Characteristics, beliefs, and educational needs of zoo staff in China and Europe, in relation to zoo animal behaviour and welfare issues | The characteristics, beliefs, and educational needs of zoo staff in China and Europe, in relation to zoo animal behaviour and welfare issues

Providing good welfare for animals in zoos is a societal expectation. The human dimension of zoo animal welfare includes human-animal interactions and relationships, stockpersonship, and the appropriate knowledge to effectively provide for zoo animal needs, and is increasingly recognised in the literature as important for zoo animal welfare. Education may be effective at addressing gaps in the knowledge of zoo staff, and sometimes in challenging beliefs and practices, to improve zoo animal welfare. However, there is a dearth of data to support educational target audience selection, or from which to develop educational content. Little is known about the demographic characteristics of zoo staff or their beliefs in relation to a range of animal behaviour, welfare and ethical issues. Characterising this population, their beliefs and educational needs is a key step in delivering effective education, and in better understanding behavioural antecedents which could later be used to develop initiatives influencing human behaviour to improve zoo animal welfare. This thesis used the theory of planned behaviour and a mixed-methods methodology to characterise the people responsible for zoo animal husbandry in China and Europe - target regions selected due to their diverse cultural and zoo animal welfare regulatory landscapes. It explored the perceptions of people working in zoos to a range of zoo animal behaviour and welfare issues, and their educational needs in these subject areas. It also investigated their perceptions of barriers to improving zoo animal welfare. A review of the literature discussed the development of animal welfare as a scientific discipline in the study areas of Europe and China, and the rationale for applying a human behaviour change framework to this project. A structured interview script was developed based on the literature review. Sixteen interviews were performed across eight countries. Thematic analysis generated demographic data and nine key themes: 1. Early interaction with animals can have lifelong impacts, 2. Conservation activity in zoos means different things in different geographic regions and may overlap with concepts of animal protection and welfare, 3. Beliefs about controversial practices and husbandry challenges vary between and within regions, 4. Professional education is important to all zoo staff and should include ecology and behaviour, 5. A Universal Understanding of Zoo Animal Welfare, 6. Both cultures recognise the Five Freedoms as a useful framework, 7. Human engagement is essential to delivering good animal welfare in China , 8. Zookeepers - the most important animal in the zoo, and 9. Not just resources – mindset and motivation may also inhibit zoo staff engagement in animal welfare education. A large-scale questionnaire was developed after triangulation of evidence from the literature and interview themes. Questionnaire analysis suggested that demographic characteristics reported in other groups did not influence beliefs about zoo animal behaviour and welfare but that in the Chines group, watching wildlife documentaries was negatively associated with positive beliefs about animal welfare, and beliefs about the relationship between husbandry and welfare in zoo animals were influenced by prior animal welfare education. Zoo staff perceptions of animal welfare and behaviour issues were broadly similar across geographical regions but beliefs relating to ethical issues and zoo animal husbandry practices differed, potentially due to the situated learning experience of zoo staff in their workplaces. Content analysis of educational needs also showed similar topics were requested across both regions. Analysis of the perceptions of UK zookeepers participating in an educational activity based on learning outcomes derived from the research outputs was performed using pre-test-post-test questionnaires based on the Kirkpatrick model, and supported by a focus group analysis. Findings supported earlier work that suggested zoo staff value lifelong learning, with positive reactions and a change in knowledge associated with the intervention. Thematic analysis of the focus group transcription and content analysis of future educational priorities also suggested a desire to change the status quo in terms of aspects of animal husbandry and welfare assessment after the intervention. This thesis concludes that whilst the understanding of scientific aspects of zoo animal behaviour and welfare are more similar between regions, learning situated in the zoo context may have resulted in diverse beliefs about zoo animal ethics and husbandry. In both regions, the human dimension is recognised as important to animal welfare, especially zookeeper characteristics of motivation, responsibility and lifelong learning. Education that incorporates context-specific zoo information and challenges traditional practices is associated with changing beliefs, and potentially behaviours, in UK zookeepers.