Unit information: Captive Wildlife Management in 2019/20

Unit name	Captive Wildlife Management
Unit code	VETSM0039
Credit points	20
Level of study	M/7
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24)
Unit director	Ms. Killick
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	None
Co-requisites	None
School/department	Bristol Veterinary School
Faculty	Faculty of Health Sciences

Description including Unit Aims

The aim of this unit is to provide a thorough understanding of the principles of maintaining healthy populations of animals in captivity, including housing, nutrition, health, breeding and rearing. The groups to be covered include mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish. Topics to be taught include enclosure design, environmental enrichment, zoo animal behaviour (including husbandry training), dietary requirements of different species, preventative and diagnostic health (including quarantine, vaccination, parasite and disease control), population management and welfare issues. The unit will also teach students about captive breeding programmes for endangered species (including studbook management and the avoidance of inbreeding) and the reintroduction of captive populations to the wild, using case studies and practical examples. Finally the unit will give students a critical understanding of international zoo networks and the role of zoos in scientific research and field conservation.

Intended Learning Outcomes

On completing this Unit students should be able to:

• Demonstrate the basic skills needed to manage wild animals in captivity, to include designing appropriate enclosures, providing environmental enrichment and planning and monitoring animal feeding regimes (including for species whose diets are unknown).
• Explain the importance of biosecurity and the use of preventative medicine interventions to maintain the health of captive wild animals
• Describe the principles of coordinating and managing breeding programmes for endangered species.
• Outline legislation (UK, EU and international) governing the keeping of wild animals in captivity.
• Describe the risk assessment and safety issues involved in keeping wild animals in captivity.
• Explain the role of zoos and international zoo networks in conservation and scientific research.
• Describe the issues involved in the reintroduction of animals from captive populations into the wild.
• Present a short account of any of the above topics in a clear and informative way.

Teaching Information

This unit will be taught using a combination of lectures, seminars, group workshops and practical sessions at Bristol Zoo. The practical sessions will provide the students with hands-on experience of animal husbandry, including food preparation and enclosure maintenance, environmental enrichment, water testing and behavioural observations. The students will be provided with e-resources for this unit through the Blackboard online learning environment. These resources will include all the lecture notes and handouts, additional background reading, supporting material and links to subject-related websites.

Assessment Information

The student's performance on this unit will be assessed using:

• A short design report-based assessment allowing students to demonstrate application of the captive wild animal skills they have learnt such as enclosure design (60%).
• A short presentation given to their peers and teachers reviewing and appraising a relevant topic such as a reintroduction programme (40%).

Reading and References

The following are some examples of basic texts - others will be recommended by individual tutors during their teaching sessions:

• Caring for Wildlife: The World Zoo and Aquarium Animal Welfare Strategy (see http://www.waza.org/en/site/conservation/animal-welfare-1439197763)
• Committing to Conservation: The World Zoo and Aquarium Conservation Strategy (see http://www.waza.org/en/site/conservation/conservation-strategies)
• Hosey, G., Melfi, V. & Pankhurst, S. (2013) Zoo Animals: Behaviour, Management and Welfare. (2nd Ed.) Oxford University Press.
• Kleiman, D.G. (2010) Wild Mammals in Captivity: Principles and Techniques for Zoo Management. University of Chicago Press.
• Rees, P.A. (2011) An Introduction to Zoo Biology and Management. Wiley-Blackwell.
• Secretary of State’s Standards of Modern Zoo Practice. Defra. Available online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/secretary-of-state-s-standards-of-modern-zoo-practice
• Young, R.J. (2003) Environmental Enrichment for Captive Animals. (UFAW Animal Welfare). Blackwell Science (UK).