Abstract
As veterinarians, our oath is to protect the animals in our care. However, studies have shown that as education in veterinary medicine progresses, our empathy and our perception of the sentience of our patients goes down.1,2,3 Although this is reported in schools, levels may fall even further during more advanced internship and residency training. Therefore, those of us most qualified to serve as advocates for the animals may often fail in our duties to do so.
Over the years, zoos and aquariums have changed their focus from entertainment to conservation and education. There is no doubt that many aquatic species face significant environmental and human-related challenges. The most obvious solution has been to bring these animals into captivity. And although some of these species, such as the polar bear, survive and reproduce in captivity, they exhibit very high levels of stereotypic behaviors.4 Other species fare much better in captivity but still lack mental stimulation. For instance, it is generally agreed that cetaceans have advanced cognitive abilities. Yet in most facilities, they are housed in barren, cognitively deficient enclosures, something long ago abandoned for captive terrestrial species.5 Many species show significant behavioral and anatomical changes due to captivity.6 If a population is behaviorally and genetically modified through the act of captivity, are we really achieving the goal of conserving the original species? Is keeping any species in captivity acceptable provided there is a benefit to humans? Should veterinarians play a role in evaluating these ethical issues?
* Presenting author
Literature Cited
1. Colombo ES, Pelosi A, Prato-Previde E. 2016. Empathy towards animals and belief in animal-human-continuity in Italian veterinary students. Anim Welf. 25:275-286.
2. Schoenfeld-Tacher R, Kogan LR, Meyer-Parsons B, Royal KD, Shaw JR. 2015. Educational research report: changes in students' levels of empathy during the didactic portion of a veterinary program. J Vet Med Educ. 42:doi: 10.3138/jvme.0115-007R
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4. Clubb R, Vickery S. 2006. Locomotor stereotypies in carnivores: does packing stem from hunting, ranging, or frustrated escape? In: Mason G, Rushen J, editors. Stereotypic Animal Behaviour. Cambridge, MA: CABI.: 58–85.
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6. O'Regan HJ, Kitchnener AC. 2005. The effects of captivity on the morphology of captive, domesticated and feral mammals. Mammal Rev. 35:215–230.