Code of Ethics and Standards Working Group

Report submitted by Dr G Agoramoorthy & Mr S Chandran

Keeping wildlife in captivity poses many challenges and difficulties, among which are ethical questions concerning animal welfare. Although some individuals or animal right groups oppose keeping animals in captivity, including zoos and aquaria, most acknowledge that this practice will continue. Being zoo biologists and zoo administrators, we must do our best to ensure that captive wild animals are maintained in a professional, humane, and healthy manner. The Southeast Asian Zoological Parks’ association is concerned about the Code of Ethics and Standards in our zoos. Therefore a workshop was organized during the 1997 SEAZA conference in Singapore to initiate a dialogue among SEAZA members. About 30 members attended the workshop to discuss the following issues regarding zoo animal welfare and captive management.

1. Minimum standards for housing various species : The workshop participants realized that it is essential to develop acceptable minimum standards for housing various species. Dr Kevin Lazarus (Malaysia) has volunteered to compile information on the minimum standards for housing different species of wild animals.

2. Safety standards for animals, visitors and staff : Each and every zoo in Southeast Asia have their own safety standards for their facilities. These information will be collected and Dr S Vellayan (Malaysia) has agreed to compile information on the minimum safety requirements for animals, visitors and staff.

3. Minimum diet provision for zoo animals : The nutritional values of various food items have been established in majority of the zoos in Southeast Asia. The workshop participants have agreed to pool the information together and Dr S Vellayan (Malaysia) has volunteered to compile the zoo animal diet information to develop the minimum standards.

4. Standards for veterinary care : Veterinary care involves several items including animal capture, marking, transfer, quarantine, disease prevention, contraception, and euthanasia. A Veterinary Forum has been created during the SEAZA conference and Dr P Martelli (Singapore) will eventually compile the minimum standards for veterinary care.

5. Standards for behavioural and environmental enrichment : There has been growing interest in the field of behavioural and environmental enrichment facilities for captive wild animals in Southeast Asian zoos. During the conference, several members presented papers on behavioural and environmental enrichment procedures for various species. The workshop participants realized that the time is ripe to develop basic guidelines for the behavioural and environmental enrichment procedures for Southeast Asian zoos. Dr M Masui (Japan) has volunteered to compile information on the minimum standards for behavioural and environmental enrichments of captive wild animals.

6. Standards for the rescue, rehabilitation, relocation and management of confiscated wild animals : Although this topic was not discussed during the workshop, Mr Lyn de Alwis (Chairman, Conservation Working Group) asked us to include this item in our working group. Zoological parks and rescue centres in Southeast Asia have been actively involved in the rescue, rehabilitation, release, relocation, reintroduction and management of confiscated and abandoned wild animals. It is important to develop acceptable basic guidelines for the welfare, management and disposal of confiscated wild animals in the Southeast Asian region. Dr G Agoramoorthy (Taiwan) has volunteered to collect information on confiscated animals from SEAZA member countries. Based on the collected information, basic guidelines on the welfare and management of confiscated wild animals will be developed.

The workshop concluded that persons responsible for compiling the basic guidelines and standards will send their report to Mr S Chandran (Chairman, Professional Standards Committee, SEAZA) and a copy to Dr G Agoramoorthy (Chairman, Code of Ethics and Standards Working Group). The working group report will be distributed to SEAZA members in October 1998 during the 8th SEAZA Conference to be scheduled at Saigon Zoo, Vietnam. A follow-up working group meeting will be organized in Saigon to refine the standards and set up sub-committees to develop more detailed guidelines.