3 day Workshop with PKBSI & Wild Welfare in Indonesia on zoo animal health & welfare

After a successful seminar at the University of Bogor, Java last week,  Heather and Jess travelled to Lampung in Sumatra to meet Wild Welfare’s Dave Morgan and Margaret Whittaker. Together they collaborated with the Indonesian zoo association PKBSI to hold a 3 day workshop on zoo animal health and welfare. Attended by around 40 participants from zoos across Indonesia, the workshop highlighted the importance of good animal welfare in achieving good animal health, focussing on behavioural management and preventative care. The workshop also highlighted the work of Wild Welfare and PKBSI in developing a welfare certification scheme for zoos in Indonesia, and offered participants practical guidance on achieving improved welfare for zoo animals.

 Visual physical examination

 Checking temporal abscess

“Animal welfare is important in all contexts” said Heather, “Whilst we all have differing ethical viewpoints on the role of zoos in society, the reality is that millions of animals are involved in the global wildlife trade for pets, medicines, luxury goods, and even for zoological exhibition. By working with zoos, we can highlight some of the issues within the community, and provide support to assist zoos that are involved in conservation of endemic species, and rehabilitation of animals from trade.”

This is the second collaborative workshop between Wild Welfare, PKBSI and the JMICAWE, and we hope to continue to support progress in zoo animal welfare.