For animals that can suffer, we have an ethical and legal obligation to ensure their welfare is maximised. Given the link between animal welfare and scientific output we need to ensure animals are “fit for purpose”, and develop reliable tools that can measure welfare accurately and practically. These welfare tools should be developed using a battery of measures. Behaviour is the most accessible and practical measure of welfare, and one of the most informative. Behaviour is the ultimate phenotype – it is the result of the animal’s own individual decision making processes, is the expression of emotions, and may reflect underlying physiology. Measuring behaviour is non-invasive and in many cases also non-intrusive. In this presentation, I shall describe a battery of behavioural measures used to assess welfare in non-human primates and dogs. This includes behaviour in home enclosure, in response to challenge and in anticipation of an event, cognitive bias to assess an animal’s emotional state, and the relationship between behaviour and cardiovascular and hormonal measures. Examples of how behaviour and welfare is influenced by laboratory husbandry and procedures will be given. Developing and using practical behavioural welfare tools promotes both Refinement and Reduction, two of the 3Rs.
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