The Five Domains of Potential Welfare

• The model describes four physical domains, concerned with animal’s biological function (or physical well-being) and the fifth ‘affective state’ or psychological (Mental) wellbeing.
• Four physical domains are Environment, Health, Nutrition and Behaviour
• The fifth domain is the experiences an animal undergoes and is affected by the four physical domains.
• These are all the factors we control for an animal in captivity and therefore we have significant influence over how an animal under our care is feeling.

a. Environment:

• Positive: Thermal comfort, padded bedding, fresh air
• Negative: Extreme temperatures, restricted space, injurious/hard surfaces, harsh scents

b. Mental state:

• Positive: pleasure of eating, drinking, physical comfort and sensory stimulation, opportunities to express natural behaviors, experience appropriate social groupings, choice and control over environment
• Negative: hunger and thirst, thermal stress, physical and sensory discomfort, boredom, pain, fear, frustration, loneliness

c. Nutrition:

• Positive: Sufficient food and water, varied food tastes, smells, textures, Nutritionally appropriate
• Negative: Restricted food and water intake, unvarying diet, poor food quality, inappropriate feeding frequency

d. Behavior

• Positive: exploration, appropriate socialization opportunities, exercise and play
• Negative: Threating circumstances, no behavioral stimulation or appropriate social groupings

e. Health

• Positive: Injury free, robust good health and level of fitness
• Negative: Acute or chronic injury, ill health, poor physical fitness, physically disabled/diseased