Zoo Animals: Behaviour, Management and Welfare

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0199233063 ISBN 13: 9780199233069

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2009

The keeping of zoo animals has become a central tool in the conservation of some of the world's most fascinating, yet threatened, species. But how do zoos operate on a day-to-day basis? What are the key problems zoos face in trying to feed, breed and keep healthy the animals in their care? How do they play their part in conserving biodiversity?

Zoo Animals: Behaviour, Management and Welfare addresses the key questions surrounding the keeping of zoo animals, and reveals how we can apply our ever-growing understanding of animal behaviour to ensure zoo animals are managed as effectively as possible.

Drawing on their extensive experience of zoo research, practice, and teaching, the authors blend together theory with a broad range of both mammalian and non-mammalian examples to give a highly-readable overview of this burgeoning field. Zoo Animals: Behaviour, Management and Welfare is the ideal resource for anyone needing a thorough grounding in this subject, whether as a student or as a zoo professional.

About the Author:

Dr. Geoff Hosey was formerly a senior lecturer at the University of Bolton, UK, where he taught in the area of animal behaviour.

Dr. Vicky Melfi is Senior Research Officer at Paignton Zoo Environmental Park, UK. Her research interests include animal welfare, behavioural ecology of zoo animals, and environmental enrichment.

Dr. Sheila Pankhurst is Director of Studies in the Faculty of Science and Technology at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK, where her teaching and research centres on the behaviour and welfare of zoo animals.

Review:

It is surprising that it has taken this long for someone to write a comprehensive book on zoo animals. With this voluminous, yet pithy, contribution, Hosey et al. have invaded an unoccupied niche. Given the quality of the work, I predict that this invasion will take root and grow, finding its way to the shelves of most biologists and researchers who work in zoos. The Quarterly Review of Biology This is a book touching on numerous interesting topics important in the world of zoos, writes EAZAs Sander Cozijn. These range from traditions to nutrition, captive breeding to animal welfare, and environmental enrichment to recordkeeping, just to name a few. All these topics are discussed in easy to process chapters, making the book ideal for professional zoo world people, students as well as the general public. A great book to have in the collection, be it zoo, school or private. Zooquaria, Quarterly Publication of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria This book gives an excellent overview of important topics such as animal identification and record keeping, animal behaviour, health, feeding and nutrition, housing and husbandry, enrichment as well as breeding and how they affect the welfare of different zoo animal species. In addition, the chapter about human and animal interaction in a zoo shows what impact visitors can have on zoo animals and their behaviour and welfare. Animal Welfare, February 2010 For students who are studying zoos as part of a college or university course this should be considered an essential read. The authors have an imposing zoo pedigree and this gives the reader tremendous confidence in the content. The book conveys a a great sense of enthusiasm for zoo based research and closes by clearly identifying current gaps in our knowledge and thus will hopefully inspire a whole new generation to seek answers to some of these important questions. May this book never go out of print. RATEL, Journal of the Association of British and Irish Wild Animal Keepers, 2009 It has opened my eyes to a whole host of fields and career opportunities I'd never previously heard of let alone considered Nicola Yvonne Edwards, Student, St. Andrews University This text provides the first comprehensive account of the essential knowledge and the various activities that underpin a successful modern zoo or aquarium. The authors have addressed the challenges, philosophical and practical, that zoo professionals face as well as providing a detailed introduction to the science and management of zoological collections. The engaging style, clear diagrams and wellchosen examples ensure that this text will provide an extremely valuable resource for students and zoo professionals alike. Dr John Eddison, University of Plymouth