Choice, Control and Computers: Empowering Wildlife in Human Care

Abstract

The purpose of this perspective paper and technology overview is to encourage collaboration between designers and animal carers in zoological institutions, sanctuaries, research facilities, and in soft-release scenarios for the benefit of all stakeholders, including animals, carers, managers, researchers, and visitors. We discuss the evolution of animal-centered technology (ACT), including more recent animal-centered computing to increase animal wellbeing by providing increased opportunities for choice and control for animals to gain greater self-regulation and independence. We believe this will increase animal welfare and relative freedom, while potentially improving conservation outcomes. Concurrent with the benefits to the animals, this technology may benefit human carers by increasing workplace efficiency and improving research data collection using automated animal monitoring systems. These benefits are balanced against cultural resistance to change, the imposition of greater staff training, a potential reduction in valuable animal-carer interaction, and the financial costs for technology design, acquisition, obsolescence, and maintenance. Successful applications will be discussed to demonstrate how animal-centered technology has evolved and, in some cases, to suggest future opportunities. We suggest that creative uses of animal-centered technology, based upon solid animal welfare science, has the potential for greatly increasing managed animal welfare, eventually growing from individual animal enrichment features to facility-wide integrated animal movement systems and transitions to wildlife release and rewilding strategies.

Designing Slow Cities for More Than Human Enrichment: Dog Tales—Using Narrative Methods to Understand Co-Performative Place-Making

“…Emplacement of this sort is Dexter's version of the very human preference to walk along interesting streets with coffee shops and small stores that Foth and Guaralda [36] recommend in their discussion about creating slower cities. It is also the kind of emplacement and agentic place-making that Coe and Coy [63] advocate in their discussion of enabling agency on the part of confined and managed animals. Additionally, while the notion that Dexter "spends his day planning" reeks of anthropomorphizing, Dexter's walker is not alone in understanding her dog's behavior as plotted and the idea of plotting a pathway is a resonant forward-looking version of emplotment.…”

Freedom and Animal Welfare

“…Training and husbandry techniques based on positive reinforcement give animals the choice of whether or not to participate, such as whether they want to interact with keepers, enter holding areas or undergo voluntary veterinary examinations. Additionally, many zoos are experimenting with the provision of all sorts of animal-controlled enrichment devices, such as animal-activated food delivery devices and sensor-operated showers for elephants and tortoises [63,64]. It is thus not the case that even this intrinsic freedom is lacking in captive environments, and we can instead measure the amount and type of control available in wild and captive environments to see where they fall on the continuum and to assess whether these are the right kinds of opportunities to provide a welfare benefit.…”

“…However, as suffering is usually considered more morally urgent than pleasure, prevention of the suffering experienced through the frustration of highly motivated actions and behaviours would typically take priority. There are a number of initiatives that can help provide additional choice to captive animals, including exhibit rotations [91], technological innovations such as animal-operated sensors [64,92], and the use of preference tests to allow animals to choose their preferred dietary and enrichment items [93,94].…”

Use of Interactive Technology in Captive Great Ape Management

“…Reasons for this were not specified but could plausibly be because of their limited functionality; they cannot always be adapted to the individual ape, may require installation, and are often permanent fixtures in enclosures. However, there is existing evidence that this technology is being used by zoos [4]. For example, the Indianapolis Zoo Simon Skjodt International Orangutan Center provides apes with touchpanel vending machines [32] and Zoo Atlanta has inbuilt touchscreen computers inside an artificial trees for orangutans [30].…”

“…The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) promotes four overarching goals of modern zoos: an increase in animal welfare, enhancing public engagement, contributing to wildlife research, and improving wildlife conservation [3]. It is important to consider integrating technological tools into ape collections as they have the potential to help zoological institutions meet the goals of the AZA and zoological organisations globally [4]. For example, technology is used to improve animal welfare as it can increase control and choice for the captive apes and create more cognitively complex environments [5].…”