Fundamentals of Animal Training for Zoo Professionals

This workshop is aimed at everyone interested in gaining an understanding of force free animal training and how to apply it to improve animal welfare.

Learn how animal training can help you improve welfare, simplify day-to-day management procedures, address behaviour problems, provide enriching opportunities, enhance guest experiences, facilitate ground-breaking research and contribute to conservation success. This introductory workshop features hands on training opportunities, exciting training demos, user-friendly explanations of learning principles, tools to excel at practical application and lots of videos examples to inspire and motivate you. Join us to learn how to use this important evidence-based technology to impact animal care for the better.

Date: Tuesday 8 October, 9am – 5pm

Tutors: Annette Pedersen, Jim Mackie and Barbara Heidenreich

Cost: EAZA Members €170, non-EAZA €220

The workshop will be delivered on Tuesday 8 October 2024 at Leipzig Zoo (Mekong meeting rooms). Registration is open and will close when it’s fully booked (30 spots per course).

Quality of Life Assessment (QoL)

There has been a significant shift in the perception of animal welfare in captive animals over the past three decades, with the Five Domains model being a critical turning point in establishing the fundamental requirements needed to ensure that welfare needs are met. There is however, the necessity to conduct more in-depth assessment of the welfare of specific individuals for which there is an ongoing concern about their health or behaviour.

In response, a Quality of Life Assessment (QoL) was produced by BIAZA in 2022 to help members objectively analyse and track the welfare of individual animals. The process involves data gathering of historical information from ZIMS for medical and behavioural studies, along with live behavioural and enclosure use observations to monitor 24-hour activity of the focal animal. All information is then reviewed during a roundtable discussion where the QoL template is completed and mitigating actions defined.

This workshop will include hands-on data collection from a range of sources such as videos and husbandry notes, and participants will be involved in completing a QoL assessment. It aims to help staff fully understand the QoL process and how it can influence positive welfare changes across a variety of species.

Date: Tuesday 8 October, 9am – 5pm

Tutors: Will be announced soon

Cost: EAZA Members €170, non-EAZA €220

The workshop will be delivered on Tuesday 8 October 2024 at Leipzig Zoo (Mekong meeting rooms). Registration is open and will close when it’s fully booked (30 spots per course).