Relationships between animal management and habitat characteristics with two potential indicators of welfare for bottlenose dolphins under professional care.

ABSTRACT: Accredited zoos and aquariums continually strive to ensure high levels of animal welfare for the animals under their professional care. Best management practices include conducting research to better understand factors that lead to optimal welfare and then turning findings into practice. The current study is part of the larger Cetacean Welfare Study or more formally, "Towards understanding the welfare of cetaceans in zoos and aquariums." Facilities participating in the study were accredited by the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums and/or the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Animal management factors and habitat characteristics were examined in relation to two potential indicators of welfare for common (Tursiops truncatus) and Indo-Pacific (Tursiops aduncus) bottlenose dolphin

SUBMITTER: Miller LJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8405007 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature