Info Centre

 Welcome to the Info Centre! Here you'll find links to general research around all things animal care related, this could be husbandry, signage, diet, enrichment or training related. Including things that may just be of general interest to a Zookeeper. 

Free Access Journals

Lots of journals charge subscriptions to read beyond the abstract of a paper. The following don't and are animal or zoo based! 

Journal of Zoo and Aquarium Research (JZAR)

Journal of Applied Behaviour Analysis in Animal Training (JBAAT)

The Behavioural Enrichment Animal Research Group (BEAR)

Behavior Works (BW)

Avian Scientific Advisory Group (ASAG)

General Interest

Broad topic papers/presentations that could be of use to many Taxa 

Proceedings of the 12th European Zoo Nutrition Conference (2023)

BIAZA Animal Training Guidelines (2019)

Ethics for Behaviour Analysts (2024)

What is the evidence for the effectiveness of husbandry and management interventions for the conservation and welfare of captive animals? A systematic map protocol (2020)

Nutrition as an integral part of behavioural management of zoo animals (2024)

Evidence-based zoo animal welfare assessment: Putting science into practice (2024)

Primates

Papers specifically focusing on primates 

Foraging enrichment affects behaviour and enclosure utilisation in captive male gelada (2022)

Aggression reduction in lemurs on fruit free diets (2015)

Ruffed lemur sp. diet analysis focusing on obesity and iron storage disease (2018)

Olfactory communication in Tamarins (2023)

Birds & Reptiles

Papers specifically focusing on birds and/or reptiles 

Case study of fostering Little Penguin chicks (2020)

Relating breeding success of King Penguins to husbandry practices (2016)

Influence of seasonal temperature fluctuation on successful reproduction of the Gorongosa girdled lizard Smaug mossambicus (2022)

UV-Tool Guide for captive reptiles and amphibians (2016)

Bears & Small Carnivores

Papers specifically focusing on species in the Bears and Small Carnivore rounds 

Effects of olfactory stimulations on captive meerkat behaviour (2015)

Social and environmental influences on pacing in a female Malayan sun bear (2015)

Piscivore food presentation in BIAZA collections: exploring future options to limit risk of ingestion of microplastics (2025)

Current practices in dietary management and disease incidence in red pandas Ailurus fulgens across European zoos (2025)

Hoofstock

Papers focusing on hoofed/ungulate species 

Nutritional Composition of Browse and Diets Fed to Ungulates at the Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian Wildlife (2016)

White Rhino positive reinforcement training for dental work (Unk)

Carnivores

Papers focusing on carnivores 

Continuous Video Monitoring of Zoo Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus jubatus) Reveals Differential Engagement Patterns for Environmental Enrichment Items Based on Sensory Category (2024)