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Psychology and Animal Welfare

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Zoo Animal Welfare

Part of the book series: Animal Welfare ((AWNS,volume 14))

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Abstract

We believe that zoos with scientific credibility can be trusted to do the right thing on behalf of the animals. To keep management on the empirical side, evidence-based managers, scientific staff, and outside collaborators should be at the table when important decisions are made. In his iconic book Man and Animal in the Zoo, Hediger revealed the extent that the field of psychology had influenced his thinking about wildlife in the zoo. Hediger recognized that the principle challenge for the captive animal is its relationship to humankind, and he made this a specialized topic within the interdisciplinary field of zoo biology. Psychological science, broadly applied, may have more potential to advance zoo standards and practices than any other scientific discipline. The fundamental preference of quality over quantity is a principle first articulated by Hediger, based on early field studies of birds. Research on laboratory colonies of nonhuman primates has addressed space as an independent variable, confirming that quality of space is more important than quantity. As zoos began to build more naturalistic exhibits they began to provide for species-appropriate social organization. To enable a naturalistic social network, all credible zoos today design exhibits for larger groups. Social composition in captivity should always be based on our knowledge of social organization in nature. Personality can no longer be ignored as a factor in zoo management. Clearly, the foundation of superior design is behavior, and wellness/welfare issues loom large as design priorities. To establish the connection between design and welfare, we should gather evidence through post-occupancy evaluations of new exhibits.

It is hardly an exaggeration to say that a chimpanzee kept in solitude is not a real chimpanzee at all. That certain special characteristic qualities of this species of animal only appear when they are in a group, is simply because the behavior of his comrades constitutes for each individual the only adequate incentive for bringing about a great variety of essential forms of behavior.

Wolfgang Kohler

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Wilkes Honors College Biology and Psychology Departments, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter/Boca Raton, FL, USA

    Terry L. Maple

  2. Department of Psychology, Agnes Scott College, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Bonnie M. Perdue

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  1. Terry L. Maple
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  2. Bonnie M. Perdue
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Maple, T.L., Perdue, B.M. (2013). Psychology and Animal Welfare. In: Zoo Animal Welfare. Animal Welfare, vol 14. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-35955-2_5

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