Dolphin-WET-Development of a Welfare Evaluation Tool for Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) under Human Care
Baumgartner, Katrin (Behavioral Ecology and Conservation Lab)
Hüttner, Tim (Behavioral Ecology and Conservation Lab)
Clegg, Isabella L. K. (Animal Welfare Expertise)
Garcia Hartmann, Manuel (MarLab)
García-Párraga, Daniel (Fundación Oceanográfic de la Comunitat Valenciana)
Manteca Vilanova, Xavier (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Ciència Animal i dels Aliments)
Mercera, Birgitta (Parc Astérix)
Monreal-Pawlowsky, Tania (International Zoo Veterinary Group)
Pilenga, Cristina (Zoomarine)
Ternes, Kerstin (Zoo Duisburg)
Talló Parra, Oriol (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Ciència Animal i dels Aliments)
Vaicekauskaite, Ruta (Fox Consulting)
von Fersen, Lorenzo (Nuremberg Zoo)
Yon, Lisa (University of Nottingham)
Delfour, Fabienne (Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse)

Fecha:	2024
Resumen:	The welfare committee of the European Association for Aquatic Mammals (EAAM) set up a group of experts on welfare science, cetacean biology, and zoo animal medicine across Europe to develop a comprehensive tool to evaluate the welfare of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) under human care named Dolphin-WET. The tool encompasses 49 indicators (i. e. , 37 animal-based and 12 resource-based indicators) inspired by Mellor's Five Domains Model and the Welfare Quality ®. The Dolphin-WET is a species-specific and individual-based welfare assessment tool that provides a holistic approach to evaluating bottlenose dolphins' welfare. Ensuring high standards of animal welfare is not only an ethical duty for zoos and aquariums, but it is also essential to achieve their conservation, education, and research goals. While for some species, animal welfare assessment frameworks are already in place, little has been done for marine animals under human care. Responding to this demand, the welfare committee of the European Association for Aquatic Mammals (EAAM) set up a group of experts on welfare science, cetacean biology, and zoo animal medicine across Europe. Their objective was to develop a comprehensive tool to evaluate the welfare of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), named Dolphin-WET. The tool encompasses 49 indicators that were either validated through peer review or management-based expertise. The first of its kind, the Dolphin-WET is a species-specific welfare assessment tool that provides a holistic approach to evaluating dolphin welfare. Inspired by Mellor's Five Domains Model and the Welfare Quality ®, its hierarchical structure allows for detailed assessments from overall welfare down to specific indicators. Through combining 37 animal-based and 12 resource-based indicators that are evaluated based on a two- or three-level scoring, the protocol offers a detailed evaluation of individual dolphins. This approach allows for regular internal monitoring and targeted welfare management, enabling caretakers to address specific welfare concerns effectively.
Derechos:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Lengua:	Anglès
Documento:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Materia:	Cetacean welfare ; Welfare evaluation ; Welfare indicator ; Marine mammals ; Zoo animals
Publicado en:	Animals, Vol. 14 (february 2024) , ISSN 2076-2615

DOI: 10.3390/ani14050701
PMID: 38473086

32 p, 1.4 MB

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