scholarly journals Evaluating Environmental Enrichment Methods in Three Zoo-Housed Varanidae Lizard Species

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 716-727
Author(s):  
James O. Waterman ◽  
Rachel McNally ◽  
Daniel Harrold ◽  
Matthew Cook ◽  
Gerardo Garcia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Enrichment ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Lizard Species ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Monitor Lizard ◽  
Zoo Animals ◽  
Scent Trails ◽  
Behavioural Repertoire ◽  
Cognitive Sophistication

Environmental enrichment has been shown to enhance the behavioural repertoire and reduce the occurrence of abnormal behaviours, particularly in zoo-housed mammals. However, evidence of its effectiveness in reptiles is lacking. Previously, it was believed that reptiles lacked the cognitive sophistication to benefit from enrichment provision, but studies have demonstrated instances of improved longevity, physical condition and problem-solving behaviour as a result of enhancing husbandry routines. In this study, we evaluate the effectiveness of food- and scent-based enrichment for three varanid species (Komodo dragon, emerald tree monitor lizard and crocodile monitor). Scent piles, scent trails and hanging feeders resulted in a significant increase in exploratory behaviour, with engagement diminishing ≤330 min post provision. The provision of food- versus scent-based enrichment did not result in differences in enrichment engagement across the three species, suggesting that scent is just as effective in increasing natural behaviours. Enhancing the environment in which zoo animals reside is important for their health and wellbeing and also provides visitors with the opportunity to observe naturalistic behaviours. For little known and understudied species such as varanids, evidence of successful (and even unsuccessful) husbandry and management practice is vital for advancing best practice in the zoo industry.

scholarly journals Effects of active and passive enrichment regimes on fecal glucocorticoid metabolite levels in captive Indian leopards (Panthera pardus fusca)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nirali Panchal ◽  
Chena Desai ◽  
Ratna Ghosal
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Enrichment ◽  
Medium Size ◽  
Type I ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Cage Size ◽  
Zoo Animals ◽  
Invasive Method ◽  
Free Ranging ◽  
Fecal Glucocorticoid

Environmental enrichment improves health and wellbeing of zoo animals. To test this hypothesis, we used Indian leopards, one of the popular zoo animals, as a model system to understand effects of active (interacting) and passive (noninteracting) enrichment elements on stress hormone levels of captive individuals. We included three enrichment categories, category ‘A’ (having both active: large size cage, and passive: controlled temperature, playback of forest sounds and sound proof glasses to filter visitors’ noise, enrichment elements), category ‘B’ (active enrichment type I, small size cage with air coolers), and category C (active enrichment type II, medium size cage without air coolers) for the leopards (n=14) housed in two Indian zoos. We standardized a non-invasive method to measure fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGCM) levels in captive leopards. The standardized fGCM assay was further validated by analysing samples from free-ranging leopards, as well. The fGCM levels (Mean±SE) were 10.45±2.01 and 0.95±0.003μg/g dry wt of feces in captive and free-ranging leopards, respectively. Our results demonstrated that fGCM levels of leopards in categories B and C were significantly (P<0.05) different from each other, thus, indicating cage size (an active enrichment element) as an important factor in influencing the physiology of the sampled animals. Overall, the findings of the study will contribute towards informing policies for management of the Indian leopards.

scholarly journals Animal Training, Environmental Enrichment, and Animal Welfare: A History of Behavior Analysis in Zoos

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 531-543
Author(s):  
Eduardo J. Fernandez ◽  
Allison L. Martin
Keyword(s):  
Behavior Analysis ◽  
Operant Conditioning ◽  
Environmental Enrichment ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Training Methods ◽  
Change Behavior ◽  
History Of Behavior Analysis ◽  
Zoo Animals ◽  
History Of ◽  
Antecedents And Consequences

The modern zoo has been associated with two major behavioral welfare advances: (a) the use of training to increase voluntary husbandry care, and (b) the implementation of environmental enrichment to promote naturalistic behaviors. Both practices have their roots in behavior analysis, or the operant conditioning-centered, reward-based approach to behavioral psychology. Operant conditioning served as the foundation for the development of reinforcement-based training methods commonly used in zoos to make veterinary and husbandry procedures easier and safer for animals and their caregivers. Likewise, operant conditioning, with its focus on arranging environmental antecedents and consequences to change behavior, also provided a framework for successful environmental enrichment practices. In this paper, we outline the key individuals and events that shaped two of the cornerstones of the modern zoo: (1) the emergence of reward-based husbandry training practices, and (2) the engineering of environmental enrichment. In addition, we (3) suggest ways in which behavior analysis can continue to advance zoo welfare by (i) expanding the efficacy of environmental enrichment, (ii) using within-subject methodology, and (iii) improving animal-visitor interactions. Our goal is to provide a historical and contextual reference for future efforts to improve the well-being of zoo animals.

Managerial Practices in a High Cost Manufacturing Environment

2018 ◽  
pp. 1749-1768
Author(s):  
Renu Agarwal ◽  
Christopher Bajada ◽  
Paul J. Brown ◽  
Roy Green
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Manufacturing Firms ◽  
Labour Cost ◽  
Managerial Practices ◽  
Management Capability

This chapter explores the management strategies adopted by manufacturing firms operating in high versus low cost economies and investigates the reasons for differences in the management practice choices. The study reported in this chapter identifies a subset of countries that have either high or low labour costs, with USA, Sweden, and Japan being high, and India, China, and Brazil being low labour cost economies. The high labour cost manufacturing firms are found to have better management practices. In this chapter, the authors find that Australia and New Zealand manufacturing firms face relatively high labour cost but lag behind world best practice in management performance. The chapter concludes by highlighting the need for improvement in management capability for Australian and New Zealand manufacturing firms if they are to experience a reinvigoration of productivity, competitiveness, and long-term growth.

The slow interview? Developing key principles and practices

2020 ◽  
pp. 146879412093530
Author(s):  
Charlotte Young ◽  
Joanna Zubrzycki ◽  
Debbie Plath
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Quality Assurance ◽  
Social Constructionism ◽  
Social Practice ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Theory Of Knowledge ◽  
Audio Recording ◽  
Recording Technique ◽  
Australian Health ◽  
Health And Wellbeing

Audio-recording an interview is often a taken-for-granted aspect of qualitative research. Alternative recording techniques are typically under-reported in the literature meaning that audio-recording interviews may be tacitly conceived as ‘best practice’. To address this gap, this article discusses the effectiveness and suitability of the slow interview recording technique by drawing on the empirical example of a qualitative study concerning African Australian health and wellbeing in Greater Melbourne. This article argues that ‘dialogue-based quality assurance’ is achieved during the slow interview by testing early interpretations with the participant/s as opposed to after the event via member checking of data. Furthermore, we discuss and contribute three foundational principles from whence a researcher may choose the slow interview, including aligning with social constructionism, qualitative validation strategies, and responsible researcher/participant relationships. We argue that while the slow interview is rooted in social constructionism as a theory of knowledge, the slow interview as ‘social practice’ may also facilitate the co-production of research by interpreting the data with the participant during the interview through ‘dialogue-based quality assurance’.

Toward a regional ontology for information systems project management

2010 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 681-692 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kosheek Sewchurran ◽  
Derek Smith ◽  
Dewald Roode
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Information Systems ◽  
Social Construction ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Relational Model ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Underlying Theory

PurposeThe paper aims to paper an overview of a completed doctoral thesis which pursued the development of underlying theory (ontology) to give coherence to research in the information systems (IS) project management space.Design/methodology/approachAs a result of the considerable concern about a lack of underlying theory in project management the author has chosen to investigate the development of underlying theory to serve as a regional ontology to give debates undertaken to improve IS project management coherence. The thesis is a critical interpretive a priori effort. In the pursuit of the goal of developing a regional ontology, the notions, concepts and theories related to existentialism and social construction were investigated. These were investigated because the research literature places considerable emphasis on the need to understand as‐lived project experiences.FindingsOne of the significant outcomes that results from this research is the development of a proposed regional ontology. This was achieved by fusing the theories of Heidegger's Dasein, Bourdieu's “Theory of practice” and Maturana and Varela's “Theory of living systems”. The regional ontology is a consolidation of the various concepts defined by these researchers. These theories complement each other to give rise to a relational model of social construction which also has related phenomenological, existential and biological perspectives.Practical implicationsThe proposed ontology was interpreted using the popular alternatives that have recently emerged alongside the established best practices such as project management body of knowledge. The perspectives of complex, responsive processes of relating, the temporary organisation, agility and organisational becoming were reviewed using the regional ontology. The interpretation process illustrated that the regional ontology is able to provide a more fundamental and coherent context to subsume and delimit these emerging new frames.Originality/valueThe thesis also discusses the researcher's view of contemporary project management practice that accords with the regional ontology principles. Through argument and the contemporary context of IS project management practice that was sketched, the principles of the regional ontology are illuminated. Through this process it was possible to claim that established best practice modes of education should not exist in isolation but should instead be situated within a wider analogical context that embraces the values of learning, becoming and innovating.

scholarly journals An international study on innovations in the management of children’s pain

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Joan Simons ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Pain Management ◽  
Appreciative Inquiry ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
International Study ◽  
Dissemination And Implementation ◽  
Travel Scholarship ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Children's Pain

Background: Children have a right to effective pain management and up to date guidelines are available to promote this. Despite this, many reports state that children’s pain in hospital settings is not managed well, and many children are left to suffer unnecessarily. Nearly a quarter of children surveyed said they were in pain all or most of the time they were in hospital (Picker, 2005). However, this is not the whole picture; many areas deliver effective and innovative pain management for children. Aim: The aim of this travel scholarship was to undertake a study to identify innovations and learn from examples of good practice in the management of children’s pain by visiting three areas of excellence in the UK, Sweden and Australia. Methods: The study took an Appreciative Inquiry approach, focusing on learning from good practice, and follows four stages: Discovery (the best of what is): this involved visits to the three study areas and meeting practitioners, educators and researchers to explore innovations in their pain management practice Dream (what might be): this involved meeting with the host at the end of each study week to present to them identified examples of good practice for confirmation Design (what should be): this involved writing up the findings of the three visits, exploring what innovations could be introduced to improve pain management practice across the UK Destiny: this is dissemination and implementation of the best practice examples identified Conclusions: In each area visited, confident practitioners identified innovations in their pain management practice that have improved children’s pain experience in hospital. Innovations ranged from environmental adjustments to reduce anxiety related to pain, to standardising children’s observation charts to promote the regular assessment of pain. Effective leadership was apparent at each study site. Implications for practice: Appreciative Inquiry is about identifying what works so that it can be repeated Confidence and self-belief underpin the practice of effective pain management teams An effective leader with a vision is needed to drive continuous improvement in the management of children’s pain

scholarly journals Identifikasi dan Pola Infestasi Caplak pada Biawak Air (Varanus salvator, Byers, d. 2000)

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kartika Aditiya Amelia ◽  
Rahaju Ernawati ◽  
Poedji Hastutiek ◽  
Muchammad Yunus ◽  
Boedi Setiawan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
The Body ◽  
Lizard Species ◽  
Monitor Lizard ◽  
Varanus Salvator ◽  
Binocular Microscope ◽  
Infestation Pattern

The aim of this study is to identify the type of ticks infestation pattern on water monitor lizard (Varanus salvator, Byers, D. 2000) with regard parameters water monitor lizard species, stadium and region of the water monitor lizard’s body. The total samples of 250 ticks from 30 water monitor lizard (18 male lizards and 12 female lizards) were collected every day starting from noon to evening during July to August 2019 at the monitor slaughtering place in Buduran District, Sidoarjo Regency. The tick samples were identified by the permanent mounting slide method without staining and put in bottles containing 10% KOH for 1-10 hours, then each stadium used a nikon eclipse E100 microscope with a 40x magnification binocular microscope. Data was analyzed using Multiple Correspondance Analytics. The result indicate that 30 V. salvator (100%) are positive infested by tick and the samples obtained consisted of 133 Aponomma sp. and 117 Amblyomma sp. in all regions of the body.

Management of Local Authority Records at Zvishavane Town Council

2021 ◽  
pp. 293-309
Author(s):  
Alex Sibanda ◽  
Edward Mupfururi
Keyword(s):  
Best Practice ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Local Authority ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Records Management ◽  
Design Data ◽  
Town Council ◽  
Midlands Province

This study evaluated records management practices at a local authority in Zimbabwe, with reference to Zvishavane Town Council in the South Midlands province of Zimbabwe. The purpose of the study was to establish the records management practice to expose the bedevil and recommend the best practice. To achieve the purpose of the study, qualitative research methodology was used through a case study design. Data was collected using interviews, document analysis, and direct observations. The findings of the study revealed that Zvishavane Town Council was practicing records management without a standard written down policy of records management. This led to an ad hoc system of practice in terms of good governance, accountability, and transparency in managing council records. The study recommends that records management at this council be done using a well-documented records management policy.

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