EAZA Animal Welfare Webinar – Marcus Clauss – Beyond enrichment: modern zoo animal feeding

Marcus Clauss works at the Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, University of Zurich, and is the Vice Chair of the EAZA Research Committee. Historically, the focus of zoo animal nutrition changed from the prevention of acute nutrient deficiencies to the support of a long life of high welfare. In the face of today’s challenges, debates about the ‘naturalness’ or ‘artificiality’ of certain diets appear outdated witnesses of a time when food preparation, rather than diet presenting, was considered a main task of zookeepers. This historical change needs to be accompanied by new definitions of feeding regimes that do not require additional enrichment, but that are designed in such a way that they fulfil the role formerly assigned to enrichment activities.