Empathy for Inverts

Perhaps the most important change in zoos and aquariums over the course of the past few decades has been our increased focus on animal welfare, or as some facilities now frame it, "animal well-being."  Whereas zoos of the past were more heavily focused on the physical health of animals, modern institutions now take a holistic view of the physical, social, behavior, and mental (even emotional) lives of the animals to make sure the wellness is being promoted at all levels.  Not surprisingly, this philosophy was first applied to the species that we relate to the most - primates, elephants, carnivores, and marine mammals.  Over the years, this "sphere of well-being" has been expanding.  When I started off in the field, no one thought for a second about enrichment for reptiles, or asked if their amphibians were "happy."  As our understanding of animals and their needs has continued to develop, however, we continually find ourselves applying these questions to more and more species.

Invertebrates, I would say, represent that final frontier.

While zoologists have historically been encouraged to eschew anthropomorphism - the attribution of human traits to non-humans - the truth is that assessing the well-being of an animal requires putting yourself in its headspace and considering how it might experience the world.  In a way, it's the opposite of anthropomorphism - zoomorphism, when we try to think of things as the animal would.  With some species, it's easier than others.  But how do you look at the world through the eight eyes of a tarantula?  And a tarantula is a piece of cake compared to a jellyfish, or coral.  How do you relate to an animal that doesn't have a face or doesn't move?  And what about a hive of bees?

Many zoos feed live invertebrates - especially crickets and mealworms, but also roaches, earthworms, and others to their animals.  How should the welfare of those animals be considered?  In many zoos, surplus invertebrates, such as the rapidly-reproduced offspring of a Madagascar hissing cockroach colony, are culled and used as feeders.  Is that a problem?

There have to be some modifications to our understood wellness parameters, obviously, when working with some of these species.  The important questions to ask are 

    1.) are they healthy and safe (unless they become feeders, of course...)?  

    2.) are they give the chance to express natural behavior?

    and, most importantly...

    3.) are caretakers constantly open to learning more and open to improving the parameters of the animals' care if new information comes to light that could improve that care

We're constantly learning new things in this field that enable us to take better care of animals.  I'll never be embarrassed for past animal care practices if we honestly thought we were doing our best, or if we are limited by circumstance.  It's only embarrassing if we know how to do better and willingly don't do it.  And that extends to those animals that we've traditionally considered the "least of these."