Samantha Ward
Professor of Zoo Animal Welfare & Legislation
Nottingham Trent University
As Professor of Zoo Animal Welfare and Legislation at Nottingham Trent University, Samantha Ward teaches and mentors the next generation of zoo professionals and supervises doctoral research on animal cognition, welfare monitoring, and human wellbeing in zoos.
A key contribution is ZooMood, a free, accessible app she developed to help zoos and aquariums assess and monitor animals’ emotional states. Designed for practical use by animal care teams, the tool enables rapid welfare assessments across a range of species, helping institutions identify changes and make informed management decisions.
Her research into Qualitative Behaviour Assessment and positive welfare indicators is also supporting a more holistic understanding of animals’ experiences.
Ward's influence extends into policy and international collaboration. She serves on the UK government’s Zoo Expert Committee and the Zoological Society of London’s Welfare and Ethics Committee, and is a research advisor to Wild Welfare, supporting global improvements in animal care, training and welfare standards.
She has also helped develop and implement zoo licensing legislation and standards in South Korea.
Through her research, public engagement, and publication of The Zoo Review: A Field Guide to the Good Progressive Zoo, Samantha bridges science and practice, helping zoos and aquariums advance welfare standards and build a more evidence-led, progressive approach to animal care.
