Welfare Webinars Support Ukrainian Animal Care Professionals

Wild Welfare, a global charity dedicated to improving the lives of wild animals in captivity, recently collaborated with International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) on the delivery of multiple educational webinars to animal aid organisations across Ukraine. The initiative also saw the launch of several free-to-download resources, each covering various practical animal welfare topics, all of which have been translated into Ukrainian.

This initiative aimed to support Ukrainian animal care professionals with additional knowledge and insights to aid in elevating levels of animal care and overall enhanced standards of welfare across all facilities.

“What is Welfare for Wild Animals in Captivity” Webinar translated live into Ukrainian.

The webinars, translated and delivered entirely in Ukrainian, covered a wide range of animal care and welfare topics, including the ‘importance of animal welfare in captivity’ (presented by Simon Marsh, Director of Wild Welfare), ‘What does good welfare look like?’ (presented by Dave Morgan, Wild Welfare), and ‘Behavioural Management techniques to aid in trauma recovery and building resiliency in rescued animals’ (presented by Margaret Whittaker, Executive Director, Wild Welfare US). Attendees had the opportunity to learn about enriching environments, how a facility might create stimulating spaces with opportunities for animals to explore and exhibit natural behaviours, and ultimately yield a situation where autonomy and recovery are possible. These informative sessions attracted over 20 registrants for the live presentations, with many more attendees expected to download the recordings on-demand.

Ukrainian translation of the Wild Welfare ‘Care For Us’ Tiger guide.

Wild Welfare committed to extend their input beyond the initial webinar series, with the launch of three dedicated ‘Care for Us’ guides. These Ukrainian translated guides focus on offering guidance to facility staff regarding the promotion of positive behaviours in Tigers, Lions, and Brown Bears while encouraging optimum welfare conditions. The organisation’s popular ‘Enrichment Roadmap’, which was initially created in conjunction with ‘Wild Enrichment’, aims to guide captive animal facilities through the process of planning and assessing enrichment provisions within their institution. Each of these digital resources are now available to download in Ukrainian from the Wild Welfare website.

By supporting the professional development of Ukrainian animal care staff with practical tools and the latest welfare knowledge, Wild Welfare and IFAW hope to act as a catalyst for promoting the well-being of captive wild animals across the country. This initiative ultimately aims to foster a culture of excellence in animal welfare within Ukraine’s captive wildlife facilities, leading to healthier, happier animals and enriched visitor experiences.

Simon Marsh, Director at Wild Welfare conducting live webinar.

“We are thrilled with the positive response to this collaborative effort with IFAW and their partners within Ukraine,” says Wild Welfare Director, Simon Marsh. “By providing these resources in the Ukrainian language, we are able to connect with animal care professionals who can in turn make a significant positive impact on the lives of the animals under their care.”

Margaret Whittaker, Executive Director at Wild Welfare US, hailed what a rare honour it was to speak with this unique group of animal caregivers and managers. “I am humbled by their dedication to learning innovative approaches that can help animals cope with an unimaginably difficult environment. Their commitment will undoubtedly help drive positive animal welfare change” expressed Margeret.

Given the challenges of delivering such a programme in a war-torn Ukraine, the online webinars proved to be an invaluable tool, enabling the safe and efficient sharing of crucial animal welfare knowledge with professionals across the country. This digital approach ensured accessibility and continuity of learning, providing Ukrainian animal care experts the information they need to make a positive impact on the lives of animals, even amidst the ongoing conflict.

“Our work in Ukraine has been focused on providing emergency support where needed while also ensuring we build resilience and capacity in communities so that they can continue to provide vital care for animals”, says Neil Greenwood, Program Director Wildlife Rescue at IFAW. “We support long-term measures to improve local animal welfare standards and practices for handling and rehabilitating wild animals.”

Wild Welfare is a global charity working to improve the lives of animals in captivity, by providing expertise, resources, and training to zoos, sanctuaries, and other wildlife facilities around the world.

-ENDS-

Notes to Editors

For more information or interview requests please contact Wild Welfare on communications@wildwelfare.org

Wild Welfare is a global organisation committed to improving animal welfare for captive wild animals. By uniting the world’s leading zoos, zoo associations and animal welfare organisations, we build trusting partnerships that help provide long-term solutions to critical wild animal welfare issues.

Our vision is to end the suffering of captive wild animals around the world and ensure full and sustainable protection is given to all animals in human care. Find out more at wildwelfare.org. Registered charity in England (no.1165941).

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