Sabrina Brando

This research examines life satisfaction, individual and organisational job satisfaction, and self-efficacy in zoo and aquarium (ZOAQ) professionals, investigating how organisational structures, processes, provisions, and team engagement contribute to these outcomes. We applied a novel integration of Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory, the Rhinelands Way, and the One Welfare framework to guide a mixed-methods study comprising a cross-sectional mixed-methods survey ( n = 442) and follow-up interviews ( n = 39) across 23 accredited organisations. Descriptive statistics, correlations, mediation and moderation analyses addressed five pre-specified hypotheses, with thematic analysis of interview data contextualising the quantitative findings. Most participants reported satisfactory individual job satisfaction (71%), and work perceptions and organisational appreciation were more strongly associated with job satisfaction than access to tangible provisions. However, findings revealed significant role-based disparities in provision access, a weak relationship between formal wellbeing processes and job satisfaction, and patterns of manager-observed behaviour and self-efficacy suppression consistent with learned helplessness. These results provide an empirical basis for developing people-centred organisational cultures characterised by equitable provisions, supportive leadership, meaningful communication, and structures that promote help-seeking and collective goals including animal wellbeing and conservation. Limitations include the cross-sectional design, English-language sampling, and the inferential rather than direct measurement of learned helplessness.

Marine mammals have been successfully maintained under human care; however, the media, public, and professionals within the field frequently voice welfare concerns. This study systematically surveyed peer-reviewed (PR) literature from 1948 to 2024 (n = 1308) and included an opportunistic sample of non-peer-reviewed (NPR) literature from the past 40 years (n = 756) to evaluate research efforts associated with species housed in zoos and aquariums. The current study updates and extends previous efforts to assess research categories. The findings indicate that the volume of research published mirrors the species abundance in human care. Across taxa, PR papers concentrate on science that enhances the understanding of biological functions (Acoustics, Biology, Breeding, Behaviour, Health) but is not necessarily tailored to improve management or optimal care. In contrast, a substantial portion of the NPR literature focuses on daily handling and management, highlighting Environment and Management and Enrichment-related activities. While welfare-related research has increased in both PR and NPR literature, this review underscores the need for additional welfare-related empirical studies to further enhance animal care and wellbeing. We encourage those involved in the practical care of such taxa to empirically evaluate these interventions and disseminate their findings in the PR literature.

This research sheds light on how professionals with different roles in zoos and aquariums perceive individual and organisational job satisfaction, self-efficacy, and satisfaction with life, and which types of self-care contribute to these variables. This was achieved through a mixed methods approach of a survey (completed by 442 participants) and follow-up interviews (in 39 participants) with recruitment across 23 organisations. For the single question, I am satisfied with my job (reflecting individual job satisfaction) , 44% of participants responded somewhat agree and 27% responded strongly agree, indicating that most participants (71%, n = 442) were satisfied with their job, and this was particularly true for those who considered their job a calling. Differences across job roles were found, with the largest variability for those in Junior animal caregiver positions, and with CEOs reporting the highest median of individual job satisfaction scores. A very weak positive significant relationship exists between self-efficacy and levels of organisational job satisfaction, which may be explained by the fact that this relationship is complex and multifaceted. A weak positive significant relationship between self-efficacy and satisfaction with life and a moderate positive relationship between organisational job satisfaction and satisfaction with life were also identified. The Generalised Linear Model analyses revealed that only one factor, Experience , and contributed to all independent variables (i.e., total satisfaction with life, mean organisational job satisfaction, and total self-efficacy), suggesting that participants with more time in the field reported higher total satisfaction with life, organisational job satisfaction, and levels of total self-efficacy. Various types of self-care (physical, emotional, spiritual, and workplace) were also significant positive contributors to satisfaction with life, but only workplace self-care contributed positively to organisational job satisfaction, whereas only intellectual self-care contributed positively to self-efficacy. Thematic analyses of the interview data contextualised the findings, with specific examples. This study contributes important empirical data that provides guidance for developing holistic employee wellbeing programs, continued professional development, and more appropriately aligned education to improve overall wellbeing of zoo and aquarium personnel.

This paper discusses the role of zoos and aquariums ( ZOAQ s) in addressing ‘loss of place’, which we see as a convergence of habitat destruction, biodiversity loss (species extinction), and animal suffering. Employing the metaphor of philosophical plumbing, this paper reveals how this crisis is entangled with cultural assumptions and broader socio-economic structures. Drawing on virtue ethics, the authors argue that if ZOAQ s are to genuinely facilitate pro-environmental behaviour change, they must reimagine the current focus of many conservation programs and embed virtues such as compassion, humility, honesty, and respect into all institutional practices, serving as moral role models. This includes critically engaging with food systems, one of the key drivers of loss of place. By embracing this transformative role, ZOAQ s can contribute to the structural and ethical changes required to counter species extinction and foster coexistence within the greater community of life.

Ongoing research on the effectiveness of enrichment at the species, group, and individual levels is beneficial to our growing understanding of animal welfare and behaviour for animals housed in human care. Diversifying the enrichment opportunities offered to animals in facilities such as zoos and aquariums helps to encourage a wide repertoire of species-typical, naturalistic, and rewarding behaviours. The present study aimed to examine the behavioural impact of novel food (ice blocks, gelatine, eggs) and non-food (lavender, clean sheets, mirrors) enrichment strategies on two zoo-housed prides of African lions (Panthera leo) housed in a rotation-based enclosure system at Orana Wildlife Park, New Zealand. The results of the study indicate that, while both forms of enrichment had a behavioural impact, the effects on behaviour varied with the type of enrichment used, both between and within the two categories. Different enrichment strategies varied in their impacts on resting behaviour, locomotion, and exploration levels in the lions. An increased focus on the specific behavioural outcomes of various novel enrichment strategies is essential to expand the efficacy of enrichment programs for future efforts to improve the wellbeing of zoo-housed animals.

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Conservation and animal wellbeing are two key goals of the modern zoo and aquarium. In the case of ex situ conservation breeding programs, there is a unique paradox between these concepts; on some occasions, facilities must balance and mitigate arising conflicts between the wellbeing of animals with the goals of the conservation project. Exerting control over the reproductive lives of animals—choosing when and where they breed, whom they breed with, whether breeding is prohibited altogether, and so on—results in an inherent reduction in the animal’s agency. Considering the growing recognition that providing choice and control to animals enhances wellbeing, it is essential to examine how populations and their breeding are managed. The present review presents challenges in supporting agency for animals bred ex situ by thoroughly exploring the practical realities of working with these animals. Various challenges and areas of consideration, including current research directions, suggestions for future practices, and opportunities moving forward, are highlighted. The importance of careful population management in maximising wellbeing, including the inherent dichotomy of the necessity to limit some reproductive autonomy to preserve animal wellbeing while meeting the needs of breeding programs.