Keepers demand animal welfare improvements

25 November 2014

Bears happily taste their new enrichment

Staff at the Hanoi Wildlife Rescue Centre have demanded improved welfare for the animals in their facility following an Animals Asia workshop in Ho Chi Minh City.

After attending the Shape of Enrichment workshop in August this year, staff from HWRC confronted superiors to demand an enrichment programme to improve the conditions of the animals under their care.

To their delight, the proposal was accepted with no opposition.

Nguyen Tam Thanh, Animals Asia's Animal Welfare Officer said:

"We've been working with HWRC staff since 2007 to provide veterinary care for their animals, staff training on animal husbandry and enrichment workshops. We're delighted that our persistence has paid off and that the workers have demanded change themselves."

With the help of Animals Asia volunteers who have been embedded at the facility for the last six months, an enrichment programme was set up allowing the animals to enjoy more stimulated lives and express more natural behaviours.

Nguyen Duc Minh, head keeper at HWRC said:

"We've noticed so much difference not only in the welfare of animals, but also in our staff's awareness and attitude. The animals are much less aggressive and less likely to stereotype.

"Our staff have a better understanding of what enrichment is and what we can do to offer the animals better living conditions and therefore better welfare."

Animals Asia Volunteer Matt Coker said:

"The staff at the facility are pushing ahead with their own enrichment programme, working through one species at a time. The four guys who got the ball rolling are really into it and working hard to create change.

"Generally speaking, the animals at this underfunded facility are in very limited enclosures with minimal space. In this context, the enrichment the staff have been able to introduce is a huge step forward giving much needed relief from boredom."

To date, the HWRC enrichment team have added stimulating items to the moon bear, tiger, gibbon, macaque, porcupine and the slow loris enclosures.

Animals Asia volunteers will continue working closely with HWRC staff to expand enrichment to all enclosures in the facility.

Head Keeper Nguyen Duc Minh added:

"We are a wildlife rescuing facility releasing healthy animals back to the wild so it is very important to offer rescued animals the most comfortable living conditions as close as possible to their natural habitat.

"However, we still have only very limited resources. We don't have a budget for enrichment, a shortage of staff and limited space with a great number of animals under our care. We hope to receive more outside help in the future."


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