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Zeigler took his questions to Lance Miller, Ph.D.,
“We make sure our animals
have opportunities to thrive,
that they engage in those
behavioral opportunities, and
really do have a great life.”
Lance Miller, Ph.D., vice president of Conservation
Science and Animal Welfare Research
30 GATEWAYS | THRIVING
vice president of Conservation Science and Animal
Welfare Research for the Chicago Zoological Society.
Miller is the previous chair of the Animal Welfare
Committee of the Association of Zoos and
Aquariums, an organization of 240 accredited
zoos and aquariums.
“Animal welfare is a science that is used to
measure where an animal falls in the continuum
of poor to thriving,” said Miller. It refers to an
animal’s collective physical, mental, and emotional
states over a period of time.
“We have to look at each species and ask, ‘What
is its welfare level?’” said Zeigler. “We look at the
environment and say, ‘What can we do to make the
environment more engaging?’ We look at the health
care plan and ask, ‘What can we do to provide
better preventative healthcare, as well as better
diagnostic capability? What can we do to increase
enrichment opportunities and to provide better
nutrition?’ When asking all of these questions, you
begin to create a holistic approach to the species’
management.”
Animal welfare is a burgeoning field and with
Zeigler’s holistic approach, the Chicago Zoological
Society has been at its forefront.
A Giraffe Study
Back to Bill Zeigler’s question about the giraffe:
“What is their welfare level in the summertime when
they’re outside, as opposed to the wintertime when
they’re kept indoors?”
To begin to answer this question, Miller
designed a preliminary study involving four
Brookfield Zoo giraffe. The study used multiple
indicators of animal welfare. First, the animal care
staff collected giraffe fecal samples which were ana-
lyzed by the zoo’s endocrinology lab for the presence
and concentration of glucocorticoid metabolites,
derived from the hormone cortisol . (Endocrinology
is the study of hormones and their functions.) The
metabolites can be found in animals’ urine, feces,
and saliva during times of anxiety or excitement.
Behavioral data were also collected. Four times
a day, a research assistant observed and recorded
each giraffe’s behavioral states: feeding, locomoting,
standing alert, standing non-alert, playing, positive
social interactions, and more. Studies have shown
animals exhibiting the most diverse repertoire of
natural behaviors are better off than animals that
display a narrower range of behaviors.
Last, an activity tracking device resembling a
wristwatch was temporarily fitted to the lower leg