Many zoos, aquariums, and conservation breeding facilities have comprehensive behavioural and environmental management programmes to meet the welfare needs of the animals and ensure that they have opportunities for positive experiences including enrichment programmes that are monitored and evaluated according to the species-specific needs, handling and training using low-stress, force-free methods, living in species-typical social groups, and housing in species-appropriate facilities. Species-appropriate enrichment for all captive animals is essential and must be varied to reduce habituation.

SPCA is concerned that a Good Life cannot be ensured for some species of wild animals kept in zoos, aquariums and conservation breeding facilities.

The welfare needs of some species may not be met in a captive environment, such as those with complex social structures, that require extensive space to range, that have long life spans, or that originate from continents with dramatically different climates. For example, marine mammals, great apes, elephants, big cats, and polar bears.

SPCA advocates that no further animals of species who may not be able to be provided a Good Life in zoos, aquariums or conservation breeding facilities be taken from the wild or bred to restock their numbers.

Marine mammals, great apes, elephants, big cats, and polar bears who are already in captivity should be able to live the rest of their lives in an appropriate sanctuary providing a suitable habitat where they can experience positive welfare and that meets their physical, health, behavioural, social, and environmental needs are met.

SPCA advocates that accreditation of zoos, aquariums and conservation breeding facilities be a mandatory requirement for operation.

Accreditation is the assessment of organisations against specific criteria which evaluates their competence, credibility and adherence to specific set of standards or ethics. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (ZAA) offers international accreditation against established standards and best practices of the industry.

A facility should not be permitted to keep or acquire animals unless it can adequately demonstrate through accreditation that it has the resources and commitment to be able to ensure an animal experiences positive welfare and to meet the animals’ physical, health, behavioural, social and environmental needs over their entire lifetime.

SPCA advocates that wild animals must only be kept in zoological institutions if they form part of a valid conservation programme.

This may include captive breeding and rearing of animals that can be released into the wild, support of in situ conservation programmes, or contributions to the body of knowledge of specific species that would help support their wildlife counterparts. SPCA supports zoos, aquariums, and conservation breeding facilities which hold small population management plans to avoid inbreeding and affiliation with academic institutions. Our organisation opposes the keeping of wild animals solely for commercial gain or human entertainment.

SPCA advocates that zoos, aquariums, and conservation breeding facilities should incorporate education of the animals’ welfare needs into all programs that target visitors.

This may include signage, educational course offerings, and volunteer talks.

SPCA advocates for human-animal interactions only where these prioritise the physical, health, and behavioural needs of the animal.

Animals living in zoos, aquariums and conservation breeding facilities should have choices of interacting with people and be able to access a suitable and quiet environment with sufficient shelter away from the public.

SPCA opposes the capture, transportation, and acclimatisation of wild animals for captivity that causes distress and suffering. SPCA advocates that the importation of further wild-caught animals into New Zealand should be prohibited because of the distress and suffering this causes to the animals.

“Wild animals” in this context refers non-domesticated animals.