Holistic Pinniped Welfare Index (HPWI): A Tool to Assess Welfare in Pinnipeds.

The article discusses the development of a Holistic Pinniped Welfare Index (HPWI) as a tool to assess the welfare of pinnipeds in managed care. The HPWI incorporates both animal-based and resource-based approaches to welfare assessment, taking into account factors such as hunger and thirst, appropriate housing, absence of illness or injury, and appropriate behaviors and interactions. The index is specifically tailored to address the unique needs and behaviors of furred pinnipeds. The article highlights the importance of considering factors such as fur condition and skin health in assessing pinniped welfare. The text also discusses the use of the Pinniped Welfare Index (HPWI) as a tool for assessing the health and well-being of pinnipeds in managed care facilities. The HPWI includes both physiological and behavioral measures, such as body condition, skin lesions, respiratory effort, and willingness to perform trained behaviors. The index can be used to compare data over time and identify abnormalities that may indicate disease or stress. The text emphasizes the importance of developing specific ethograms for each facility to accurately assess behavioral patterns. The list of references includes various scientific articles related to animal welfare, specifically focusing on topics such as the assessment of welfare in captive dolphins, the use of behavioral indicators to evaluate welfare, and the monitoring of body temperature as a stress response in marine mammals. The articles cover a range of species, including bottlenose dolphins, sea lions, and pinnipeds, and discuss different methods and indicators used [Extracted from the article]

Copyright of Aquatic Mammals is the property of Aquatic Mammals and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)