Philosophy of Zoos

  • What are Ethics in Zoos?

    • A set of standards by which a particular group of people decides to regulate its behavior - to distinguish between what is and is not acceptable

 

  • Ethical Concerns you May Encounter

    • Common ethical concerns you may encounter …

      • Animal feeding and approaches - live feeding? Carcasses? Etc.

      • Abnormal behaviors, where they come from

      • Space and enclosure concerns OR habitat quality in-situ

      • Marking, tracking, and altering animal physiology

      • Exhibits like touch tanks, feeding demonstrations, ambassador animals

      • Culling, euthanasia, birth control methods, captive breeding, surplus animals, geriatrics

      • Enrichment vs stress vs health care

      • Conflicting health and space needs of human and animal populations

 

  • AZA Strategic Network of Wellbeing

    • Wellbeing = a state of being comfortable, healthy, or happy; achieved by AZA facilities and affiliates giving animals lifelong opportunities to thrive

    • Welfare = an animal's collective physical, mental, and emotional states over a period of time; measured on a continuum from good to poor (informs wellbeing, appropriate when referring to research and science)

 

  • Why Distinguish Wellbeing and Welfare?

    • Welfare has multiple public meanings and contexts

    • Negative connotation - implies something needs corrected

    • Wellbeing more easily understood

    • Welfare science goes beyond the zoo community

 

  • Animal Existence in Zoos

    • Living Space = overall environment provided to an animal designed to meet the individual physical, biological, social, and psychological needs

    • Terms being phased out: enclosure (connotations of ownership), exhibit and house (recalls menageries), habitat (does not represent true habitat)

 

  • What do we Call Animals in Zoos?

    • Human Care = state wherein animals are kept in confinement by human beings, whereby day-to-day needs, welfare, and wellbeing are subject to the provision of human intervention

    • "Captivity" = viewed by some as imprisonment, undescriptive, promoting negative attitudes and care, etc.

 

  • Anthropomorphism in Zoos(?)

    • The attribution of human characteristics, motivations, and psychological qualities to non-human animals … when there is no biologically valid evidence to do so

    • Critical Anthropomorphism = use of familiar and approachable metaphor to interpret phenomena when backed by scientific findings

    • Highlight similarities found via neurobiology and ethology to build empathy

 

  • How do we Assess Animal Wellbeing?

    • Physiological Index: proper nutrition and body condition, absence of diseases, active and responsive to stimuli, species-typical cognition

    • Behavioral Index: emulate natural and species-appropriate behaviors, resilient and adaptable to stress

    • Psychological Index: display "positively-valanced" states, lack abnormal behaviors, motivated to perform natural behaviors

 

  • Animal Rights in Zoos

    • Rights = a belief system based on humans not exploiting non-human animals and providing them with the same ethical considerations as are given to most humans

    • "True" animal rights supporter would say animals should never be housed in Zoos, regardless of reason or outcome

 

  • Animal Wellbeing vs Animal Rights

    • Animal Wellbeing

      • Focuses on the ways animals are treated in human care

      • Works to provide best possible care for animals under human care

      • Based primarily on scientific research and hands-on experience

    • Animal Rights

      • Philosophical belief system

      • Generally, believe animals should not be in human care for any reason (infringes on freedoms/rights)

      • Based primarily on morals, thoughts, and beliefs