Sharing Expertise at Portuguese Wild and Exotic Animal Symposium
Wild Welfare, a global charity dedicated to improving the welfare of wild animals in human care, recently participated in Simpósio de Selvagens e Exóticos, a symposium centered around wild and exotic animals, held in Vila Real, Portugal.
The one and a half day event at the University of Trás-os-Montes E Alto Douro (UTAD), hosted by IAAS (Institute for Applied Life Sciences), brought together a mix of over 75 international specialists. The diverse group of attendees and contributors included students from veterinary, zoology, and biology programmes, zoo professionals, wildlife biologists, NGO project managers, and university staff.
Sarah presenting at Portugal Exotic Animal Symposium
Wild Welfare’s Animal Welfare Manager, Sarah Bonser-Blake was among those present. Sarah was kindly invited to present twice during the symposium. Her first talk, “Animal Care and Animal Welfare – What’s the Difference?” explored the key distinctions between care and welfare for captive wildlife. The presentation explored the principle that, while proper care (such as clean enclosures and adequate nutrition) is absolutely essential, it does not necessarily guarantee good welfare. Additional factors such as an animal’s emotional state, their behavioral needs, and overall well-being, focusing on how the animal experiences and copes with its environment, must also be considered.
Sarah’s second presentation introduced attendees to Wild Welfare’s innovative e-learning programme, “Wild About Welfare”, a free resource available to anyone involved in wild or exotic animal care. This popular online resource delivers high-quality, accessible care and welfare training to wildlife professionals. The accessible tools aim to bridge common critical knowledge gaps through engaging and interactive learning modules. ‘Wild About Welfare’ was a collaborative project with The Jeanne Marchig International Centre for Animal Welfare Education at the University of Edinburgh’s Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies. The course aims to enable users to confidently enhance the lives of exotic or wild animals under their care. Since its initial launch in 2021, the course has been accessed nearly 27,000 times across six supported languages, demonstrating its true global reach and impact.
“It was a great honor to be invited to speak at this wonderful event,” said Sarah. “The symposium provided a fascinating glimpse into the vast spectrum of animal welfare initiatives taking place across Portugal and beyond.”
The event, conducted in a mix of Portuguese and English with an additional session in Spanish, offered a great platform for knowledge exchange and the opportunity to build new working collaborations. Many of the engaging discussions explored diverse topics including European Bison nutrition, methods of assessing elephant body condition, and population management strategies for dolphins and felids. Each session concluded with a dedicated question-and-answer forum, promoting further interaction and discussion about the in-depth topics.
“The opportunity to share our work with enthusiastic students, university lecturers, and zoological professionals from Portugal and neighboring countries was invaluable,” Sarah reflected. The presentations resonated deeply with many of the attendees, many of whom expressed appreciation for Wild Welfare’s mission and its contribution to improving animal welfare practices.
Event session moderator Mariana Almeida said “Wild Welfare’s expertise and passion brought invaluable insights and sparked thought-provoking discussions on essential topics in animal care and welfare.”
Speakers and organisers at the symposium.
Wild Welfare extended their sincere gratitude to the IAAS team for their exceptional hospitality. Thanks in part to the many connections established at the symposium, it is hoped that the ‘Wild About Welfare’ e-learning programme can soon be adapted to support Portuguese. Wild Welfare has already received enthusiastic support from several individuals eager to assist with translation and proofreading required to develop the programme for a new language. The charity is now seeking funding support to help secure this future project.
A powerful overarching message resonated throughout the course of this symposium, emphasising the importance of providing ‘a meaningful life’ to animals in captivity. This sentiment profoundly aligns with Wild Welfare’s core principle of enabling all animals to ‘thrive, and not just survive’ under human care. The event helped to foster valuable collaborations and highlight key animal welfare discussion points. Continuing to build on this momentum, Wild Welfare is eager to collaborate with partners across Portugal and beyond to develop these insights into practical and positive actions in zoos, aquariums, rescue centres and sanctuaries.
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.
Wild Welfare is devoted to improving the welfare of captive animals across the world. You can support our efforts by sharing this article, signing up to our newsletter, following our social media accounts (Facebook and Instagram), or by making an online donation. Every small contribution can help us to develop our vital accessible animal resources. Thank you.
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).
