Core Fundamental Standard of Practice for Captive Wild Animals T. Blackett, S Marsh, G Groves, A Morgan, M. Whittaker and D. Morgan* *Correspondence: [email protected] October 2020 Contents Preamble ................................................................................................................................................. 3 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 3 Scope ....................................................................................................................................................... 6 Use of the standard .......................................................................................................................... 6 SECTION ONE: ......................................................................................................................................... 7 PRESCRIPTIVE CORE STANDARD ............................................................................................................. 7 1. Domain 1: Nutrition ............................................................................................................................ 7 1. 1 Food Hygiene ............................................................................................................................... 8 2. Domain 2: Environment ...................................................................................................................... 9 2.1 Enclosure and Environmental Design ........................................................................................... 9 2.2 Transportation and Movement of Animals................................................................................. 12 2.3 Animal Transactions .................................................................................................................... 13 3. Domain 3: Health .............................................................................................................................. 13 3.1 Animal Health and Veterinary Care ............................................................................................ 13 3.2 Veterinary Facilities ..................................................................................................................... 14 3.3 Euthanasia ................................................................................................................................... 15 4. Domain 4: Behaviour......................................................................................................................... 16 4.1 Environmental Enrichment and Stimulation ............................................................................... 16 4.2 Animal Training ........................................................................................................................... 16 4.3 Animal Contact ............................................................................................................................ 17 5. Domain 5: Mental State .................................................................................................................... 18 6. Miscellaneous ................................................................................................................................... 18 6.1 Governance ................................................................................................................................. 18 6.2 Record Keeping ........................................................................................................................... 18 6.3 Escapes ........................................................................................................................................ 19 6.4 Personnel .................................................................................................................................... 19 SECTION TWO: ...................................................................................................................................... 20 DERIVATIONAL INFORMATION ............................................................................................................. 20 Husbandry and Welfare .................................................................................................................... 20 Physical Components ........................................................................................................................ 20 1. Domain 1: Nutrition .......................................................................................................................... 21 1.1 Food Hygiene .............................................................................................................................. 22 2. Domain 2: Environment .................................................................................................................... 22 2.1 Enclosure and Environmental Design ......................................................................................... 22 2.2 General design ............................................................................................................................ 22 2.3 Safety .......................................................................................................................................... 23 2.4 Flooring ....................................................................................................................................... 23 2.5 Size .............................................................................................................................................. 23 2.6 Shelters and refuges ................................................................................................................... 24 2.7 Environmental parameters ......................................................................................................... 24 2.8 Hygiene ....................................................................................................................................... 25 2.9 Social interactions ....................................................................................................................... 25 2.10 Water environments ................................................................................................................. 26 2.11 Transportation and Movement of Animals............................................................................... 26 2.12 Animal Transactions .................................................................................................................. 28 2.13 Source of animals ...................................................................................................................... 29 2.14 Animal management ................................................................................................................. 29 3. Domain 3: Health .............................................................................................................................. 30 3.1 Animal Health and Veterinary Care ............................................................................................ 30 3.2 Preventative veterinary medicine ............................................................................................... 30 3.3 Biosecurity................................................................................................................................... 31 3.4 Veterinary Facilities ..................................................................................................................... 32 3.5 Euthanasia ................................................................................................................................... 32 4. Domain 4: Behaviour......................................................................................................................... 33 4.1 Environmental Enrichment and Stimulation ............................................................................... 33 4.2 Abnormal behaviours .................................................................................................................. 33 4.3 Enrichment programmes ............................................................................................................ 34 4.4 Environmental security ............................................................................................................... 34 4.5 Environmental challenges and novelty ....................................................................................... 35 4.6 Environmental complexity .......................................................................................................... 36 4.7. Multi-species exhibits ................................................................................................................ 36 4.8. Animal Training .......................................................................................................................... 37 4.9 Animal Contact ............................................................................................................................ 38 4.10 Visitor impacts .......................................................................................................................... 39 4.11 Mental Components ................................................................................................................. 40 5. Domain Five: