Researchers and alumni join peers to set new global blueprint for modern zoos

A collaborative team of animal welfare scientists and zoo experts has published a comprehensive framework detailing how zoological institutions must adopt "evidence-informed practices" to maintain their social legitimacy. The research highlights the urgent need for zoos to base their animal care and conservation efforts on rigorous, systematically collected data rather than anecdotal tradition. The study notes that for many species, this vital scientific evidence is currently thin on the ground because targeted research is lacking.

To bridge this gap, the framework outlines how academic studies must be intentionally designed to deliver the practical data that zoos require to modernise. Ensuring these high standards are met is not just an ethical duty, but a financial necessity; maintaining "gold standard" welfare is directly tied to securing visitor numbers and the steady income required to fund global conservation projects.

Dr Christina Stanley, from the Animal Behaviour and Welfare Research Group at the University of Chester, said: “Zoos are facing more and more public scrutiny. They are frequently asked to justify keeping wild animals in captivity, by the media and by the general public, particularly in terms of their contribution to conservation. To achieve their goals, management decisions need to be made that are supported by evidence that they are effective. As researchers, we need to ensure our studies deliver the information zoos require, so that they can be leaders in both conservation and animal welfare.”

The paper is notably championed by homegrown talent from the University of Chester, with co-authors including two Master of Research (MRes) graduates, Jessica Harley and Ricardo Lemos de Figueiredo, alongside BSc graduate Lisa Clifforde. The team of co-authors was led by Paul Rose, a former external examiner for the University. The inclusion of Chester alumni underscores the University’s commitment to arming undergraduates and postgraduates with the critical scientific skills and knowledge required to directly support global industries.

Dr Stanley added: "Co-authoring this paper with three University of Chester alumni meant a lot to me. When students are with us, we try to instil in them a drive to change the world for the better, but ultimately, it's their determination to work in the field of animal welfare that will help them achieve this. Seeing these three former students excel in this field is extremely rewarding - it makes all our hard work worth it!"

To guide this transition toward a data driven future, the paper maps out several critical, under researched themes. These include the welfare implications of animal reproduction, the vital role of social bonds in stress resilience, and the complex impacts of human-animal interactions involving both zoo staff and visitors.

By defining these specific targets, the study provides global zoological institutions with the toolkit needed to turn academic science into daily operational management. The publication stands as a major milestone for international zoo research, while highlighting the University of Chester’s ongoing impact in shaping the graduates who actively lead global environmental and animal welfare policy.

To read the paper, Advancing evidence-informed practice in modern zoos: research priorities for animal welfare, conservation, and social legitimacy, in full, please visit the Frontiers in Veterinary Science website. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/veterinary-science/articles/10.3389/fvets.2026.1793169/full