Management of Animals in Animal Assisted Interventions

The main educational goal of this course is to provide students with knowledge concerning the adaptive function of animal physiology and behavior, as well as the scientific methods aimed at designing and conducting studies on the assessment of adaptation to captivity and animal welfare.

1. Knowledge and understanding. Students must acquire a good understanding of the physiology of adaptation to captivity and the specific ethological approach to the management and welfare of wild animals that live in close contact with humans in zoos and wildlife parks.
2. Application of knowledge and understanding. Students must be able to apply observational scientific methods to analyze the behavior of wild animals living in captivity and to integrate the different levels of causal and functional analysis of behavior and welfare.
3. Autonomy of judgment. Students must develop critical thinking skills and autonomy of judgment in describing and interpreting behavioral data used as indicators of stress and/or welfare.
4. Communication skills. Students must be able to communicate the results of animal behavior analysis, both with respect to animal welfare and human-animal coexistence issues in zoos and wildlife parks.
5. Learning skills. Students must be able to learn the meaning, techniques, and methods of the physio-ethological approach to the study of the human-animal relationship and the protection of the welfare of animals that live in conditions of close proximity/dependence on humans.