Captivity as an Animal Welfare Issue.

The Animal Welfare Act (2006) states animals have five needs to ensure well-being. Captivity has been argued to hinder these basic needs and cause stress (Morgan and Tromborg, 2007). A considerable amount of research supports the arguments against animals living in captivity.

Broom and Fraser (2015) define stereotypy as a consistent repetition of an act with no clear function, occurring when the individual is trying to cope with adversity or loss of authority. Captivity involves social animals being housed individually or in unnatural groupings, inhibiting them from making changes to their social circumstances, which in turn impacts on behaviour, well-being and reproduction (Price and Stoinski, 2007). The possible effects of this are observed in zoo elephants stereotypic ‘weaving’; the elephant stands and moves in a repeated pattern (RSPCA, 2006). However, Mason and Rushen (2008) argue there is a shortage of research regarding the cause of stereotypical behaviours, therefore further investigation is necessary to strengthen understanding about the impact of captivity on stereotypy.

Moreover, a study of zoos in the UK found 75% of elephants to be overweight. A small number of the elephants in the study, 16%, could walk properly and less than 20% were free from foot problems (Harris et al., 2008). Although significant (P<0.05), the findings of this investigation may have been negatively influenced by the broad heterogeneity of the animals. Some elephants may be susceptible to varying weight issues due to their age, history, sex or otherwise. Observing animals with similar histories and backgrounds may have provided more accurate results. The RSPCA (2006) states that weight problems may be caused by zoo elephants training to perform acts, by experiencing stress and/or by undertaking inadequate exercise.

Further still, animals living in the wild, free from captivity, have a vast amount of space to forage and hunt. A polar bears' enclosure in captivity is much smaller, usually one-millionth of the area it covers in the wild (Clubb and Mason, 2003). Yet, animals have the advantage of next to no rivalry, ensuring shelter from predators and an abundance of food and/or water (Harris et al., 2008). Pitsko (2003) demonstrated that tigers living in an enclosure closely related to their natural environment had less behavioural concerns than those living in a more confined area. However, the study only involved 18 tigers, all of whom were born in captivity, which may have impacted on the results.

Change of climate influences animals in captivity also. A study by Rees (2004) aimed to demonstrate that lower temperatures can cause a rise in stereotypic behaviour for Asian elephants. The study found that cold temperatures were strongly associated to stereotypic behaviour. However, a small number of individuals were observed in the study, in one environment, with unknown histories. Additionally, the elephants predictable feeding routine may have created the stimulus for the stereotypy.

Evidently, the outcome for the animal in captivity is dependent on whether it’s needs are being met as they would be in their natural environment. However, the overpowering argument is that animals are held in captivity as a form of public entertainment (Kleimen et al., 2010). Ultimately, research indicates that unless there is a concentrated focus on the animal’s well-being, captivity does not act as a beneficial alternative to their natural habitat.

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Reference List

Broom, D.M. and Fraser, A.F., 2015. Domestic animal behaviour and welfare. CABI. Oxfordshire.

Clubb, R. and Mason, G., 2003. Animal welfare: captivity effects on wide-ranging carnivores. Nature, 425(6957).

Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, 2006. Animal Welfare Act. [online] Available at: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/45/pdfs/ukpga_20060045_en.pdf [Accessed 01 Oct. 16].

Harris, M., Harris, S. and Sherwin, C., 2008. The welfare, housing and husbandry of elephants in UK zoos. Report to DEFRA. University of Bristol.

Kleiman, D.G., Thompson, K.V. and Baer, C.K. eds., 2010. Wild mammals in captivity: principles and techniques for zoo management. University of Chicago Press.

Mason, G. and Rushen, J. eds., 2008. Stereotypic animal behaviour: fundamentals and applications to welfare. Cabi.

Morgan, K.N. and Tromborg, C.T., 2007. Sources of stress in captivity. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 102(3).

Pitsko, L.E., 2003. Wild tigers in captivity: A study of the effects of the captive environment on tiger behaviour (Doctoral dissertation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University).

Price, E.E. and Stoinski, T.S., 2007. Group size: Determinants in the wild and implications for the captive housing of wild mammals in zoos. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 103(3).

Rees, P.A., 2004. Low environmental temperature causes an increase in stereotypic behaviour in captive Asian elephants (Elephas maximus). Journal of thermal biology, 29(1).

RSPCA, 2006. Live Hard, Die Young: How elephants suffer in zoos [online] Available at: https://hsi.org.au/editor/assets/legal/RSPCA_European_Zoos_elephant_report.pdf [Accessed 29 Sept. 16].