ROYAL OAK, Mich. – From crawling around in the warthog habitat to standing 18 feet tall in a bucket truck overlooking the giraffe landscape, participants in an immersive workshop at the Detroit Zoo this week will learn how to assess and improve animal welfare in zoos.
The Detroit Zoological Society's Center for Zoo Animal Welfare are hosting animal care staff from around the country Wednesday to Sunday for its annual workshop, "From Good Care to Great Welfare."
The workshop will help participants better understand animals' perspectives and experiences, address the challenges captivity imposes on animal welfare and instill the skills necessary to assess and improve animals' overall well-being.
"Captive exotic animal welfare has emerged as an important topic of discussion, and we are committed to understanding how animals living in zoos can thrive, not just survive," said Stephanie Allard, CZAW director and DZS director of animal welfare. "One of the critical needs for the advancement of zoo animal welfare is a better understanding of how living in human care impacts individual welfare."
Workshop participants will gain knowledge related to current research on captive animal behavior and ecology, techniques for assessing environmental and husbandry factors affecting welfare, management and exhibit design, and identification and resolution of welfare issues.
The workshop format includes lectures, discussions, group projects, demonstrations and multiple hands-on opportunities with animal environments at the Detroit Zoo.