Zoo Animals

Zoo Animal Welfare Five Domains Application

The Five Domains model provides a comprehensive framework for zoo animal welfare assessment and improvement.

Key Facts

The Five Domains cover nutrition, environment, health, behaviour, and mental state
Mental state assessment is the most challenging domain requiring inference from behavioural indicators
The model provides a positive welfare framing beyond the Five Freedoms' negative state prevention
Application guides enclosure design, husbandry protocol, and welfare audit across all species

Welfare Considerations

Five Domains application shifts zoo welfare focus from preventing negative states to actively promoting positive ones. Mental state assessment requires understanding species-specific indicators of positive and negative welfare. Comprehensive Five Domains application represents the current best practice framework for zoo welfare.

What You Can Do

Support zoos applying the Five Domains model comprehensively across all species
Learn about the Five Domains model through David Mellor's foundational papers
Advocate for Five Domains training requirements for zoo welfare staff