Science-based Husbandry for Zoo Animals

A talk by Dr Paul Rose in March 2019

The missions for modern zoos follow 4 aspirations: Education, Conservation, Research, and Entertainment. They must educate both children and adults alike about the animals they care for; this could be anything about them or where they live in the wild and about what they do for them in in-situ or ex-situ conservation. All zoo’s follow ex-situ conservation so this is a given, however, many are also partners of in-situ conservation parks. One such is Colchester zoo, located in Essex. They have a partnership with UmPhafa Nature Reserve, located in South Africa where they help raise funds to continue the in-situ conservation of many of the species they care for within the zoo.

            There are 3 levels of organisation that focus on conservation; the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA), the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums (EAZA) located in the Netherlands, and the World Association of Zoos and Aquarium (WAZA) located in Barcelona. Zoos and in-situ conservation parks work in a global alliance with national federations dedicated to help the care and conservation of organisms and their habitats around the globe.

            In ex-situ conservation, there are many issues with keeping animals in captivity. There are 3 top problem animals: Polar Bears, Cetaceans (Whales and Dolphins), and Elephants. They are the most likely animals in zoos to show stereotypical repetitive behaviour. Professor Georgia Mason, a behavioural biologist, has determined that she is able to provide 3 characteristics to look for when planning to avoid problematic captive husbandry. Zoo husbandry is not a ‘one size fits all’ approach and each species needs and wants must be treated individually.

            The first characteristic is how bold or shy the species is. A shy animal will not do well to being in captivity. A population of Humboldt penguins, Spheniscus humboldti, were observed by a group of green tourists and their heart rates were measured; the rates increased dramatically during the time they were observed.

The second characteristic is the species territory size. Animals that have defined, small territories will cope well in an enclosure, however, those with a large home range will often not. This is when animals begin to continuously pace and show unnatural repetitive behaviour. Meerkats, Suricata suricatta, are a good example of this; they have high fecundity and have a small fixed territory so do not migrate or move great distances.

The third characteristic is plasticity of behaviour. Generalists are much more likely to adapt to being enclosed and under observation then animals with specific habitats or behaviours. An example of a specialist that does not do well is the Harlequin duck, Histrionicus histrionicus, who are not behaviourally plastic. Their requirements need to be exact or they will not be able to survive in a new environment.

All this research shows that not all animals belong in captivity This makes in-situ conservation more important for them and shows that we must focus on both in- and ex-situ conservation globally.