Animal welfare and zoo conservation outputs

Abstract

One of the roles of a modern zoo is to provide insurance populations for threatened species, with an eventual aim of release back into the wild. To build a sustainable and genetically robust population, individuals are moved between different social groups and also mixed for breeding. These events can be highly stressful; there is a fine balance between individual welfare and successful population management, with a variety of methods available to reduce stress. Once populations have been deemed suitable for release, animals must become prepared for life in the wild; this includes learning to locate and compete for food and avoid predation. We consider the methods by which these survival skills can be taught to captive animals, through enrichment and training, and the challenges to welfare this process can present. We use the case study of headstarting in black-tailed godwits (Limosa limosa limosa) to illustrate the dynamic welfare assessment process employed throughout breeding programmes, considering the welfare implications for both adults and youngsters of human interventions. Throughout this chapter, we highlight that conservation programmes must sometimes balance short-term costs to individual welfare to achieve long-term population benefits but also highlight practices that can be put in place to optimise welfare wherever possible.