Emerging technologies including wearable sensors, computer vision and AI behavioural analysis are transforming the capacity for continuous welfare monitoring in zoo animal populations.
Welfare technology in zoo settings is moving from research tools toward operational management systems that enable continuous welfare monitoring at a resolution previously unachievable. Keeper observations, however skilled, cannot provide continuous 24-hour welfare assessment — automated monitoring systems complement keeper expertise with objective, continuous data. The integration of multiple data streams — activity, feeding, hormone, thermal — into welfare dashboard systems represents the frontier of zoo welfare management. These technologies make welfare problems visible earlier and intervention more targeted and effective.