Pedagogical objective

This course presents the theoretical, methodological and practical foundations of animal welfare assessment for professionals wishing to implement a welfare monitoring and assessment programme tailored to one or more species.

Participants will learn to identify the relevant indicators for assessing animal welfare (indicators relating to housing, feeding, health and behaviour), to determine objective criteria and how to collect information in the field.

Participants will discover several monitoring tools already implemented in zoological parks and their characteristics (measured indicators, number of assessors, duration of assessment, frequency, type of results obtained) and will learn how to use the "Welfare Monitor" tool during interactive workshops.

Skills acquired at the end of the course

• Understand the scientific bases and definitions of animal welfare
• Comprehend why welfare is an individual state, variable over time
• Be familiar with the factors influencing the welfare state of animals
• Know the animal- and environment-based indicators used in a welfare monitoring programme
• Be familiar with the existing tools and/or those in development in zoos, their specific features and their practical application
• Be able to use the ‘Welfare Monitor’ tool to assess welfare via a mobile application
• Understand the results obtained, identifying the actions to be taken following the assessment and knowing how to set realistic and achievable objectives

Course content

Module: Theoretical aspects and definition of animal welfare

• Animal welfare - definitions
• Overview of the various factors impacting the welfare of animals: biological specifics, individual experience and background of the animal, living environment and habits, constraints associated with captivity, social interactions (conspecifics/humans), health, nutrition
• Indicators used: differences and complementarity between indicators based on the resources provided to the animal and those based on the animal itself
• Role and importance of behavioural observations in assessing welfare
• Behavioural observation methods
• Definition and use of an ethogram
• Assessment of resources available to animals: benefits and limitations of existing welfare assessment grids

Practical workshops: Behavioural observations and assessment grids

• Behavioural observations: example of ethograms and training in data recording (paper format and mobile application), inter-observer consistency
• Presentation and discussion of the results from the behavioural observations carried out during the practical workshops
• Completion of assessment grids (questionnaires) using the mobile application, in front of the enclosures
• Presentation of the results and analysis of the questionnaires in the training room

Pedagogical, technical and supervisory resources

The course includes theoretical contributions, workshops and practical exercises, discussions and feedback. In the training room, the course is led using visual aid (PowerPoint and audiovisual material), while the workshops and practical exercises are carried out within the zoo.

Prior to the training, a preparatory meeting (either via phone or face-to-face) will be held with the supervisors.

Monitoring and assessment

An attendance sheet is signed by each participant and the instructors for each half-day of course. The acquisition of skills is assessed during the course (training games, role-playing, etc.).

The course is assessed based on its quality and the effectiveness of the instructors, using a questionnaire that each participant fills anonymously. A certificate of completion is issued to each participant at the end of the course.