Help Centre

How to Add a New Animal

1. Go to Animal Inventory → Add Animal
2. Select tracking level:
   • Identifiable: For animals you can identify individually (named mammals, large reptiles, individual fish)
   • Group: For animals tracked collectively (schooling fish, insect colonies, small invertebrates)
3. Choose species from catalogue
4. For identifiable animals, enter:
   • Animal name (optional but recommended)
   • Sex (male, female, unknown)
   • Date of birth or estimated age
   • Identifiers (tags, microchips, unique markings)
   • Current exhibit
5. System automatically assigns a RID (e.g., RID23A for animals)
6. Add any additional notes or characteristics
7. Save animal record

What is a RID? RID (Registrar ID) is a unique identifier automatically assigned sequentially. Format: RID{number}A for individual animals, RID{number}G for groups.

Tip: Even if an animal doesn't have a "name", give it one! It makes record-keeping easier and creates connection with care staff.

Setting Up Animal Groups

1. Navigate to Animal Inventory → Add Animal
2. Select "Group" tracking level
3. Choose species
4. Enter initial quantity
5. System assigns a group RID (e.g., RID5G)
6. Assign to exhibit
7. Add notes (e.g., "schooling behaviour", "breeding colony")
8. Save group

Managing Group Quantities:

• Use arrival transactions to increase quantity
• Use mortality/departure to decrease quantity
• Birth transactions can add to group
• System maintains running total automatically

When to Use Groups:

• Schooling fish (tetras, sardines, etc.)
• Insect colonies (stick insects, cockroaches for feeding)
• Small invertebrates (snails, shrimp)
• Large schools where individual tracking is impractical

Note: Tracking level cannot be changed after creation. Choose carefully!

How to Record an Arrival

1. Go to Animal Inventory → Transactions → Arrival
2. Select or create the animal/group
3. Enter arrival details:
   • Arrival date: When animal physically arrived
   • Source: Where animal came from (zoo, breeder, rescue, wild)
   • Source organisation: Specific institution or person
   • Transport method: How animal was transported
   • Acquisition type: Purchase, donation, loan, transfer, confiscation
4. For groups, specify quantity arriving
5. Indicate quarantine status and location
6. Add transport/health notes
7. Upload supporting documents (permits, health certificates)
8. Save transaction

Quarantine Protocol: New arrivals should typically be marked as "In Quarantine" and assigned to your quarantine facility until health clearance.

How to Record a Birth

1. Go to Animal Inventory → Transactions → Birth
2. Enter birth details:
   • Birth date: Date of birth (or date discovered)
   • Dam (mother): Select from animal list
   • Sire (father): Select if known
   • Number of offspring: Litter/clutch size
3. For each offspring, choose tracking level:
   • Individual: Creates separate RID for each baby
   • Group: Adds to existing group or creates new group
4. For individual tracking:
   • Name each offspring (or leave unnamed)
   • Note sex if known
   • Add identifying marks
5. Record current location (usually with mother)
6. Add birth notes (complications, assisted birth, etc.)
7. Save transaction

Breeding Programme Tracking: System automatically maintains lineage records. Use Reports → Studbook to view family trees.

How to Record a Transfer

1. Go to Animal Inventory → Transactions → Transfer
2. Select the animal or group
3. Enter transfer details:
   • Transfer date: When move occurred
   • From exhibit: Current location (auto-filled)
   • To exhibit: New location
   • Reason: Why animal is being moved
4. Common transfer reasons:
   • Breeding management
   • Social dynamics (aggression, pairing)
   • Exhibit rotation
   • Medical treatment/quarantine
   • Habitat upgrade
5. Add any relevant notes
6. Save transaction

Tip: Transfers create an audit trail showing an animal's movement history throughout your facility. This is valuable for behaviour analysis and breeding management.

How to Record a Departure

1. Navigate to Animal Inventory → Transactions → Departure
2. Select the animal or group
3. Enter departure details:
   • Departure date: When animal left your facility
   • Destination: Receiving institution or person
   • Destination type: Zoo, private collection, rehabilitation, release to wild
   • Departure type: Transfer, sale, loan, donation, release
   • Transport method: How animal was transported
4. For groups, specify quantity departing
5. Upload transport documentation
6. Add notes about condition at departure
7. Save transaction

Documentation Required:

• Transfer agreements
• Health certificates
• CITES permits (if applicable)
• Transport logs

Status Change: Animal status automatically updates to "Departed" but record remains in system for historical tracking.

How to Record a Mortality

1. Go to Animal Inventory → Transactions → Mortality
2. Select the animal or group
3. Enter mortality details:
   • Death date: When death occurred or was discovered
   • Cause of death: If known or suspected
   • Found by: Who discovered the death
   • Circumstances: Describe how animal was found
4. For groups, specify quantity
5. Indicate if post-mortem will be performed
6. Record disposition:
   • Necropsy scheduled
   • Burial
   • Cremation
   • Scientific collection
   • Disposal (as per regulations)
7. Link to post-mortem report when available
8. Save transaction

Post-Mortem Examination: Use the Post-Mortem module to create detailed necropsy reports linked to the mortality record.

Reporting: Mortality data is included in collection statistics and can be analysed for trends in Reports → Mortality Analysis.

Accessing Current Stock

1. Navigate to Animal Inventory → Current Stock
2. View summary dashboard showing:
   • Total animals (individual + group quantities)
   • Animals by species
   • Animals by exhibit
   • Animals by status (active, quarantine, off-display)
3. Filter by:
   • Species: Show only specific species
   • Exhibit: Animals in specific location
   • Status: Active, quarantine, medical, etc.
   • Sex: Male, female, unknown
   • Age range: Juveniles, adults, geriatric
4. Export filtered list to Excel or PDF

Quick Actions: From the stock view, you can quickly initiate transfers, update animal details, or create transactions.

Viewing Transaction History

1. Open any animal record
2. Click "Transaction History" tab
3. See chronological list of all events:
   • Arrivals and acquisitions
   • Births and parentage
   • Transfers between exhibits
   • Departures to other institutions
   • Mortality events
   • Corrections and amendments
4. Each entry shows:
   • Transaction type and date
   • User who recorded it
   • Details and notes
   • Supporting documents

Audit Trail: Transaction history is immutable - records cannot be deleted, only corrected with new entries that reference the original.

Corrections: If you find an error, use "Create Correction" to create a new transaction that references and corrects the original.

How to Create a Welfare Assessment

1. Navigate to Welfare Assessments → New Assessment
2. Select the animal or group to assess
3. Choose assessment template:
   • Species-specific protocols (if available)
   • General welfare assessment
   • Custom templates created by your organisation
4. Complete assessment sections:
   • Physical Health: Body condition, injuries, illness signs
   • Behaviour: Activity levels, social interactions, abnormal behaviours
   • Environment: Habitat quality, enrichment, space adequacy
   • Nutrition: Feeding behaviour, body condition related to diet
   • Mental State: Indicators of positive/negative welfare
5. Rate each parameter on the configured scale (typically 1-5 or 0-10)
6. Add photos or video evidence if helpful
7. Note any immediate concerns requiring action
8. Add overall assessment notes
9. Submit assessment

Scoring System: Most assessments use a 1-5 scale where 1 = Poor welfare, 3 = Adequate, 5 = Excellent welfare.

Tip: Be consistent with timing - conduct assessments at the same time of day for accurate comparisons.

Interpreting Welfare Assessment Scores

Overall Welfare Score: Calculated as the average of all parameter scores.

Score Ranges (1-5 scale):

• 4.5 - 5.0 (Excellent): Outstanding welfare, all needs met, positive indicators present
• 3.5 - 4.4 (Good): Good welfare with minor areas for improvement
• 2.5 - 3.4 (Adequate): Basic needs met but significant room for improvement
• 1.5 - 2.4 (Poor): Welfare concerns requiring immediate attention
• 1.0 - 1.4 (Critical): Severe welfare issues, urgent intervention needed

Parameter Analysis:

• Click on overall score to see breakdown by parameter
• Identify which specific areas are scoring low
• Compare parameter scores across time to track improvements
• Use graphs to visualise trends

Red Flags:

• Any parameter scoring below 2.0
• Declining trends over multiple assessments
• Sudden drops in previously stable scores
• Scores significantly lower than species/facility average

Automatic Alerts: System automatically alerts designated staff when scores fall below configured thresholds.

Creating Assessment Schedules

1. Go to Welfare Assessments → Assessment Schedules
2. Click "Create Schedule"
3. Configure schedule details:
   • Animals/Groups: Select which animals to assess
   • Frequency: Daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, annually
   • Assessment template: Which form to use
   • Assigned assessor: Who is responsible (primary keeper, welfare officer)
   • Backup assessor: Who covers if primary is unavailable
4. Set reminder preferences:
   • Days before assessment due
   • Notification method (email, in-app, SMS)
   • Escalation if overdue
5. Save schedule

Recommended Frequencies:

• High-risk species or individuals: Weekly or daily
• Standard collection: Monthly
• Stable, healthy animals: Quarterly
• Compliance minimum: Annually (but more frequent is better)

Compliance: Assessment schedules help demonstrate systematic welfare monitoring for accreditation and licensing.

Accessing Welfare Trend Analysis

1. Navigate to Welfare Assessments → Trends & Reports
2. Select analysis scope:
   • Individual animal
   • Species group
   • Exhibit
   • Entire facility
3. Choose time period (last 30 days, 6 months, 1 year, all time)
4. View trend graphs showing:
   • Overall welfare scores over time
   • Individual parameter trends
   • Comparison between animals/groups
   • Correlation with environmental factors or events

Trend Indicators:

• Improving (↗): Scores increasing over time - interventions working
• Declining (↘): Scores decreasing - requires investigation
• Stable (→): Consistent scores - monitor for any changes
• Volatile (↕): Fluctuating scores - identify causes of variation

Correlations to Look For:

• Welfare changes after habitat modifications
• Seasonal variations in scores
• Impact of social grouping changes
• Effects of enrichment programmes
• Correlation with health events

Exporting Data: Export trend data to Excel for statistical analysis or presentation to stakeholders.

How to Flag a Welfare Concern

1. During or after an assessment, click "Flag Concern"
2. Specify concern details:
   • Severity: Low, medium, high, critical
   • Category: Health, behaviour, environment, nutrition, social
   • Description: Detailed explanation of the concern
   • Evidence: Attach photos, videos, or previous assessment data
3. System automatically notifies:
   • Primary keeper for the animal
   • Welfare officer or curator
   • Veterinarian (for health concerns)
4. Create linked action plan (see next article)
5. Set follow-up assessment date

Severity Levels:

• Critical: Immediate veterinary or emergency response needed
• High: Urgent attention required within 24 hours
• Medium: Should be addressed within 3-7 days
• Low: Monitor and address during routine care

Escalation: If concern is not acknowledged within configured timeframe, system automatically escalates to senior staff.

Developing a Welfare Action Plan

1. From a flagged concern or low-scoring assessment, click "Create Action Plan"
2. Define the goal:
   • What welfare improvement are you targeting?
   • What score/outcome indicates success?
   • Timeframe for improvement
3. List specific actions to take:
   • Environmental: Habitat modifications, enrichment additions
   • Social: Grouping changes, companion introductions
   • Husbandry: Diet changes, routine adjustments
   • Medical: Veterinary interventions, treatments
   • Behavioural: Training programmes, behaviour modification
4. For each action:
   • Assign responsible person
   • Set deadline
   • Note resources required
   • Specify completion criteria
5. Schedule follow-up assessments to measure impact
6. Save action plan

Tracking Progress:

• Mark individual actions as completed
• Update notes on implementation challenges or successes
• Adjust plan if initial actions don't achieve desired results
• Link follow-up assessments to track welfare score improvements

Success Criteria: Action plan is considered successful when follow-up welfare scores meet or exceed target, or specific welfare indicators show improvement.

Reporting: Action plans demonstrate proactive welfare management for accreditation inspections and regulatory compliance.

How to Conduct an Experience Assessment

1. Navigate to Experience Assessments → New Assessment
2. Select assessment type:
   • Animal Experience: Focuses on animal quality of life
   • Visitor Experience: Evaluates educational value and visitor engagement
   • Combined Assessment: Considers both perspectives
3. Choose exhibit or specific animal
4. Complete assessment sections:

Animal Experience Factors:

• Choice & Control: Can animals choose where to be, what to do?
• Environmental Complexity: Varied spaces, substrates, features
• Positive Experiences: Enrichment, natural behaviours, social interactions
• Negative Experience Minimisation: Stressors, aversive stimuli
• Natural Behaviour Expression: Ability to exhibit species-typical behaviours

Visitor Experience Factors:

• Animal Visibility: Can visitors easily see animals?
• Educational Value: Interpretive signage, learning opportunities
• Engagement: Interactive elements, keeper talks, feeding displays
• Conservation Message: Clear communication of conservation relevance
• Accessibility: Inclusive design for all visitors

Tip: Best practice is when both animal and visitor experiences score highly - the "win-win" scenario.

Logging Enrichment Activities

1. Go to Experience Assessments → Enrichment Log
2. Click "Add Enrichment Entry"
3. Select animal or exhibit
4. Specify enrichment type:
   • Food-based: Puzzle feeders, scatter feeding, novel food presentations
   • Sensory: Scents, sounds, visual stimuli, tactile items
   • Cognitive: Training sessions, problem-solving tasks, novel objects
   • Social: Introductions, companion access, interactive play
   • Physical: Climbing structures, swimming opportunities, digging substrates
5. Describe the enrichment activity in detail
6. Rate animal engagement:
   • 0 = Ignored completely
   • 1 = Brief investigation
   • 2 = Moderate interaction
   • 3 = High engagement
   • 4 = Sustained interaction, repeat visits
7. Record duration of interaction
8. Note any behaviours observed
9. Add photos or video of animal interacting
10. Save enrichment entry

Enrichment Rotation: View enrichment history to ensure variety and avoid habituation. System can suggest enrichment items that haven't been used recently.

Effectiveness Analysis: Compare engagement ratings across enrichment types to identify preferences and optimise enrichment programmes.

Recording Behavioural Observations

1. Navigate to Experience Assessments → Behaviour Observations
2. Click "New Observation"
3. Select animal or group
4. Record observation details:
   • Date & time: When observation occurred
   • Observer: Who recorded the behaviour
   • Observation period: Duration (spot check or continuous observation)
   • Environmental conditions: Weather, visitor presence, time of day
5. Log behaviours observed:
   • Natural behaviours: Foraging, playing, exploring, social interactions
   • Abnormal behaviours: Stereotypies, aggression, lethargy, self-harm
   • Activity states: Active, resting, feeding, socialising
   • Location use: Which areas of exhibit are used
6. Rate behaviour as:
   • Positive (desirable, species-typical)
   • Neutral (neither good nor bad)
   • Concerning (requires monitoring)
   • Urgent (requires immediate intervention)
7. Add detailed notes and context
8. Attach video if available
9. Save observation

Behavioural Budgets: System can generate time-budget reports showing percentage of time spent in different behaviours, comparing to species norms.

Red Flags: Automatic alerts if concerning behaviours are logged or if normal behaviours are absent from recent observations.

Conducting Environmental Quality Assessments

1. Go to Experience Assessments → Environmental Quality
2. Select exhibit to assess
3. Evaluate key environmental factors:
   • Space Adequacy: Size appropriate for species and group size?
   • Complexity: Varied topography, multiple zones, micro-habitats
   • Naturalistic Elements: Plants, substrates, water features, naturalistic features
   • Environmental Control: Temperature, humidity, lighting appropriate and adjustable
   • Safety: Hazards minimised, escape-proof, safe for staff access
4. Rate each factor on scale (typically 1-5)
5. Identify strengths to maintain
6. Flag areas for improvement
7. Suggest specific modifications
8. Estimate resources required (budget, time, expertise)
9. Prioritise improvements (quick wins vs. major projects)
10. Save assessment

Best Practice Standards:

• Exhibits should offer choice (multiple zones for different activities)
• Animals should be able to retreat from view when desired
• Environmental enrichment should be integrated into exhibit design
• Regular rotation of features maintains novelty
• Exhibits should enable natural behaviours specific to the species

Improvement Tracking: Link environmental modifications to future assessments to measure impact on environmental quality scores and animal welfare.

Measuring Impact of Improvements

1. Before making changes, conduct baseline assessment
2. Document the specific modification:
   • What was changed (new enrichment, habitat modification, routine change)
   • Why the change was made (address welfare concern, improve engagement)
   • Expected outcome
   • Implementation date
3. Schedule follow-up assessments:
   • Short-term (1-2 weeks after change)
   • Medium-term (1-3 months)
   • Long-term (6-12 months)
4. Compare assessment scores before and after
5. Analyse specific metrics:
   • Welfare scores
   • Enrichment engagement
   • Behaviour patterns
   • Visitor feedback
   • Educational outcomes
6. Determine if change was effective:
   • Success: Scores improved, maintain changes
   • Partial success: Some improvement, refine approach
   • No change: Try different intervention
   • Negative impact: Reverse change, try alternative

Evidence-Based Husbandry: This data-driven approach ensures you're making informed decisions about animal care and exhibit design.

Sharing Success: Document successful interventions to share with colleagues and contribute to industry best practices.