Zoos Inspector Training Need Analysis for EU Member States
Country: United Kingdom
The implementation of the Zoos Directive 1999/22/EC has proven difficult in many EU countries, due to lack of knowledge among inspectors on appropriate behaviour and housing conditions for the many different animal species that are kept in zoos across Europe. Therefore the Born Free Foundation asked VetEffecT to conduct a survey to identify the need for training for zoo inspectors.
The study was conducted in 2016 by an on-line survey prepared in 8 European languages: Bulgarian, English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Romanian and Spanish. Competent authorities of 28 EU member States were consulted, and replies received in the native languages were analysed. The study allowed to identify for which topic training was considered most needed. It confirmed that EU Member State competent authorities often lack vital knowledge and that they would welcome additional guidance and training in order to effectively apply existing legislation protecting the welfare of wild animals in captivity. The Study can be downloaded from the link below.
