Keeper-Animal Interactions: Differences between the Behaviour of Zoo Animals Affect Stockmanship.

ABSTRACT: Stockmanship is a term used to describe the management of animals with a good stockperson someone who does this in a in a safe, effective, and low-stress manner for both the stock-keeper and animals involved. Although impacts of unfamiliar zoo visitors on animal behaviour have been extensively studied, the impact of stockmanship i.e familiar zoo keepers is a new area of research; which could reveal significant ramifications for zoo animal behaviour and welfare. It is likely that different relationships are formed dependant on the unique keeper-animal dyad (human-animal interaction, HAI). The aims of this study were to (1) investigate if unique keeper-animal dyads were formed in zoos, (2) determine whether keepers differed in their interactions towards animals regarding their attitude, anim

SUBMITTER: Ward SJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4624973 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature