Brookfield Zoo

Chicago's Brookfield Zoo will conduct a large-scale, multi-institutional study to address the welfare of cetaceans in zoos and aquariums and to understand how physical habitat, environmental enrichment, and animal training influence the welfare of bottlenose dolphins. In partnership with 39 accredited zoos and aquariums, the Brookfield Zoo will gather data from 336 common and Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins, 21 belugas, and nine Pacific white-sided dolphins. The first component of the project will compile physiological health data from the three study species. The second component will identify factors that influence the welfare of bottlenose dolphins by applying a scientific approach with targeted research questions commonly asked within institutions. To strengthen the interpretation of results, the study will measure welfare across three dimensions: activity and movement; behavior; and physiology. The project unites cetacean-holding zoos and aquariums in a timely effort to understand how to provide cetaceans with the highest quality of care directed by scientific evidence.