Lecture 2: Human-Animal Interaction

Applied ethology

The scientific study of animal behavior, with a focus on improving animal welfare, management, and human-animal interactions

What is the difference between ethology and applied ethology?

Ethology focuses on discovering and understanding natural behavior while applied ethology uses that understanding to improve animal lives and interactions with humans

The Five Domains Model

A welfare assessment framework used to evaluate animal well-being, distinct from the Five Freedoms

What effect does negative handling have on farm animals?

It increases fear and stress and reduces growth, feed efficiency, reproduction, and health

Rough handling

Includes shouting, hitting, approaching too quickly, or unpredictable movements that cause animals to associate fear with humans

How can human presence affect animals even without physical contact?

It can cause stress and avoidance behaviors, as seen in little penguins at Melbourne Zoo

Why do prey animals react negatively to human presence?

They may perceive humans as predators, leading to fear responses like fleeing or freezing

What effect does human presence have on top predators like jaguars?

Increased aggression and pacing behavior, and more time spent out of sight

How do pigs and chicks respond to different handlers?

They tend to generalize experiences and may not distinguish between familiar and unfamiliar people

What evidence shows animals can differentiate between humans?

Imprinted chicks and goslings show preference for their handler; poultry react differently to different people

What factors affect human-animal interaction?

Attitude, knowledge, experience, personality, anxiety levels, and gender

How does experience affect animal response?

Extensive experience and species knowledge improve animal response, but long-term experience may lead to aversive behavior

How can human emotions, such as anxiety, affect animal behavior?

Animals can detect human emotional states through cues like body odor. For example, horses exposed to human “fear odors” show increased fear responses and reduced interaction compared to “joy” or control odors.

How does gender influence attitudes toward animals?

Women generally show more positive behaviors and attitudes toward animals

How can physical environment affect human-animal interaction?

It can either hinder or facilitate positive interactions depending on design

What zoo design features reduce animal stress?

Small, dispersed viewing areas and elevation differences between visitors and animals

How can keepers influence zoo animals' reactions to visitors?

Positive reinforcement training by keepers can reduce animals' stress responses to visitors

One Health

An integrated approach to optimize the health of people, animals, and ecosystems

What are the benefits of positive human-animal interactions?

They reduce animal fear, improve welfare, and can synchronize stress levels between humans and animals

What are potential solutions to reduce negative interactions?

Increased contact, appropriate behavior, improved facilities, and consistency in interactions

How can positive interactions serve as enrichment?

Additional caretaker contact increases affiliative behaviors and reduces abnormal behaviors in primates

What is the effect of frequent neutral interactions?

They can lead to habituation and reduced fear of humans

What is the most common form of human-animal interaction?

Pet ownership

Why is it important to consider pet quality of life?

To ensure the five freedoms and prevent abandonment

Zoonotic diseases

Diseases shared between animals and humans, posing health and economic risks

Reverse zoonosis

The transfer of pathogens from humans to animals, increasingly common due to urbanization and globalization