Academics create app to improve elephant welfare
“Caring for elephants is an immense privilege but also a challenge” – Dr Lisa Yon.
Researchers at the University of Nottingham have designed an app to improve the welfare of elephants living under human care in zoos, wildlife parks, and other facilities.
The Elephant Welfare App collects data to allow keepers and others caring for elephants to monitor their welfare and identify any changes over time. Each time new data is uploaded, the app sends the user a detailed report containing graphs and tables.
The data is stored at the University of Nottingham, who hope it will become one of the largest repositories of data on zoo elephant behaviour in the world, allowing experts at the university to provide evidence-based advice to improve elephant welfare.
The app already has users around the globe including in the USA, Indonesia, and South Africa, as well as being used by 17 facilities in the UK and Ireland.
Dr Lisa Yon, who led the development team, said: “Both African and Asian elephants are now endangered in the wild and are at great risk of extinction. Zoo elephants may represent an important population for conservation of these species, and it is therefore important to ensure their wellbeing, but also contribute to their improved chances of survival so that they can continue to be enjoyed by future generations.
“Caring for elephants is an immense privilege but also a challenge. It is therefore essential that we identify what are the most essential, and feasible factors that can encourage the expression of natural behaviours and positive welfare.”
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