Zoo Animal Welfare Assessment and Five Domains

The Five Domains model of animal welfare provides zoos with a comprehensive framework for assessing and improving welfare beyond the traditional Five Freedoms approach.

Key Facts

The Five Domains model adds mental state as a positive welfare dimension beyond the absence of suffering
David Mellor developed the Five Domains model at Massey University in New Zealand in the 1990s
The model covers nutrition, physical environment, health, behavioral interactions, and mental state
AZA and EAZA are integrating Five Domains assessments into accreditation and husbandry standards
Positive welfare indicators including play, exploration, and affiliative behavior are now considered in zoo assessments

Welfare Considerations

Traditional welfare frameworks focused on preventing negative states — hunger, pain, fear, distress. The Five Domains model advances welfare science by requiring also the promotion of positive welfare states — pleasurable experiences, opportunities for natural behavior, and positive social interactions. This framework shift has practical implications: a zoo enclosure that prevents suffering but provides no positive experiences fails to meet modern welfare standards. Zoos implementing Five Domains assessments are identifying and addressing welfare gaps invisible to deficit-focused frameworks.

What You Can Do

Support zoos that use Five Domains welfare assessment and publish their welfare indicators
Engage with zoos on what positive welfare indicators they monitor for each species
Advocate for Five Domains requirements in zoo accreditation standards globally
Learn about animal welfare science to better evaluate zoo animal wellbeing when visiting