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Incorporating stakeholder perspectives into the assessment and provision of captive elephant welfare

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2023

CL Chadwick ,
E Williams ,
L Asher  and
L Yon
CL Chadwick
Affiliation:
Ecosystems and Environment Research Centre, School of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Salford, The Crescent, Greater Manchester M5 4WT, UK
E Williams
Affiliation:
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough LE12 5RD, UK School of Animal Rural and Environmental Sciences, Nottingham Trent University, Brackenhurst Campus, Southwell, Nottinghamshire NG25 0QF, UK
L Asher*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough LE12 5RD, UK Centre for Behaviour and Evolution, Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Framlington Place, Newcastle NE2 4HH, UK
L Yon*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough LE12 5RD, UK
*
* Contacts for correspondence and requests for reprints: lucy.asher@ncl.ac.uk/lisa.yon@nottingham.ac.uk
* Contacts for correspondence and requests for reprints: lucy.asher@ncl.ac.uk/lisa.yon@nottingham.ac.uk
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Abstract

Recent concerns over the welfare of elephants in UK zoos have implications for their future in captivity, and it is clear that improvements in welfare should be made. Evidence suggests that the knowledge of experienced stakeholders is vital to captive animal welfare assessment. However, there have been few attempts to consult with zoo personnel and other stakeholders on the assessment of elephant welfare, and much of their valuable knowledge of routine husbandry has not been captured in the published literature. As part of a research project commissioned by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, open response focus groups and workshop discussions were conducted with representatives from 15 UK elephant-holding facilities, and other experts in the welfare and behaviour of captive or free-ranging elephants. Participants described three broad categories of welfare indicators: behavioural, physical and physiological. Resources perceived to be of importance to elephants included aspects of the physical environment, such as feeding opportunities and appropriate substrate, and aspects of the social environment, including group size and relatedness. The data obtained during this study can be used to develop an elephant welfare assessment strategy, informed by the knowledge and expertise of experienced stakeholders, and for consideration of potential changes to guidelines for managing elephants in captivity. Our approach to capturing the views of those who work closely with captive species could be applied elsewhere, in order to draw upon the extensive knowledge of expert stakeholders and consider ways to improve the welfare of captive animals.

Keywords

animal behaviouranimal welfareelephantstakeholder opinionwelfare assessmentzoo
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 26 , Issue 4 , November 2017 , pp. 461 - 472
Copyright
© 2017 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

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