Effect of visitor experiences on animal behaviour and welfare
We have evaluated a number of animal feeding experiences throughout our zoos to determine their impact on both animal welfare and visitor education.
Overview
Animal feeding experiences are popular events in a number of zoological institutions, generating a valuable income stream, and they can be important educationally. However, the impact of feeding experiences on the animals involved is very rarely evaluated.
Within Wild Planet Trust zoos there are a number of animal experiences that have been evaluated from both an animal welfare and visitor education standpoint.
Considering the personality of the individual animals, frequency of events and possible predictability of experiences help to provide evidence-based recommendations for visitor experiences at both Wild Planet Trust and BIAZA institutions.
Outputs
Jones, H., McGregor, P.K., Farmer, H.L., Baker, K.R. (2016). The influence of visitor interaction on the behaviour of captive crowned lemurs (Eulemur coronatus) and implications for welfare. Zoo Biology 35: 222–227.
