Animal welfare stories

Animal welfare relates to the emotional and physical well-being of animals and how they cope with their conditions. Animals are the main attraction at zoos. They are also often used for entertainment purposes in theme parks and other location-based entertainment (LBE) experiences.

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, an animal is in a good state of welfare if it is healthy, comfortable, well nourished, safe, able to express innate behaviour, and not suffering from pain, fear, or distress. Animals should have proper housing, nutrition, disease prevention and treatment, responsible care, and humane handling.

In 2022, Universal Studios Florida freed its Hedwig animatronic from her cage. This was to show fans of the Harry Potter franchise that birds should not be kept in captivity. Prior to that, Warner Bros. stopped using live owls at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter locations/

Wildlife conservation charity Born Free released a report in 2022 calling for a ban on keeping elephants in captivity. The report revealed the impact of captivity on elephants’ physical and psychological health. Paignton Zoo in Devon has confirmed that it will no longer keep elephants. Belfast Zoo is phasing out the animals.

As for captive cetaceans, the Miami Seaquarium has agreed to end shows featuring 56-year-old killer whale Lolita. Parc Astérix in France has closed its dolphinarium permanently. SeaWorld started phasing out shows in which trainers rode on dolphins’ faces and backs in 2020. 

Companies such as TripAdvisor, British Airways Holidays, Quantus and Virgin Holidays no longer sell tickets to attractions where cetaceans are captive and put on public display. In China, Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park has also unveiled the world’s first robotic whale shark. This could potentially replace live cetaceans in captivity in aquariums and theme parks across the country.