Graduate research explores emotional depth of calves
A study led by Heather Neave, the first to use a cognitive bias test to address the emotional response to pain in non-human species, found calves showed signs of pessimism after having their horns removed.
2013 Stratton Lecture in Animal Welfare
The 2013 Stratton Lecture in Animal Welfare was given October 29 by Chris Draper, Programs Manager, Captive Wildlife/Science, for London- based Born Free Foundation, http://www.bornfree.org.uk/. The subject of the talk was “Captivity, Conservation and the Welfare of Wild Animals”. The Stratton Lecture is an annual public talk hosted by the UBC Animal Welfare Program and […]
World Organisation for Animal Health developing global animal welfare standards
The Paris-based World Organisation for Animal Health is developing global animal welfare standards based on 10 “General Principles for the welfare of animals in production systems”. David Fraser and Julie Huzzey of the UBC Animal Welfare Program led the writing of a major review paper giving the scientific background to the General Principles. The paper […]
New protocol for automated measures of lying behaviour
Measures of lying behaviour can be used to track the early onset of illness and provide insight into how comfortable the environment is for the animals; research at the UBC’s AWP has shown that cows that stand up for longer are at a higher risk of becoming lame, and once they are lame, they lie […]
Wildlife groups find common ground
Research conducted by UBC’s Sara Dubois found the majority of those surveyed believe habitat loss and pollution are the biggest threats to wildlife.
Reviews of Preclinical Animal Research: The Need for More Ethical Practice
Dr Avey talk poster_Nov 15.2013
AWP student wins scholarship to present research results in China
As part of her PhD research, AWP student Gosia Zobel has been investigating the use of automated measures to help in the early identification of sick dairy goats. Gosia received a highly competitive travel scholarship from the organizers of the World Conference on Animal Production to present her results in Beijing last week (October 15 […]
Publication on wildlife feeding underscores serious harms to animals
After numerous high-profile events where food-conditioned wildlife were killed in BC, PhD student Sara Dubois evaluated various types of feeding practices and prohibitions. The publication, featured this month in the journal Animals, reviews the literature and proposes a framework to help decide if, and when, it is reasonable to feed wildlife.
MSc Thesis: Cognitive bias as a method of pain assessment following hot-iron dehorning of dairy calves
MSc student Heather Neave’s paper on assessing pain before and after calf de-horning is now available for download. Abstract: Pain is one of the most highly studied emotions in animals, and the interaction between pain and cognitive processes is well documented in humans. Recent research has attempted to use changes in cognitive processes as a method […]
Thesis from MSc student Meghann Cant on rehabilitation of black bears
Abstract: Throughout the year, black bear (Ursus americanus) cubs are orphaned, abandoned, or permanently separated from their mothers due to natural or human causes. Although cubs have been the focus of limited rehabilitation efforts in North America for more than 30 years, information on bear rehabilitation remains sparse. Furthermore, a lack of agreement exists regarding the […]