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Groundbreaking Study Continued

To obtain the body weight of bottlenose dolphin Allie, Laurene Posego, marine
mammal specialist, asks Allie to voluntarily beach herself on a scale.

Miller and Lauderdale authored a collection of nine manu- Animal care at Brookfield Zoo and other accredited
scripts that presented the study’s findings, which were published institutions goes beyond providing for animals’ basic needs for
last August in the scientific journal PLOS ONE after undergoing food, water, and a safe and appropriate habitat. Animal welfare
a thorough and lengthy peer-review process. The Cetacean refers to an animal’s collective physical, mental, and emotional
Welfare Study is being hailed as a groundbreaking achievement states over a period of time, said Miller. “Animal welfare is a
by marine mammal specialists and animal welfare organizations science used to measure where an animal falls on the continuum
around the world. of poor to thriving.”
“This study exemplifies the collective commitment and effort As you can imagine, measuring an animal’s welfare is
of accredited zoos and aquariums to continuously improve animal challenging—particularly gauging their mental and emotional
welfare, the number one priority at each of our organizations,” states. How do you know how a dolphin is feeling, for example?
said Miller. And what concrete steps can you take to make sure the dolphin
is not just surviving, but thriving?
One of the many strengths of the Cetacean Welfare Study
The Science of is that researchers examined animal welfare from a variety of
Animal Welfare different angles. They used multiple indicators of animal wel-
fare—conventional and novel, physiological and behavioral,
The Cetacean Welfare Study included four species of cetaceans: positive and negative. The indicators shed light on an animal’s
216 common and Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins, 13 beluga physical, mental, and emotional states.
whales, and 8 Pacific white-sided dolphins. Each participating The researchers’ goal during the first stage of the study was
institution was accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquari- to “create common and novel indicators of health and welfare
ums or the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks & Aquariums for four species of cetaceans,” said Miller. Indicators, in this case,
when preparations for data collection began in 2017. To receive were biomarkers found in the blood and feces of healthy animals.
accreditation, a facility must meet high standards of care and Biomarkers are measurable substances—or other indicators of a
implement programs to evaluate and manage their animals’ medical state—found in the body or body products. In dolphins,
welfare. Brookfield Zoo is accredited by both organizations. for example, biomarkers included white blood cell and platelet

34 GATEWAYS | CETACEAN WELFARE STUDY