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Do naturalistic enclosures provide suitable environments for zoo animals?
María C Fàbregas1, Federico Guillén-Salazar, Carlos Garcés-Narro
1Ethology and Animal Welfare Section, Veterinary Faculty, Cardenal Herrera University, Moncada, Valencia, Spain. maria.fabregas@uch.ceu.es
Zoo Biology
|June 21, 2011
Summary
Naturalistic zoo enclosures often provide suitable environments for animals, supporting their biological needs and welfare. While not a guarantee, this design is a useful indicator for assessing enclosure quality during zoo inspections.
Area of Science:
- Zoological research
- Animal welfare science
- Conservation biology
Background:
- Zoo visitors often assume naturalistic enclosures best meet animal welfare needs.
- The actual suitability of naturalistic enclosures for animal biological requirements has been largely assumed, not systematically verified.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically investigate whether naturalistic zoo enclosure designs provide suitable environments for animal biological needs.
- To provide empirical evidence to support or refute the assumption that naturalistic enclosures ensure animal welfare.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 1,381 naturalistic and non-naturalistic enclosures across 63 Spanish zoological parks.
- Assessment of enclosure suitability based on key aspects of animals' main biological requirements.
Main Results:
- A significant relationship was found between naturalistic designs and environmental suitability for housed species.
- 77.8% of naturalistic enclosures provided suitable environments, compared to 39.7% of non-naturalistic ones.
- Not all naturalistic enclosures were suitable, and a substantial portion of non-naturalistic enclosures were appropriate.
Conclusions:
- Naturalistic design is a valuable adjunct indicator for assessing zoo enclosure suitability, but should not be the sole criterion.
- Zoo inspection and accreditation processes can benefit from using naturalistic design as a preliminary assessment tool for enclosure quality.
- Further research may refine the use of enclosure design as a reliable welfare indicator.
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