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The Selected Papers of the 4th International Meeting on Zoo...
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The Selected Papers of the 4th International Meeting on Zoo Research, Conservation and Biodiversity

A special issue of Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens (ISSN 2673-5636).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2025 | Viewed by 1493

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Idu Azogu-Sepe

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Serengeti-Park Department of Research, Serengeti-Park Hodenhagen GmbH, Hodenhagen, Germany
Interests: stress; animal behaviour; zoo research; animal welfare; cognition; social structure; physiology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The 4th International Meeting on Zoo Research, Conservation and Biodiversity (IMZRCB) will be hosted by the Serengeti-Park Hodenhagen in Germany from 3 to 6 April 2024. This yearly meeting was created to provide a platform for scientists, conservationists, academia, zoo researchers and all persons interested to discuss and exchange information on new science-based innovations and research topics. Such a platform offers perspectives and future-oriented solutions to biodiversity changes, while also addressing environmental sustainability. This year, the hybrid event will take place during the 50th anniversary of the park. As such, the conference theme is “50 years of the Serengeti-Park and what an animal park of this dimension has, in those 50 years, really contributed to animal conservation and biodiversity in the local area and back in nature”.

The aim of this Special Issue is to present new and emerging research on animal welfare, conservation impact and challenges, and policies for animals in zoos. It will also highlight discussions on the future of zoos and how to leverage the past. Submissions to the Special Issue may include original full-length articles of posters, symposium or workshops presented during the 4th IMZRCB conference or from other attendees of the conference that did not give a presentation at the event. We welcome short communications, extended abstracts, full-length articles and review articles. The preferred topic areas are as follows:

  • Science–policy interaction;
  • Comparative animal behaviour and adaptations;
  • Animal–visitor interactions.

Manuscripts regarding the works of your parks, zoos, organizations, institutions, or research areas and their contribution to global conservation efforts are also welcome in this Special Issue.

Dr. Idu Azogu-Sepe
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1000 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • environmental sustainability
  • zoo exhibit design
  • conservation strategies and programs
  • comparative cognition
  • zoo research
  • ex-situ population management
  • biodiversity changes
  • animal welfare assessment
  • global conservation efforts
  • Serengeti-Park Hodenhagen

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Review

17 pages, 849 KiB  
Review
Re-Assessing the Importance of Evidence-Based Inputs for Positive Zoo and Aquarium Animal Welfare Outputs
by Paul Rose and Xavier Manteca
J. Zool. Bot. Gard. 2025, 6(2), 32; https://doi.org/10.3390/jzbg6020032 - 10 Jun 2025
Viewed by 191
Abstract
The welfare of animals in zoos has come under increasing scrutiny as public awareness grows around the biological needs of captive species. It is also becoming clear that promoting positive welfare experiences upholds population management and conservation aims. This paper re-evaluates current welfare [...] Read more.
The welfare of animals in zoos has come under increasing scrutiny as public awareness grows around the biological needs of captive species. It is also becoming clear that promoting positive welfare experiences upholds population management and conservation aims. This paper re-evaluates current welfare frameworks in zoological institutions, advocating for evidence-based practices, multi-dimensional welfare metrics, and greater emphasis on species-specific needs, as well as the importance of input-based approaches to assess the welfare of zoo animals. By evaluating the limitations of current welfare practices (e.g., a lack of species-specific assessment protocols or sound husbandry evidence to base measures on) and presenting potential areas for improvement, this paper identifies ways that sound baselines for meaningful zoo animal welfare outputs can be created. Although current welfare policies from large zoo membership organisations stipulate assessment of welfare outputs as key to improving animal welfare standards, such outputs can only be positive if inputs are species-specific and relevant to the animals being housed. Practices such as the use of environmental enrichment (for example) need to be further refined to ensure they provide meaningful outputs (for the individuals) from the inputs that create them. Understanding the animal’s needs to ensure that the goal of enrichment is clear benefits both the animal who is provided with the enrichment and the human caregivers as husbandry and management becomes easier. A focus on welfare outputs is commendable and (especially when considering emotional outputs) is indeed a gold standard to aim for, yet we must not lose sight of striving for improvements to housing, husbandry, and species-specific care. Without such fundamental support from correct inputs, outputs are unlikely to be truly (or meaningfully) positive. Therefore, consistent re-examination of inputs is required to make sure they uphold an individual’s attainment of good welfare. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Selected Papers of the 4th International Meeting on Zoo Research, Conservation and Biodiversity)
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Graphical abstract

12 pages, 212 KiB  
Review
How Will Zoo Exhibit Design Benefit from Using More Research Findings?
by Jon Coe, James Edward Brereton and Eduardo Jose Fernandez
J. Zool. Bot. Gard. 2025, 6(2), 29; https://doi.org/10.3390/jzbg6020029 - 3 Jun 2025
Viewed by 351
Abstract
Zoo, aquarium, and sanctuary exhibit designers, both specialist “zoo architects”, and general practice architects, as well as landscape architects generally do not closely follow the evolving scientific literature on zoo biology, visitor experience, and managed animal welfare. Reportedly, this is because most zoo [...] Read more.
Zoo, aquarium, and sanctuary exhibit designers, both specialist “zoo architects”, and general practice architects, as well as landscape architects generally do not closely follow the evolving scientific literature on zoo biology, visitor experience, and managed animal welfare. Reportedly, this is because most zoo and aquarium clients do not require these efforts. Detailed requirements are provided by clients as project programs or briefs, which vary widely in quality and currency. Many clients and designers copy or adapt popular enclosure models without regard to their scientific foundations. Research papers frequently focus on discrete subject areas, such as animal behavior and welfare, visitor experience, or education, using their own methods and vocabulary. Relatively few studies integrate findings in ways useful to designers in preparing widely integrated systems. Regulatory standards set minimum rather than ideal standards. Knowledge of in situ animal behavior is lacking for many managed species. How can zoo and aquarium managers and designers be encouraged to increase research within the design process? This review article suggests that the long-term benefits of greater and better science integration outweigh initially higher design costs, resulting in improved facility and management design, benefiting all zoo, aquarium, and sanctuary stakeholders, and providing factual evidence underpinning community support. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Selected Papers of the 4th International Meeting on Zoo Research, Conservation and Biodiversity)
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