Developing a Reliable Welfare Assessment Tool for Captive Hibernatory Bear Species

Area of Science:

• Zoological research
• Animal welfare science
• Veterinary science

Background:

• Animal welfare assessments are crucial for identifying hazards and improvements in zoos.
• Currently, a comprehensive welfare assessment tool for captive bears is unavailable.
• Bears are frequently housed in zoological facilities worldwide.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a composite welfare assessment tool for hibernating bear species in captivity.
• To address the lack of standardized welfare evaluation methods for captive bears.

Main Methods:

• A draft welfare assessment tool was created using literature-derived indicators and a modified Delphi analysis with international bear keepers.
• The tool was trialed by 18 keepers across 12 zoos, assessing 24 brown and American black bears over nine days.
• Inter-rater, intra-rater, and item reliability were analyzed using intraclass correlation coefficients.

Main Results:

• The developed bear welfare assessment tool demonstrated good to excellent inter-rater reliability (>0.7, p < 0.05).
• Intra-rater reliability also showed good to excellent agreement (>0.7, p < 0.05).
• Item reliability analysis indicated good to excellent agreement (>0.75, p < 0.05).

Conclusions:

• The newly developed bear welfare assessment tool is a significant advancement for evaluating captive bear welfare.
• The tool provides a reliable method for identifying and understanding welfare challenges in zoo-housed bears.
• This contributes to improved animal welfare practices in zoological institutions.