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 […]
Congratulations to Khan on new position
Muhammad Ajmal Khan, Post-doctoral fellow in UBC’s Animal Welfare Program, has recently accepted a new position as Senior Scientist with AgResearch in New Zealand. AgResearch is a crown research institute with the purpose of enhancing the value, productivity and profitability of New Zealand’s agricultural sector. Khan will be part of the Animal Nutrition & Health […]
Listen to Liv Baker’s presentation “Understanding The Individual In Wildlife Conservation”
Animal Welfare Program Ph.D. student Liv Baker recently presented her research at the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare’s (UFAW) first international conference in Barcelona, “Science in the service of animal welfare: priorities around the world”. A recording of Liv’s presentation can now be heard on-line.
Sustainability of the US Dairy Industry
Nina von Keyserlingk and other experts recently completed a review the sustainability of the U.S. Dairy industry, arguing that certain practices (see Figure) are problematic. Nina contributed especially to discussions around animal welfare and provided leadership in writing the paper.
New paper published on human-wildlife conflict features BC ‘pot’ bears
The story of the BC ‘pot’ bears became international news in summer 2010 – now PhD student Sara Dubois has recently published her 2011 community survey of Christina Lake residents in an article in the journal Animals. The two-phase phone survey of local attitudes documented varying beliefs about wildlife feeding and management actions for problem […]
Sara Dubois to present at conference on solutions to conflicts with urban wildlife
PhD student Sara Dubois will present the results of her recent research at Living With Wildlife 2013. The conference intends to bring together local government officials, farmers, wildlife rehabilitation groups, animal control agencies, academics and individual citizens to work towards humane solutions to conflicts with bears, coyotes, beavers, deer and other urban species. Sara Dubois […]
Two papers featured on JDS top-cited list
Two Animal Welfare Program papers, Effects of milk ration on solid feed intake, weaning, and performance in dairy heifers and Lying behavior as an indicator of lameness in dairy cows, were today recognized by the Journal of Dairy Science in their list of the 100 top-cited papers since 2010. Kiyomi Ito, first author of top-cited […]