Identification of major welfare issues for captive elephant husbandry by stakeholders
Abstract
Abstract Accurate identification of key welfare issues for captive elephants could improve standards and help in the development of a welfare index. In the absence of adequate scientific information on the relative importance of key issues, the views of a range of stakeholders were sought using adaptive conjoint analysis. Fifteen key welfare issues were identified by experts, and three to six Levels of each, representing common husbandry practices. In order of declining importance, 224 stakeholders rated the issues as enclosure substrate > group size > healthcare > enrichment > chaining > enclosure type > exercise provision > enclosure size > interaction with keeper > enclosure environment > keeper knowledge/experience > diet > contact method with keeper > display duration > enclosure security. Enclosure size was considered more important by scientists and keepers than zoo directors/managers and animal welfare organisation representatives. Animal welfare organisation representatives rated enclosure security higher than scientists. Keeper husbandry methods and ability of elephants to be active were two principal components in responses. Three principal groups of respondents were identified: scientists/veterinarians focusing more on conditions for the elephants and less on interaction with the public; keepers, focusing on keeper contact method, feeding and knowledge of elephants; and a group with mainly animal welfare organisation representatives/zoo directors focusing on enclosure security. It is concluded that there are some differences between stakeholders in their recognition of the most important welfare issues for elephants in zoos. However, recognising that a diversity of informed opinion is necessary to adequately devise welfare standards, an index of elephant welfare in zoos is proposed, based on the relative merits of different husbandry practices and the importance of the different issues.
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Enclosure size is considered more important by scientists than by zoo personnel.
“enclosure size is considered to be more important by scientists than by zoo personnel (Gurusamy, Tribe & Phillips, 2023).”
From Continuing challenges of elephant captivity: the captive environment, health issues, and welfare implications (2024) · cites this paper as Gurusamy, Tribe & Phillips, 2023
Ten elephant experts identified 15 welfare indicators for CEWI.
“Ten elephant experts identified 15 welfare indicators: enclosure substrate, group size, health care, enrichment, restraint, enclosure type, exercise provision, enclosure size, keeper interaction and training, enclosure environment, keeper knowledge and experience, diet, keeper contact method, display duration, and enclosure security (96).”
From Comparison of animal welfare assessment tools and methodologies: need for an effective approach for captive elephants in Asia (2024) · cites this paper as [96]
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“…indicators: enclosure substrate, group size, health care, enrichment, restraint, enclosure type, exercise provision, enclosure size, keeper interaction and training, enclosure environment, keeper knowledge and experience, diet, keeper contact method, display duration, and enclosure security (96).”
Background
- Authors
- Gurusamy, V, Tribe, A., & Phillips, C.
- Affiliations
- The University of Queensland (AU)
- Venue
- Animal Welfare
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 2014-02
- Volume
- 23
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 11-24
- ISSN
- 0962-7286 (ISSN-L)
- 2054-1538
- OpenAlex
- W173717857
- Cited by
- 15
- References
- 32
- Citations by year
- 2024: 4 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 2 · 2014: 1
- FWCI
- 1.46
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Animal Welfare (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- University of Sheffield
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Veterinary › Small Animals › Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Health Sciences › Veterinary › Equine › Veterinary Equine Medical Research
- Keywords
- captive elephants, zoo animal welfare, welfare index, stakeholder perspectives, adaptive conjoint analysis, enclosure size, enrichment, husbandry practices, welfare standards
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