Publications

The social dimension of equine welfare: Social contact positively affects the emotional state of stalled horses

The housing conditions of domestic animals influence their welfare; their emotional state can be negatively affected if their needs are not met. This can lead to behavioural changes or disorders that can damage the animal–human relationship. In social species such...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Flamand, A., Robinet, L., Raskin, A. et al. 2025. The social dimension of equine welfare: Social contact positively affects the emotional state of stalled horses. Animal Behaviour 221, 123055.

Extended oxygen supplementation after thoracotomy in rats may improve welfare

A retrospective comparison of welfare indicators in male rats undergoing thoracotomy for intrapleural dosing is presented. The initial cohort (n = 7) breathed room air after recovery from anaesthesia, while later cohorts (n = 12) had oxygen supplementation for up to 48 h post-surgery....

Year Published: 2025Topics: Surgery & Post-OpAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Few, B., Dugdale, A. 2025. Extended oxygen supplementation after thoracotomy in rats may improve welfare. Laboratory Animals 59(2), 283–289.

Insights from the judgement bias paradigm: Social group and tank size do not affect mental state in female guppies

Optimal holding conditions are key to animal welfare. How stressful husbandry is perceived by the animal can be determined via an assessment of an animal’s mental state – where it is positioned on the continuum between optimistic and pessimistic states...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Housing, Social Housing & Companionship, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Fish, Other Fish

Citation: Epping, J., Kotrschal, A., Kotrschal, S. D. 2025. Insights from the judgement bias paradigm: Social group and tank size do not affect mental state in female guppies. Journal of Fish Biology 106(1), 12–19.

Should zoo food be chopped for ruffed lemurs? It’s not so black and white

Whole food diets in zoos have the potential to reduce microbial contamination and keeper preparation time, whilst also reducing food nutrient breakdown. Given these benefits, it is important to determine whether there is any value in chopping up food. Lemurs...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Nonhuman Primate, Other Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Davison, J. M., Hammond, A., Abernethy-Palmer, G. et al. 2025. Should zoo food be chopped for ruffed lemurs? It’s not so black and white. American Journal of Primatology 87(2), e23695.

Cortisol and catecholamine concentrations are affected by repeated relocations of adult female rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta)

In captive primate facilities, relocations—moves, within the facility, from one cage to another—can be common events. On the one hand, relocations are generally regarded as relatively benign events, as past studies have generally shown only transient elevations in cortisol concentrations...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Relocation & TransportAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Capitanio, J. P., Tancredi, D. J., Zarrabi, J. et al. 2025. Cortisol and catecholamine concentrations are affected by repeated relocations of adult female rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta). American Journal of Primatology 87(6), e70050.

Behavioral and neurophysiological effects of electrical stunning on zebrafish larvae

Two methods dominate the way that zebrafish larvae are euthanized after experimental procedures: anesthetic overdose and rapid cooling. Although MS-222 is easy to apply, this anesthetic takes about a minute to act and fish show aversive reactions and interindividual differences,...

Year Published: 2025Topics: EuthanasiaAnimal Type: Fish, Zebrafish

Citation: Burkhardt, D.-S., Leyden, C., Thomas, C. et al. 2025. Behavioral and neurophysiological effects of electrical stunning on zebrafish larvae. Lab Animal 54(2), 50–58.

Mouse aversion to induction with isoflurane using the drop method

Isoflurane anesthesia prior to carbon dioxide euthanasia is recognized as a refinement by many guidelines. Facilities lacking access to a vaporizer can use the “drop” method, whereby liquid anesthetic is introduced into an induction chamber. Knowing the least aversive concentration...

Year Published: 2025Topics: EuthanasiaAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Bodnar, M. J., Makowska, I. J., Boyd, C. T. et al. 2025. Mouse aversion to induction with isoflurane using the drop method. Laboratory Animals 59(2), 169–177.

Effects of species-relevant auditory stimuli on stress in cats exposed to novel environment

Environmental changes like vet visit could cause stress in cats. Studies have attempted to develop stress management strategies targeting sensory systems. Even though species-appropriate music which includes cat affiliative sound (e.g., cats’ purring and suckling sound) has been shown to...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Cat

Citation: Bian, Z., Fan, Z., Xiao, T. et al. 2025. Effects of species-relevant auditory stimuli on stress in cats exposed to novel environment. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 28(2), 318–327.

Effect of feeding environmental enrichment on lesser anteaters’ behavior, space use and food selectivity

Studying behavioral response to management and housing conditions provides specific evidence to enhance animal welfare. Feeding environmental enrichment (FEE) is a powerful strategy to meet welfare challenges. Lesser anteaters’ (Tamandua tetradactyla; n = 7) response to FEE was assessed by...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Other Animal

Citation: Asencio, C. J., Eguizábal, G. V., Mufari, J. R. et al. 2025. Effect of feeding environmental enrichment on lesser anteaters’ behavior, space use and food selectivity. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 28(3), 515–528.

The provision of browse and its impacts on the health and welfare of animals at the zoo: A review

Browsers are animals that consume significant proportions of leaves, twigs, and bark from woody plants. These species have evolved morphological, physiological, and behavioral adaptations to subsist on a specialized diet. In zoos and other managed care facilities, the provision of...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Chimpanzee, Nonhuman Primate, Other Animal, Other Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Ramont, M., Principe, N., Prostko, R. et al. 2025. The provision of browse and its impacts on the health and welfare of animals at the zoo: A review. Zoo Biology 44(2), 105–125.