VMD 511: Animal Welfare, Ethics and Jurisprudence (2+0)

PROTECTION AND WELFARE OF PERFORMING ANIMALS

Care and Management

• To responsibly provide quality, long-term care to the growing number of animals at sanctuaries, it is vitally important for the organization to be financially strong, now, and well into the future.

Elephants

• Elephants are highly sensitive, intelligent animals who rely on an intact, functioning social order to prevent stress and maintain normal physical and mental health. Profound disruptions in routine and changes in environment and companions can cause trauma to individual elephants.
• The removal of an individual elephant from familiar surroundings and companions is a highly traumatic experience which can cause physical and psychological problems and, occasionally, death. All proposed elephant moves should be carefully studied and alternative solutions explored before a final decision is made to relocate individual elephants.
• If a situation requires removal of an elephant to provide a better quality of life, careful planning and coordination of effort is essential. Trailer training before transport is critical for the safety of the elephant, and may take months to achieve. Additional construction is often necessary to facilitate the process and should be completed before the elephant is moved.

Other animals considered as performing animals are

• Bears
• Larger felines
• Smaller felines
• Small primates