Date: January 31, 2019
Source: San Diego Zoo Global
In a
paper recently published in the journal Frontiers in Veterinary Science, a team of researchers, animal care
experts and veterinarians evaluate the balance between animal welfare and
conservation needs for a number of rare species of native birds being raised in
San Diego Zoo Global breeding centers in Hawaii. The paper shares the
challenges and complexity of situations where the needs of an individual and
the needs of a species are weighed, and how that balance is achieved.
"Animal
welfare and conservation breeding have overlapping and compatible goals, but
promoting optimal welfare in breeding programs can require tactics that
minimize the effects of captivity," said Alison Greggor, Ph.D., a
postdoctoral associate at San Diego Zoo Global in the 'alalā recovery program,
which prepares these endangered birds for eventual release into wild habitats.
"We offer a perspective on how SDZG's Hawaiian Endangered Bird
Conservation Program strives for high welfare standards while balancing the
needs for birds to learn skills for the future."
The paper
describes a scientific attempt to measure animal welfare standards using
guidelines provided through an "Opportunity to Thrive" model, as they
are balanced by the need to prepare individuals for naturally occurring
stresses.
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