Qualitative Behaviour Assessment for zoo-housed polar bears (Ursus maritimus): Intra- and inter-day consistency and association to other indicators of welfare

Skovlund, Cecilie Ravn; Kirchner, Marlene Katharina; Contiero, Barbara; Ellegaard, Signe; Manteca, Xavier; Stelvig, Mikkel; Talló-Parra, Oriol; Forkman, Björn

doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2023.105942

Cited by 4 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 72 publications

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“…Similar results have been found in other studies looking at a range of species, where high arousal is associated with more extreme valence scores and is hypothesized to be related to the more active behaviours, e.g. 31 , 116 . However, when valence was anticipated to be negative, there was no significant difference in PC1_Valence scores between the high and low arousal scenarios.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

“…For example, a recent study by Skovlund et al . 31 found that constructs of valence and arousal obtained from QBA were associated with additional animal-based welfare indicators in captive polar bears, although these indicators have not themselves been fully validated.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…These scores are then typically refined into multiple component scores, representing groups of related terms, through means of Principle Component Analysis (PCA). QBA has been utilized in the welfare assessment of wide variety of species (e.g., cows 25 , pigs 26 , sheep 27 , horses 28 , donkeys 29 , goats 30 , chickens 24 , dogs 22 , polar bears 31 , elephants 32 , dolphins 33 , salmon 34 ), as it is often suggested that included terms (such as ‘Playful’ or ‘Relaxed’) can be representative of an animal’s emotional state 7 , 26 . However, like all measurement tools, the process of continued validation is critical 26 and research exploring the validity of QBA as a reliable indicator of valence and arousal appears to have been limited.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Subsequently, the primary aim of this study was to identify physiological and behavioural parameters (or a combination of parameters) that may serve as reliable indicators of short-term emotional valence and/or arousal in dogs. Based on previous literature, a total of five potential parameters were initially selected for investigation; heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV) measured as the root mean square of successive differences in the RR interval (RMSSD), two putative QBA component scores expected to represent valence and arousal 24 , 31 , 35 , and blood serum cortisol. The secondary aim of this study was to explore a further 17 additional parameters; blood serum serotonin, blood plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), salivary secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA), HRV measured using the standard deviation of the RR interval (SDRR), activity score, multiple eye, ear, and nose temperatures, body position, panting, body shake, and whining, which were also predicted to be impacted by an individual’s emotional state.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Evaluation of indicators of acute emotional states in dogs

Flint,

Weller,

Parry-Howells

et al. 2024

Sci Rep

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A complete assessment of animal welfare requires not just an understanding of negative emotional states, such as fear and anxiety, but also of positive states, such as calmness and happiness. However, few studies have identified accurate and reliable indicators of positive emotional states in dogs. This study aimed to identify parameters that may serve as indicators of short-term emotional states in dogs. Using a cross-over design, 60 dogs living at a research facility were exposed to six different 10-min scenarios expected to elicit responses varying in emotional valence and arousal. A range of behavioural and physiological parameters were collected and their relationship to anticipated emotional valence and arousal was analysed using linear and logistic mixed models. Cortisol, adrenocorticotropic hormone, heart rate variability, panting, whining, and body shake all demonstrated significant differences based on arousal levels, but only within negative valence scenarios. Scores from a qualitative behavioural assessment (QBA) were associated with both emotional valence and arousal and were considered the best indicator of positive valence. Activity, ear temperature, and sitting were associated with positive high arousal, although this may have been influenced by differing levels of movement induced during these scenarios. Meanwhile, heart rate, secretory immunoglobulin A, standing and lying all showed similar changes associated with arousal for both positive and negative valence scenarios. This study provides a critical first step towards identifying evidence-based indicators of short-term emotional states in dogs, while highlighting considerations that should be made when employing these parameters, including the influence of coder bias, food provision, exercise, and external temperature. Overall, it is recommended future dog emotion and welfare research use a combination of parameters including indicators of both emotional valence and arousal.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Evaluation of indicators of acute emotional states in dogs

Flint,

Weller,

Parry-Howells

et al. 2024

Sci Rep

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“…Following a “whole-animal” approach, QBA evaluates the demeanour of an animal as a response to the animal’s environment [ 149 , 150 ]. QBA has already been used to assess the emotional state in various zoo species welfare assessments, including for elephants [ 2 ], polar bears [ 151 ], and giraffes [ 152 ]. Rose and Riley [ 153 ] suggested that QBA could play a useful role in evaluating the effect of environmental design and enrichment on zoo animal welfare.…”

Section: Final Toolmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dolphin-WET—Development of a Welfare Evaluation Tool for Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) under Human Care

Baumgartner,

Hüttner,

Clegg

et al. 2024

Animals

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Ensuring high standards of animal welfare is not only an ethical duty for zoos and aquariums, but it is also essential to achieve their conservation, education, and research goals. While for some species, animal welfare assessment frameworks are already in place, little has been done for marine animals under human care. Responding to this demand, the welfare committee of the European Association for Aquatic Mammals (EAAM) set up a group of experts on welfare science, cetacean biology, and zoo animal medicine across Europe. Their objective was to develop a comprehensive tool to evaluate the welfare of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), named Dolphin-WET. The tool encompasses 49 indicators that were either validated through peer review or management-based expertise. The first of its kind, the Dolphin-WET is a species-specific welfare assessment tool that provides a holistic approach to evaluating dolphin welfare. Inspired by Mellor’s Five Domains Model and the Welfare Quality®, its hierarchical structure allows for detailed assessments from overall welfare down to specific indicators. Through combining 37 animal-based and 12 resource-based indicators that are evaluated based on a two- or three-level scoring, the protocol offers a detailed evaluation of individual dolphins. This approach allows for regular internal monitoring and targeted welfare management, enabling caretakers to address specific welfare concerns effectively.

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