ANIMAL WELFARE

1. ANIMAL WELFARE ELISTA Education 2012

2. Freedom from Discomfort

3. Environment Discomfort is opposite to ‘comfort’. • What provides comfort?… Comfort is provided by the environment Therefore Freedom from discomfort will refer to correct environment

4. What does environment consist of? The ‘larger’ scale environment, dependant on type is often referred to as habitat. A more individual environment is the animal’s home.

5. Animal Homes

6. Providing Domestic Animal Environments • Where look first?… natural/wild environment Gerbils in Mongolian Desert Pet Gerbil in Gerbilarium Arboreal Snake in wild requires branches within vivarium Don’t forget Domestication and Adaptation!!

7. General Environment (Housing) Requirements • Temperature • Humidity • Light/Dark • Ventilation • Space requirements • Hygienic & Safe • Surroundings (objects and other beings) • Location/Placement

8. Temperature • ‘about’ for endotherms • ‘exact’ within range for ectotherms (Temperature gradient to mimic change in temperature through day and option to monitor own temperature) Environment Temp °c

9. Humidity • Amount of moisture in the air expressed as % • Humid environments (higher %) are typically also warm

10. Light/Dark • Time of Light and Dark • Seasonal changes in Light and Dark • Type of Light

11. Ventilation Hot Air out • Movement of Air for: Hygiene Temperature control Ventilation not the same as placing in draft! In animal housing Cooler air comes in

12. Space Requirements • Absolutely minimum should be stand up, stretch limbs/wings and turn around • Stocking densities

13. Hygienic & Safe • Easy clean • Not hold pathogens or pathogen spores plastic glass Stainless steel tiles melamine concrete Timber and gravel Other arguments for timber such as warmth

14. Surroundings and other beings • Fauna- social/solitary • Flora- leaves, plants, substrates

15. Location and Placement FOR MANY ANIMALS: • Not in direct sunlight • Not in drafty areas • Not in overly noisy area • Not in overly busy areas • Not in the direct sight of a predator or prey animal!

16. Specific examples-EnvironmentforLeopard GeckoThe native habitat of the leopard gecko is the rocky, dry grassland and desert regions of south-Asian Afghanistan, Pakistan, north-west India, and parts of Iran. Temperature- 26°c to 32°c Humidity- 40-60% Light and Dark- 9-13hrs day light, full spectrum (as from sun) Ventilation-light Space Requirements- 65 cm2 , 38litre tank, but depth less important as not arboreal climbers Hygienic & Safety-glass/plastic terrarium Surroundings- 1/2 other geckos, sandy/grassy substrate, rocks Location/Placement- sunny spot, but no where that will change temperate considerably

18. Specific examples-EnvironmentforSyrian HamsterWithin its native habitat the Syrian Hamster is considered vulnerable due to decline of habitat through construction.Described to be ‘semi-desert’. Temperature- 0°c to 37°c but as out in evening never experience highest Humidity- approx 70% Light and Dark- similar to Ireland, considered nocturnal by crepuscular in wild Ventilation-light Space Requirements- more the better roams up to 3 miles in wild! Hygienic & safety-plastic (and metal) cage Surroundings- solitary, sandy/grassy substrate, rocks, burrow in wild Location/Placement- warm location, can hibernate if get too cold

19. Evaluation of 3 types: images only … • Hamster • Rabbit • Budgie • Tortoise In pairs evaluate the three environments for a specific animal. Conclude on which is most suitable and feedback to group. The general requirements considered so far relate more to the animal, in your evaluation also consider owner/handler requirements e.g cost, ease of access to animal, observation of animal, moving etc

20. History of Zoo Housing • Animals were first given as gifts, as early as Ancient Egyptians. • In 13th Century first Elephant was brought to UK, a gift for Henry III • In 1800’s came the move from private menageries to public viewings Jumbo: elephant that came to London Zoo in 1865, later sold to the Circus

21. History of Zoo Housing • During the 1800’s zoos were little more than museums, as people wondered over species never seen before Sealion Pond 1921 picture

22. History of Zoo Housing • Zoos really took off in the 1950’s, but changes to get away from the 1800’s buildings have been slow… New Penguin Pool, 2011 Penguin Pool , gradually adapted from 1900’s structure 1920’s London Zoo

23. History of Zoo Housing • Many older zoos (such as London and Dublin) have had difficulty in making structural advancements as buildings became ‘listed’ • For example the Elephant and Rhino Pavilion

24. History of Zoo Housing • Besides potential inadequate facilities for the species being held at a zoo (e.g not ideal climate or not ground substrate of choice), what other potential discomfort is there?

25. Evaluating comfort/discomfort We can predict that animal may feel ‘uncomfortable’ when being observed by many people. We do so because we believe it is ‘unnatural’ for them. How could we aim to prove that being observed is not preferable/causes discomfort?

26. Preference Testing FOR EXAMPLE: We can evaluate if an animal prefers to be in view or out of view. So long as there is the opportunity to do both we can record the amount of time the animal spends in a location of visibility or not visible. It is important to ensure FAIR evaluation and minimise discrimination or BIAS. In this example BIAS might be: Warmer in view than out (e.g sun shining) Always fed out of view so stays in in anticipation of being fed.

27. Preference Testing There are many different ways of recording and then analysing a preference such as this. Recording is often known as SAMPLING • Two common sampling methods are • Scan sampling- this is when you record where the animal is after a regular set duration of time e.g every minute • Continuous sampling- a continual record of when the animal moves from one place to another

28. Preference Testing An example linking to discomfort. If we saw a horse lying on cold concrete we would often think “how uncomfortable” and that the horses welfare must be compromised…but do we know this? In a preference test we can see if the horse has less of a liking for pair concrete or not, and this can help us to conclude on welfare. A large stable: Equally divided rubber concrete wood shavings sand

29. Preference Testing The experimenter/observer must decide when the horse is considered to be recorded. At all times, or just at “rest” or lying. In addition the observer must decide how much of the horse must be in area to record it i.e all four feet. The recording would have to be done over many hours over many days, even times of year to reduce bias effect of temperature, light etc. And each substrate should occur in each area of the stable to ensure it is not a location preference Where the observer stands should also be considered a bias, a video camera should prevent this

30. Freedom from Discomfort in Animal Transportation • Animal Transportation is an area in which a lot of research has been conducted. • Initially a lot of research was for the benefit of the meat industry, since it is found that ‘stressing’ an animal during live transportation will affect carcass meat quality • More recent research is welfare related • Welfare groups such as CIWF still seek further research and changes.

31. Examples of Transport

32. Freedom from Discomfort in Animal Transportation • Because animals being transported are for human consumption and have an economic value there is a lot of legislation related. • New EU legislation came into force in 2007 in summary it includes: • Animals that can not be transported • Transporter Requirements • Transporter Authorisation • Transporter Training • Additional guidelines for horses

33. Transportation of Animals • Reasons- Slaughter Sale Breeding Conservation

34. Transportation for Conservation • Occurs through an agreement between zoos/wildlife park • Rarely for money • Animals that are ‘at risk’ must be transported in accordance with CITES for member states • CITES=convention on international trade of endangered species

35. Transportation for Conservation • CITES Main points: • Countries (states) sign up to regulations of CITES voluntarily • CITES controls transportation of certain species by licensing movement • States are legally bound to conform to CITES rules, but it does not replace national law. • CITES controls over 5000 species of animals and 28000 species of plants to prevent further endangerment or extinction of species • Animal groups included are: primates, cetaceans, cats, bears, elephants, rhinos, crocodylians, chelonians, boidae • Animals in these groups not transported through CITES are transported illegally

36. Freedom to Exhibit Natural Behaviour Freedom to Exhibit Natural Behaviour Reproduction Reproduction

37. Reproduction: part 1 • Sexing General rule in mammals: distance between anal and genital gap. In some the genitals must be exposed a little and the shape indicates sex. Male longer, female shorter

38. Reproduction: part 1 • Sexing General rule in birds and fish is that the male is brighter, particularly in the breeding season. Sexual dimorphism is event through physical characteristics, although some can only be sexed through DNA tests. Reptiles are usually more difficult to sex requiring an expert, sometimes sexual dimorphism is evident

39. Reproduction: part 2 • Typical signs of oestrous Female mammals tend to: • Scent mark more with urine • Have discharge from vulva • Have change in temperament • Will exhibit stand reflex • More vocal • External genitalia swells Ferrets: genitals swell in spring until mated

40. Reproduction: part 3 • Courtship; this includes, visual, vocal and chemical displays

41. Reproduction: part 4 • Mating. In most cases intromission occurs quickly in animals. Some animals will ‘tie’ or ‘lock’ thought to be a way of preventing polygamous males mating with same females.

42. Reproduction: part 5 • Alternatives. There are alternatives in animal reproduction, particularly useful rather than stressing or causing discomfort on an animal to transport them purely for reproductive behaviour. • AI (Artificial Insemination) • Embryo Transfer • Cloning

43. Reproduction: part 5 Other influences on reproduction • Flushing (for synchronising) • Changing daylight length • Hormonal Contraception • Neutering

44. Question: Does neutering prevent freedom to exhibit natural behaviour and therefore compromise welfare? • Discuss Structure individual answers approx 1000 words including: Explanation of statement Points in for agreeing and disagreeing Conclusion A question such as these could be expected in examination.