From Observations to Better Welfare: Building a Monitoring Loop that Leads to Action

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Animal-care teams notice things every day: an animal choosing a different area, a change in social interactions, a shift in appetite or a familiar behaviour appearing less often. The challenge is turning those observations into a reliable picture of welfare, then using that picture to improve care.

A welfare monitoring programme is not just a form to complete or a score to file away. It is a practical cycle: define what matters, observe consistently, interpret the evidence, act where needed and check whether the action helped. The exact indicators and methods must fit the species, individuals and setting.

Begin with a decision the team needs to make

Before selecting indicators, ask what the assessment is meant to help the team understand. Is there a particular welfare question, a recent change in management, a new habitat feature or a need to review an animal’s whole-life care? A focused question keeps monitoring purposeful and makes it easier to choose relevant evidence.

For teams setting this up for the first time, AZA’s welfare-assessment resources include guidance and tools to help institutions develop their own process (AZA, n.d.).

Use more than one kind of information where appropriate. Animal-based observations may include behaviour, health, body condition, activity patterns, social interactions or how individuals use opportunities in the habitat. Resource and management information, such as access to shelter, feeding arrangements or routine changes, can help explain what the animal is experiencing. A resource being present does not prove that an animal is benefiting from it, so consider the animal’s response as well as the provision.

WAZA’s 2025 animal welfare strategy describes ongoing monitoring as central to quality care and recommends evidence-based assessment, a clear process for responding to findings, staff training and collaboration (WAZA, 2025). The practical lesson is to connect observations with decisions, not collect data for its own sake.

Make observations repeatable and meaningful

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Agree simple definitions for each indicator. If one keeper records “inactive” while another records “resting normally,” the data may not be comparable. Train observers, explain when and how to record, and note factors that could affect what they see, such as time of day, weather, visitor activity or whether the animal was out of view.

Where possible, compare an individual with its own usual pattern and context, rather than assuming every animal should look or behave the same. Group-level summaries can help reveal broad patterns, but they can also hide a concern affecting one individual. A species-appropriate approach matters: the same sign may have different meanings across species, life stages or situations.

The AZA’s Species Welfare Indicator Guides are designed to help institutions identify physical and behavioural indicators using scientific literature and professional practice. AZA also notes that these guides support the development of tailored assessments and are not themselves standards of care (AZA, n.d.). They are useful starting points, not a substitute for the institution’s own expertise or veterinary input.

EAZA likewise describes periodic welfare assessment as a way to understand current welfare, monitor change and identify opportunities for improvement (EAZA, n.d.).

Decide in advance what happens when a concern appears

Monitoring is most useful when the team knows how to respond. Establish who reviews findings, how urgent concerns are escalated and how decisions are recorded. For each assessment, note the evidence, the interpretation, any uncertainty, the action owner and the review date. Where a health concern may be involved, bring in the veterinary team through the collection’s established process.

The AZA inspector resource guide describes a documented process for assessing animal wellbeing and a clear process for identifying, communicating and addressing staff concerns for AZA-accredited institutions (AZA, 2024). The details of accreditation standards are specific to that association, but the organisational principle travels well: people need a trusted route to raise concerns, and they need to know what happened after they did.

Check whether the action made a difference

After a change, return to the original question. Did the indicator shift in the intended direction? Were there unexpected effects? Is the information strong enough to support a conclusion, or should the team gather more evidence? Set a realistic review point and preserve the before-and-after record.

This final step stops the process becoming a one-way pipeline from observation to intervention. Sometimes the result will support keeping the change. Sometimes it will show that the team should adjust, seek further advice or reconsider its initial interpretation. The aim is informed improvement, not a perfect score.

Make the process part of everyday care

Start with a small number of useful indicators, clear recording instructions and an agreed review meeting. Invite keepers, welfare and veterinary staff, managers and relevant technical colleagues to contribute. Share learning in a way that helps teams understand not only what changed, but why.

A strong welfare-monitoring loop respects professional judgement while making it easier to see patterns, explain decisions and follow through. It gives staff observations a route into action and gives leaders a better basis for prioritising resources. Most importantly, it keeps the focus on the animal’s experience and on whether care is improving over time. Animal Insights Consultancy can help collections review their welfare processes and identify practical, context-appropriate next steps.

References

• World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA), 2025. Advancing Animal Welfare: The World Zoo and Aquarium Animal Welfare Strategy.

• Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), n.d. Animal Wellbeing Resources: Species Welfare Indicator Guides.

• Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), n.d. Welfare Assessments.

• Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), 2024. AZA Accreditation Standards and Animal Wellbeing Inspector Resource Guide.

• European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA), n.d. Animal Welfare Resources