Care for the Rare

03/23/2024

Which of these species do you think has the most similar welfare priorities to African lions and why?!

03/23/2024

It was great to spend a couple of days back at Tierart as construction ramps up, and a potentially monumental stride in wild animal welfare unfolds! This project distils the insights of dozens of tiger experts from around the world mediated through the AWPIS process - uniting science and compassion, challenging prevailing norms that appear resigned to accept the pacing of captive tigers as inevitable.

Working with Four Paws and the Open University’s Department of Animal Computer Interaction, we are on the cusp of unveiling an initiative that promises to revolutionise how we care for the welfare of captive tigers. Our decade-long research suggests that traditional enrichment paradigms may actually compound stress, whereas the need for tigers to navigate and travel through complex landscapes with purpose may be central to their welfare needs.

At Tierart Sanctuary, Germany, and our technical development labs at the Open University, we're crafting a habitat that is nothing short of revolutionary. It’s a dynamic, living ecosystem, designed to adapt to the choices of tigers, allowing them to embark on meaningful journeys akin to those they’d undertake in the wild. This interactive, living landscape is a convergence of advanced technologies, "zoo-design", welfare science and behavioural ecology, aimed at restoring autonomy for captive tigers fostering species appropriate behavioural and cognitive opportunities, and enabling them to travel substantive distances through diverse landscapes in pursuit of their chosen objectives—just as they would in nature.

Stay tuned as we prepare to share more about this groundbreaking project that is set to redefine what is possible in the care of tigers; a species whose captive population, tragically far exceeds the numbers left in the wild.

03/23/2024

The more we learn about the natural world, the less exceptional we seem; tool use, culture including art (bower birds), friendship, dialects, recreational s*x, ritual and grief to name but a few are characteristics that were once assumed to have been uniquely human by many. I hope this growing body of knowledge helps contribute to a greater sense of responsibility towards the natural world.

https://buff.ly/4a4DjlX

Five elephant calves have been found buried in drainage ditches on tea-growing estates in India in a rare example of burial behaviour in non-human animals

03/23/2024

One of nicest compliments I ever had for any paper was from the late and much missed Peter Dickinson (Zoo News Digest), who in his last email to me described this paper as compulsory reading for zoo professionals! It’s nice to see a reasonable proportion of my zoo colleagues might have taken his advice! If you fancy taking Peter’s advice - here’s the link!
https://buff.ly/3VxqXyC

03/23/2024

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZh70oxA1e8

A ground-breaking research project sponsored by Yorkshire Wildlife Park is set to improve the lives and welfare of polar bears and help secure their future i...

03/23/2024

When it comes to animal welfare, evidence matters. Find out how we can help your teams get the information they need, and in a format that is both actionable and understandable, to enhance welfare focused decision-making, facility design, planning, prioritisation, and performance management.

Learn more about Care for the Rare's whole facility animal welfare assessment tools; Animal Welfare Fingerpints and HeatMapping.

03/23/2024

When it comes to the design of wild animal habitats, the cookie cutter / replication approach can feel like the path of least risk and least resistance, but its also the path of least long term gain. Disruptive innovation takes time, vision, teamwork and above all, courage. I had no idea what we were planning was the most complex interaction ever devised between animals and their environment mediated by technology until that was pointed out to me by the team at the Animal Computer Interaction Lab! The courage, teamwork, and commitment to a shared vision by Four Paws and the Open University in joining Care for the Rare on this journey will I'm sure help establish a new gold standard for wild animal care that all can benefit from! It just takes time.


https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7154770899357855744

12/28/2023

We think leaders of zoos, aquariums, wildlife parks, and sanctuaries are not getting the information they need to understand the welfare status of their facilities - learn how our Animal Welfare Fingerprinting tool could change that.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/directors-we-asking-right-questions-zoo-aquarium-sanctuary-7azic/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios&utm_campaign=share_via&fbclid=IwAR2VCvyUsn8khZWSzUNbo-VlUYdYsl85Lunk2z0wvWVEEn9E2U7xL3LG41o