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Baird Dissertation_May 2018.pdf (2.72 MB)

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Ambassador Animal Welfare: Using Behavioral and Physiological Indicators to Assess the Well-Being of Animals Used for Education Programs in Zoos.

Baird, Bonnie Ann, Baird
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9905-8592
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1522956181121788

Abstract Details

2018, Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, Biology.
Modern accredited zoos strive to adhere to the highest standards of animal care while simultaneously providing meaningful educational experiences for their guests. One avenue where these goals intersect is the widely employed practice of using ambassador animals in education and outreach programs. However, there are currently only limited and anecdotal data on potential welfare impacts, positive or negative, of this increasingly popular practice on the animals themselves. The overall objective of this thesis is to evaluate welfare in ambassador animals with the goal of informing management recommendations that enable these animals to experience optimal welfare while helping to advance the educational mission of zoos and aquariums. A comprehensive approach that includes multiple indicators of welfare, several taxa, and a large sample size that spans multiple institutions is necessary for drawing meaningful conclusions that can then be used to inform management recommendations. Using both behavior and fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGM), armadillos, hedgehogs, red-tailed hawks, and cheetahs were evaluated in a series of multi-institutional studies. Mixed model analysis revealed FGM and undesirable behaviors did not differ between ambassador, exhibit, and off exhibit management roles in armadillos and cheetahs. There was also no effect of handling specifically for education programs on measures of welfare in all species. However, the overall amount of handling that an animal experienced was positively correlated with FGM and associated with several behaviors in armadillos, hedgehogs, and hawks. In addition, environmental factors such as substrate depth and enclosure size were consistently related to FGM and behavior in these species. For cheetahs, individual personality was measured using established methodologies and included in the larger analysis. Factors such as on-exhibit housing and protected contact management were associated with FGM, but there is evidence that these effects vary based on individual personality and management role. These results indicate that management role is not the primary contributor to welfare in these four species. Rather, husbandry practices and the housing environment are more important factors, and individual differences should be considered when making management recommendations designed to improve well-being in zoo-housed animals.
Mandi Schook, Ph.D. (Committee Chair)
Kristen Lukas, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Mark Willis, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Nadja Wielebnowski, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Christopher Kuhar, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
188 p.
Animals; Behavioral Sciences; Biology; Endocrinology; Welfare; Zoology
zoo; welfare; ambassador animal; fecal glucocorticoids; animal behavior; animal personality; cheetah; armadillo; hedgehog; red-tailed hawk

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Baird, Baird, B. A. (2018). Ambassador Animal Welfare: Using Behavioral and Physiological Indicators to Assess the Well-Being of Animals Used for Education Programs in Zoos. [Doctoral dissertation, Case Western Reserve University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1522956181121788

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Baird, Baird, Bonnie. Ambassador Animal Welfare: Using Behavioral and Physiological Indicators to Assess the Well-Being of Animals Used for Education Programs in Zoos. . 2018. Case Western Reserve University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1522956181121788.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Baird, Baird, Bonnie. "Ambassador Animal Welfare: Using Behavioral and Physiological Indicators to Assess the Well-Being of Animals Used for Education Programs in Zoos. ." Doctoral dissertation, Case Western Reserve University, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1522956181121788

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

case1522956181121788
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© 2018, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Case Western Reserve University School of Graduate Studies and OhioLINK.