR, which in turn influences the way the animal responds to people. There are currently insufficient data to test the model, but predictions of the model are identified here which could be used to test it.
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“Limited research has been conducted to examine the effects of visitors on zoo-housed penguins despite penguins being a commonly housed zoo species, especially little penguins (Eudyptula minor) in Australian zoos [3,10,11,12,13,14,15].”
From Effect of Covering a Visitor Viewing Area Window on the Behaviour of Zoo-Housed Little Penguins (Eudyptula minor) (2020) · cites this paper as [13]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“Hosey [25,30] developed this model based on Hediger’s [33] early suggestion that humans could potentially be significant to animals in one of five ways; as an enemy, prey, a symbiont, an inanimate part of the environment or as a member of the same species.”
From The visitor effect on zoo animals: implications and opportunities for zoo animal welfare (2019) · cites this paper as [25]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“How an animal perceives human interactions is not only influenced by the nature of the interaction but also by other variables, including previous experience with humans, temperament and motivational state, genetics and species [21,24,25].”
From The visitor effect on zoo animals: implications and opportunities for zoo animal welfare (2019) · cites this paper as [25]
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In the citing paper
“This model suggests that HARs in zoos can be characterised in three ways: (i) a negative relationship, where the animal is highly fearful of humans and shows avoidance, (ii) a neutral relationship, if interactions with humans have no consequences for the animal and can lead to habituation to humans, or (iii) a positive relationship, where the animal will potentially experience positive emotions”
From The visitor effect on zoo animals: implications and opportunities for zoo animal welfare (2019) · cites this paper as [25]
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“A model of the HAR for the zoo setting was proposed by Hosey [25], then refined and updated in 2013 [30] and presented by Ward and Sherwen [32].”
From The visitor effect on zoo animals: implications and opportunities for zoo animal welfare (2019) · cites this paper as [25]
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“As Hosey’s [25] model predicts, the visitor effect studies conducted to date have provided evidence for negative, neutral and positive relationships.”
From The visitor effect on zoo animals: implications and opportunities for zoo animal welfare (2019) · cites this paper as [25]
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“researchers have highlighted variation in fear of humans across species [25,117,118].”
From The visitor effect on zoo animals: implications and opportunities for zoo animal welfare (2019) · cites this paper as [25]
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Citations
Cites
(2007) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-540-76516-5_4 · Cited by 792
Assessing the human–animal relationship in farmed species: A critical review
Waiblinger, S., Boivin, X., Pedersen, V., Tosi, M.-V., Janczak, A. M., Visser, E. K., & Jones, R. B. (2006) · Applied Animal Behaviour Science · doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2006.02.001 · Cited by 751
Fear and Fearfulness in Animals
Boissy, A. (1995) · The Quarterly Review of Biology · doi:10.1086/418981 · Cited by 747
Farm Animal Behaviour and Welfare
Webster, A. J. F. (1990) · British Veterinary Journal · doi:10.1016/0007-1935(90)90067-d · Cited by 638
Farm Animal Behaviour and Welfare
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Human–animal interactions in livestock production
Hemsworth, P. H. (2003) · Applied Animal Behaviour Science · doi:10.1016/s0168-1591(02)00280-0 · Cited by 537
Wielebnowski, N. C., Fletchall, N., Carlstead, K., Busso, J. M., & Brown, J. L. (2002) · Zoo Biology · doi:10.1002/zoo.10005 · Cited by 344
Domestic animals’ fear of humans and its effect on their welfare
Rushen, J., Taylor, A. A., & de Passillé, A. M. (1999) · Applied Animal Behaviour Science · doi:10.1016/s0168-1591(99)00089-1 · Cited by 331
Housing, Care and Psychological Well-Being of Captive and Laboratory Primates
Segal, E. F. (1990) · Cited by 321
Waiblinger, S., Menke, C., & Coleman, G. J. (2002) · Applied Animal Behaviour Science · doi:10.1016/s0168-1591(02)00155-7 · Cited by 308
Research works printed but not linked: 6
- Keane, C.W., 2005. The effects of zoo visitors on the behaviour of Western Lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) Citron-Crested (Cacatua sulphurea citrinocristata) and Moluccan Cockatoos (Cacatua moluccensis). Unpublished M.Sc. thesis, Trinity College, University of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
- Maki, 1987, The effects of unfamiliar humans on aggression in captive chimpanzee groups, Am. J. Primatol., 12, 358
- Mather, L., 1999. Response of Captive Orang Utans to Human Audiences. Unpublished M. Phil. Thesis, University of Manchester (Bolton Institute), Bolton, UK.
- Perret, 1995, Einfluss von Zoobesuchern auf das verhalten von schimpansen (Pan troglodytes), Der Zool. Garten N. F., 65, 314
- Skyner, 2004, The effect of visitors on the self-injurious behaviour of a male pileated gibbon (Hylobates pileatus), Der Zool. Garten NF, 74, 38
- Wormell, 1996, Pied tamarins Saguinus bicolor bicolor at the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust: management, behaviour and reproduction, Dodo, J. Wildl. Preserv. Trusts, 32, 76
Cited by
Sorted by citations
New directions for zoo animal welfare science
Whitham, J. C., & Wielebnowski, N. (2013) · Applied Animal Behaviour Science · doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2013.02.004 · Cited by 273
The visitor effect on zoo animals: implications and opportunities for zoo animal welfare
Sherwen, S. L., & Hemsworth, P. H. (2019) · Animals · doi:10.3390/ani9060366 · Cited by 267
“Hosey [25,30] developed this model based on Hediger’s [33] early suggestion that humans could potentially be significant to animals in one of five ways; as an enemy, prey, a symbiont, an inanimate part of the environment or as a member of the same species.”
BackgroundMethodInfluentialHuman-Animal Interactions, Relationships and Bonds: A Review and Analysis of the Literature
Hosey, G., & Melfi, V. A. (2014) · International Journal of Comparative Psychology · doi:10.46867/ijcp.2014.27.01.01 · Cited by 235
Self-citationClaxton, A. M. (2011) · Applied Animal Behaviour Science · doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2011.03.002 · Cited by 198
Space use as an indicator of enclosure appropriateness: A novel measure of captive animal welfare
Ross, S. R., Schapiro, S. J., Hau, J., & Lukas, K. E. (2009) · Applied Animal Behaviour Science · doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2009.08.007 · Cited by 150
Metadata
- Authors
- Hosey, G.
- Affiliations
- University of Greater Manchester (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Hosey, Geoff
- ORCID
- Hosey, Geoff
- Venue
- Applied Animal Behaviour Science
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2008-02
- Volume
- 109
- Issue
- 2-4
- Pages
- 105-127
- ISSN
- 0168-1591 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2062787023
- Cited by
- 197
- References
- 98
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 23 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 23 · 2020: 16 · 2019: 15 · 2018: 12 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 13 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 11 · 2013: 8 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 6.30
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Applied Animal Behaviour Science (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Animal Science and Zoology › Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Animal Science and Zoology › Human-Animal Interaction Studies
- Social Sciences › Education › Animal and Plant Science Education
- Keywords
- human-animal relations, zoo animals, zoo visitors, fear of humans, species differences, zoo animal welfare
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