Welfare: Ethical considerations of captive wild animals and current legislation.

Handling and restraint: Correct handling and restraint techniques in different situations for a range of species, capture techniques, welfare considerations during handling and restraint, health and safety when handling and restraining animals, use of appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and handling equipment, preparation for the transportation of animals.

Accommodation: The physiological and psychological needs of animals, designing appropriate accommodation, legislation relevant to animal housing, cleaning and maintaining a variety of different animal accommodation, the appropriateness of different barriers, substrate/bedding, furnishings and enrichment.

Disease prevention: Carrying out health checks on a range of different species, signs of health and ill health, appropriate use of equipment required to carry out health checks, suitable approaches to disease prevention in animals, zoonotic diseases.

Feeding: Basic nutritional requirements of a range of different species of animal, the maintenance of appropriate feed records, storage of feed, feeding equipment, feeding systems, practical feeding of a range of species.

Behaviour: The identification of normal and abnormal reproductive, maintenance, feeding and social behaviours in a range of species, causes of abnormal behaviours including stress, pain, fear, measurement of behaviour and the production of ethograms, control of behaviour, the development of behaviour, play behaviour, types of communication and communication behaviour, homeostasis and behaviour, animal perception, social organisation.

Enrichment: The use of enrichment to improve welfare, types of enrichment appropriate for different species, the appropriate use of enrichment.

Immunity: Structure of viruses, bacteria and protozoa, first defence, cell mediated and humeral immunity, structure of antibodies and antigens, lymphocytes, phagocytes, innate and acquired immunity, role of fever and inflammatory response.

Diseases, disorders and injuries: Aetiology, causes, treatment, prevention and management of specific diseases, disorders and injuries in a range of animals, traditional and alternative therapies.

Infectious Agents: Lifecycles of endo and ectoparasites, virology and bacteriology, anthelmintics

This module will be assessed by two elements:

Assessment 1 is a 2500 word journal where learners reflect upon the knowledge and skills they have developed during practical sessions relating to the husbandry of captive animals and the analysis and management of captive animal behaviour. This could be completed utilising sessions in the college animal unit and/or work experience placement. (LO 1, 2 and 3)

Assignment 2 is a 2 hour examination covering animal health. (LO 4 and 5)

The module will also involve a range of formative assessment techniques to assess learning and progress throughout the module including self, peer and tutor evaluation, targeted questioning and analysis of techniques and skills.

Although this intended as a face to face delivery module, there is opportunity and expectation that there is flexibility in the delivery of the theory elements and use of online and remote learning will be available as required

This module will be delivered via classroom sessions (30 hours over 2 semesters) that will deliver theory via a range of methods such as traditional lectures, group activities, guest speakers, individual tasks, questioning, role play, modelling, kinaesthetic activities, short research tasks and tutorials and seminars to develop underpinning knowledge and understanding and practical sessions (90 hours over two semesters or as full time week blocks) involving a wide range of animal husbandry skills and experiences on our Animal Zone.

On top of this it is expected that students will partake in at least 280 hours of independent learning for this module. This will include, but is not limited to, preparation for classroom sessions (60hrs), extending classroom notes via extended reading and research (60 hrs), completion of tasks leading from classroom sessions and VLE based tasks (80hrs) and research, planning and completion of final assessment pieces (80hrs)

Technology enhanced learning: All module material will be made available electronically on a Microsoft Teams based virtual learning environment. This will include the ability for students to access some lectures remotely - either live or via asynchronous delivery of voiced over slides, screen capture demonstrations or in house produced training videos. This will also allow formative tasks and in class exercises to be completed and reviewed live. It will allow the linking of technology based supplementary material including, but not limited to, journal links, live seminars and conferences, you tube videos, animal live webcams at zoos and wild areas, online software such as Google Map layers and MINITAB. Use of collaborative learning platforms (e.g. Google whiteboard), Quizizz and other interactive learning, progress and assessment tools and the internet in general will also be used to enhance learning. The college has bookable laptops for student use in all teaching blocks for students that do not have their own hardware to access this material in classroom based sessions. Students will also have their own ProPortal page that can be used to monitor and track their pastoral and academic progress, career development and personal targets and is managed by the tutor through ProMonitor.
Work placements are logged and tracked through Grofar, within which, students, tutors and placement mentors can communicate and track learning.

1. Demonstrate knowledge and skills for correct animal handling and husbandry techniques.

Knowledge and Understanding
Problem Solving
Application

2. Construct behavioural ethograms and apply them to animal behaviour measurement techniques.

Enquiry
Application

3. Investigate and appreciate the importance of appropriate enrichment and application of current techniques.

Analysis
Problem solving

4. Demonstrate knowledge of the underlying concepts of immunity to provide a greater understanding of disease development and maintenance of healthy animals.

Knowledge and understanding
Learning

5. Recognise and describe a range of animal parasites, disorders, diseases and injuries and their causes and evaluate their progression, treatment, prevention and management.

Knowledge and Understanding
Problem Solving

ITC Facilities with internet access
Staffordshire University Library
Well-equipped classroom facilities
Rodbaston Animal Zone
~150 hectare managed college owned estate of mixed arable and livestock farmland, ancient woodland, wetlands, ponds, pools and grasslands
Appropriately equipped laboratory
Virtual Learning Environment
Learning Support Centre
Industry Links

Essential Reading

Hosey, G., Melfi, V. and Pankhurst, S. (2013) Zoo Animals: Behaviour, Management and Welfare. Oxford University Press

Bateson, P & Martin, P (2007) Measuring Behaviour. An Introductory Guide. Cambridge University Press

Recommended Reading

Boden, E. (2005) Blacks Veterinary Dictionary, 21st Ed. A and C Black Publishers Ltd.

Campbell, K. L., Campbell, J. R., and Corbin, J. (2008) Companion Animals: Their Biology, Care, Health and Management. 2nd Ed. Prentice Hall.

Fowler, M (2008) Restraint and Handling of Wild and Domestic Animals. Blackwell Publishing.

Techniques for Zoos (2020) Enrichment Evaluation Logbook for Zoo Animals: Evaluate the effectiveness of 75 enrichments. Independently Published


Journals
Conservation Biology
Zoology
Zoo Biology
International Zoo Yearbook
Behavioural Ecology
Animal Behaviour
The UFAW Journal – Animal Welfare