Annual BIAZA Research Conference

Recently BIAZA held its 25th Annual Research Conference, with many talks and poster presentations from professionals from the field. Max Norman, Animal Welfare and Conservation Coordinator at AnimalConcepts attended the in-person event at Dudley Zoo & Castle in the United Kingdom.

"With a topic of Peering into the past and looking to the future it was excellent to hear much reflection on best practice and how we can do better for animals and for people for the future",  says Max Norman. 

The team at AnimalConcepts presented a poster on traditional management practices and facility design with suggested improvements in non-public animal management areas, often called “back-of-house”, in zoos, sanctuaries, and research facilities. Such improvements are integral to enclosure design that aims to optimise animal wellbeing on a 24/7 basis, promote positive affective states and...

Flying bamboo?

A free paper from the AnimalConcepts team is available open access and you can download it below.

This paper is part of the book Transforming food systems: ethics, innovation and responsibility by Donald and Ann Bruce, and discusses the challenges zoos face to be more environmentally-conscious and make decisions in regard to the sourcing of food for both animals and people. This paper also highlights the efforts undertaken by zoos to mitigate these challenges.

Abstract

Contemporary zoos, aquariums, sanctuaries, and other facilities housing animals in human care (hereafter zoos) are concerned with their core values of animal wellbeing, education, and nature conservation. There is a wide variety of species living in zoos worldwide, spanning across many different taxa, which results in an enormous diversity of diets – each bringing its own set of challenges. Meats, fishes, insects, fruits, vegetables, and browse are some, among many, of the necessary components for...

I SEE YOU

Our I SEE YOU flower has developed over years of thinking about how we at AnimalConcepts embody a culture of care. This includes the animals in our care, people, the greater community of life, and the planet we share. Notice a theme here? Yes! Also this connects to INTERBEING and everything and everyone being interconnected. Compassion is an important way of being and skill. We often say that compassion is empathy combined with action. We invite you to explore the I SEE YOU flower and through this lens explore your views, beliefs, and actions towards others of all kinds. While created before AnimalConcepts became an Earth Charter International friend and partner, it aligns with its spirit. The month of April on the human wellbeing platform is all about compassion. The I SEE YOU concept has, and will continue to evolve, expanding the circle of kindness and compassion for all beings of all kinds and this beautiful planet we share.

Celebrating our renewed corporate...

International Women's Day

In recognition of International Women's Day, many organisations held events across the globe to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. In AnimalConcepts, we explore the topics of gender equality and equity, discrimination and female empowerment across all platforms, promoting inclusion and respect for all beings. 

BIAZA held a conference under the theme 'Women in Conservation', with speakers from institutions such as IUCN, Save the Rhino, Chester Zoo, Twycross Zoo, Paradise Wildlife Park and many more conservationists from the field. Max Norman, Animal Welfare and Conservation Coordinator at AnimalConcepts, attended the in-person event at Paradise Wildlife Park in the UK. Despite the cold weather and the surprise of snow here in South-East England, the event saw lovely a turnout of women – and several men! - from all over the country and beyond. 

We heard of the...