Yamanashi Yumi, Ikkatai Yuko, Honjo Moe, Tokuyama Nahoko, Akami Rie, Wilson Duncan Andrew, Buchanan-Smith Hannah M
Center for Research and Education of Wildlife, Kyoto City Zoo, Kyoto, Japan.
Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
PLoS One. 2025 Apr 8;20(4):e0320241. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0320241. eCollection 2025.
Scientific evidence should form the basis for policy and practice decisions concerning animal welfare. However, cultural attitudes inevitably influence decision-making processes. We conducted a survey of general attitudes towards the welfare of zoo-housed animals, live prey feeding and trust in zoo management in British and Japanese zoo visitors (1,611 visitors aged over six years from one British zoo and two Japanese zoos). We asked respondents about their general attitudes towards animals, concepts of animal welfare, and acceptance of using a range of vertebrates and invertebrates as live prey. Overall, both British and Japanese respondents were concerned about animal welfare. However, when considering what is important for animal welfare, Japanese respondents mostly limited responses to basic factors such as food and sociality, whilst British respondents referred more to providing stimulation in the captive environment and positive emotions. The level of tolerance regarding live prey feeding was similar between countries, except for feeding octopuses which was less acceptable to British zoo visitors. Respondents differed in their reasons for this distinction; Japanese respondents often referred to personal preference and feelings in deciding which prey is acceptable to live feed, while British respondents often referred to animal intelligence and behavioural and life complexities. The tendency in trust in governing countries, zoos, and caregivers was similar between the two countries. Overall, British and Japanese respondents showed many similar views, but Japanese respondents tended to make more subjective decisions than British respondents. These attitudes are not directly reflected in legislation concerning animal welfare in each country.
科学证据应成为有关动物福利的政策和实践决策的基础。然而，文化态度不可避免地会影响决策过程。我们对英国和日本动物园游客（来自一家英国动物园和两家日本动物园的1611名6岁以上游客）对圈养动物福利、活体猎物投喂以及对动物园管理的信任的总体态度进行了调查。我们询问了受访者对动物的总体态度、动物福利概念以及对使用一系列脊椎动物和无脊椎动物作为活体猎物的接受程度。总体而言，英国和日本的受访者都关心动物福利。然而，在考虑对动物福利而言什么是重要的时，日本受访者大多将回答局限于食物和社交等基本因素，而英国受访者更多地提到在圈养环境中提供刺激和积极情绪。两国对活体猎物投喂的容忍程度相似，除了投喂章鱼，英国动物园游客对此较难接受。受访者对这种差异的原因看法不一；日本受访者在决定哪些猎物适合活体投喂时常常提及个人偏好和感受，而英国受访者常常提及动物的智力以及行为和生活的复杂性。两国在对管理国家、动物园和饲养员的信任倾向上相似。总体而言，英国和日本的受访者有许多相似的观点，但日本受访者往往比英国受访者做出更主观的决策。这些态度并未直接体现在各国有关动物福利的立法中。
