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Episode - 22 December 2020
Host: Barbara Heidenreich
Guests: Douglas Richardson
No matter what your role is in animal care, at some point you will likely encounter a situation that causes you to take a closer look at the space in which an animal lives. It may be a behavior problem, an opportunity to redesign an enclosure, a change to your animal collection, or simply the realization that the existing space is no longer meeting the needs of the animals or caregivers. Or perhaps you have the exciting opportunity to design something completely new. What should you be thinking about to make that space successful?
In this episode, I talk with Douglas Richardson, who brings decades of experience in zoo management, collection planning, conservation, and exhibit design. I wanted to pick his brain specifically about the impact of animal behavior and ethology on zoo exhibit design, and needless to say, it's pretty significant.
Douglas shares some powerful examples that demonstrate why understanding the natural history and behavior of a species is so important when designing animal habitats. Thoughtful design can help encourage species-typical behavior and support good animal welfare, but it can also make a tremendous difference in day-to-day animal care, management, and conservation efforts.
With examples involving polar bears, Amur and Arabian leopards, hoofstock, and more, we explore how decisions about the physical environment can influence what animals are able to do and how caregivers are able to work with them. Whether you are designing a new habitat or trying to improve an existing one, this conversation offers plenty to consider about the relationship between behavior, animal welfare, and the spaces we create for animals in human care.
Contact Douglas Richardson: douglas_richardson@hotmail.com
Recommended Citation:
Heidenreich, B. (Producer/Writer). (2020, December). Zoo Design with Behavior in Mind with Douglas Richardson. [Audio Podcast]. Animal Training Fundamentals with Barbara Heidenreich.https://animaltrainingfundamentals.com/podcasts/zoo-design-with-behavior-in-mind-with-douglas-richardson/
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Guest Bio:
Douglas M Richardson
Douglas is a self-employed zoological consultant with clients in the UK, continental Europe, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Ukraine and China. His areas of expertise are in all zoological aspects of zoo management, in particular collection planning, exhibit design and enhancing conservation output.
His experience was built-up over a period of 43 years working full-time in zoos globally, most recently as Head of Living Collections at RZSS Highland Wildlife Park from 2008 to 2018. During his time managing the collection, the park saw an almost four-fold increase in visitor numbers driven largely by the development of the animal collection and culminating in the birth and rearing of the first polar bear cub in the UK in 25 years.
His zoo career started in October 1975 at RZSS Edinburgh Zoo and Douglas has held senior posts in zoos around the world: Curator at Singapore Zoo; General Curator at Mountain View Conservation & Breeding Centre, Canada; Zoological Director at Rome Zoo; and Curator of Mammals at ZSL London Zoo.
He has developed master plans for zoos in Brunei, Nepal, Vietnam and Rome and conservation projects for saola in Vietnam, Amur leopards in Russia and Arabian leopards in Saudi Arabia.
He is an associate lecturer at the University of Glasgow, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and Sparsholt College, Hampshire, where he lectures on welfare and ethics for the national zoo management course. He is also vice-chair of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA).
Contact Douglas Richardson:
douglas_richardson@hotmail.com
About Barbara Heidenreich
Barbara Heidenreich is a zoologist and animal training and behavior consultant specializing in species managed in zoological facilities. She earned her B.S. in Zoology from the University of California, Davis. Barbara consults internationally with zoos, universities, veterinary professionals, and conservation programs and has worked onsite with more than 90 facilities in 30 countries.
In addition to her consulting work, Barbara serves as an Adjunct Instructor at Texas A&M University and operates AnimalTrainingFundamentals.com, a comprehensive online education program offering hundreds of courses on animal training and behavior. Her work focuses on applying behavior analysis to improve animal welfare through building behavior, contingency analysis, genuine choice, and constructional approaches to behavior change.
Barbara has authored two books, contributed to five textbooks, and co-authored two Fear Free® Avian Certification Courses. She advises the Animal Training Working Group and Parrot Taxon Advisory Group for the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria and serves as Co-Chair and founding member of the Zoological Association of America’s Animal Training Committee. She has contributed to conservation projects including the Kakapo Recovery Program and the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation and has received seven awards from zoological trade organizations recognizing her contributions to the field.
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