Table 5.
Summary of the most relevant information that is provided in the user's manual for assessing nutritional domain.
| Indicator | Method | Reference | Scoring |
|---|---|---|---|
| Body condition score (ABM) | It shall be assessed visually. Only when there is no risk for humans or animal's welfare, it may also be assessed by palpation. Use a standardized 5-point scale scientifically validated for the species under study. | Does the animal have a body condition appropriate to their species, age, sex and physiological state? | A: 3, B: 2 o 4, C: 1 o 5. In case B or C, clarify in “observations” to which BCS it corresponds. |
| Food intake (ABM) | Observe the eating behavior and the daily amount of food consumed. | Is the feed intake adequate for the animal according to their age, sex, physiological state and health condition? | A: normal appetite. B: hyporexia, pica, trichophagia, coprophagia (In some species coprophagia is not pathological). C: anorexia, polyphagia or any type of disturbance that is not allowing adequate food intake (even if appetite is not affected). |
| Food availability (RBM) | Observe the time at which food is offered in the indoor and outdoor enclosures (features to consider: number, competition for access, location and height, cleanliness and maintenance condition of feeders or feeding zone). | Is the food available and sufficient considering age, sex, physiological state and health condition of the animal? | A: all the features are adequate. B: only one of the features is not adequate, but it does not prevent access to the food. C: the food is not accessable and/or two or more features are not adequate. |
| Nutritional quality and safety of food (RBM) | Request information from the nutrition department. If possible, send food samples for analysis. Relevant literature should be used to obtain information on the reference values and analyses required for the species under study. | Is the diet adequate in nutrients (according to the species, age, physiological and health status) and are the ingredients safe and secure (free of contaminants and toxins, cold chain mantained)? | A: the diet is adequate, safe and secure. C: either nutrient profile or food safety criteria is not adequate. |
| Macroscopic condition of food (RBM) | Observe the food offered to the animal (alterations to consider: bruises, insects, mold, rotting, fruit ripening, fecal matter mixed with the food). | Is the food offered to the animal in good condition? | A: no alterations are observed. B: only one food or portion have only one of the mentioned alterations. C: one or more foods or portions have two or more of the mentioned alterations. |
| Food presentation (RBM) | Observe and compare the way in which the food is presented in the zoo with how it is found in the evolutionary environments of the species (features to consider: frequency, portion size, timing, texture, consistency, temperature and location). | Does the presentation of the food respect the way the species feeds in the wild? | A: all features to be considered are adequate. B: only one of the features is not adequate, but it does not impede the ingestion of food. C: two or more features are inadequate |
| Water intake (ABM) | Observe the drinking behavior and the daily amount of water consumed. | Does water consumption match the animal's requirements? | A: normal intake. B: slight increase or decrease in water intake unrelated to weather conditions. C: significant increase or decrease in water intake unrelated to weather conditions and/or difficulty in swallowing or ingesting water. |
| Availability of water (RBM) | Observe the water troughs and other water sources in the indoor and outdoor enclosures (features to consider: number, competition for access, location and height, cleanliness and maintenance). | Is the animal provided with sufficient and accessible water at all times? | A: all features to be considered are respected. B: only one of the features to be considered is not respected, but it does not prevent access to water. C: water is not accessible and/or two or more features to be considered are not respected. |
| Macroscopic quality of water (RBM) | Observe the water offered to the animal (features to consider: color, odor, presence of food debris and other visible particles, greenery) | Is the water offered to the animal in good condition? | A: all features to be considered are adequate. B: only one of the features to be considered is not adequate, but it does not prevent the ingestion of water. C: two or more features to be considered are not adequate. |
| Presentation of water (RBM) | Observe and compare the way in which water is presented in the zoo with how it is found in the evolutionary environments of the species and their drinking behavior. | Does the presentation of water respect the way it is found in the wild and accordingly with the species drinking behavior? | A: the presentation of water respects the way the species drinks in the wild. B: the presentation of water partially respects the way the species drinks in the wild (if the species has more than one way of drinking water, its presentation does not allow to express at least one of them) C: the presentation of water does not respect the way the species drinks in the wild. |
ABM, Animal-based measurement; RBM, Resources-based measurement.