Hello! Due to breaking my ankle I am unable to attend the AWF24, so here is my presentation online instead!
We are lucky enough that animal welfare has become an integral part of the Scottish educational system (High school and above). The RZSS animal welfare session enables us to introduce this emotional, technical subject in a constructive and memorable way. We move beyond the traditional classroom setting and have found walk and talk formats deliver an engaging experience for all, helping to guide student understanding of animal welfare with both theory and first-hand practical examples.
The session builds through three formats; a walking tour, a practical exercise and a discussion, which encourages the students to debate their results and any issues regarding animal welfare with a member of staff. The exercise will hopefully build confidence and communication skills in a supported setting and the subjective scoring exercise develops evaluation and reasoning skills. This multi-touch format encourages debate and means we can include additional topics such as species-specific behaviours, the role of modern zoos, enrichment, and enclosure design.
