In nature, many species can be very difficult to study, for example because of the difficult terrain or the rarity of the species. In a zoo, on the other hand, it is easy to study animal behaviour and reproduction, for example. Transportable camera systems give us information on animal movements and behaviour around the clock.
Research can also improve the welfare of animals in human care, for example by developing new enrichments by studying animals’ preferences for different sounds and videos.
The research is carried out in close cooperation with various universities and companies supplying research equipment. These include the University of Helsinki, Aalto University, Forum Virium and Logmore. Korkeasaari Zoo’s Wildlife Hospital is an important source of research material for the study of Finnish wild animals.
Monitoring techniques
The main tools used to monitor animals and their conditions are camera systems and remote monitoring devices, which can be used to monitor ambient temperature, humidity, light cycles, etc. This can ensure, for example, that in tropical houses the temperature and humidity in the animal enclosures are at the right level and that the amount of light is not too high at night. In the zoo, each animal can be recognized: for example, Korkeasaari Zoo has been involved in a game camera study to better identify feline individuals in the wild.
The tracking technology is used not only in the enclosures, but also during animal transports. Noise measurements are used to study the comfort of the animals in the enclosure, for example during construction projects. Thermal imaging can be used to monitor the condition and even the mood of the animal. In fact, thermal imaging techniques to measure animal emotions have been developed in a study conducted in Korkeasaari Zoo.
Research proceeds on the terms of the animals
Animal welfare is the ethical foundation of everything Korkeasaari Zoo does. When planning a new research, the benefits for both the animal individual and the species are weighed up.
The animals living in the zoo are not test subjects, and the research must not cause them significant harm. For example, when Korkeasaari Zoo studied the effects of anaesthetics on different species, the animals were not anaesthetised for the study, but the data was collected while the veterinarian had to anaesthetise the animals for other treatments. Research on the effects of anaesthetics is also useful outside the zoo setting.
Animal preferences can be measured without interfering with the animal’s freedom of choice. The interest of the small monkeys in different sounds was studied by developing a device for the white-faced sakis at Korkeasaari Zoo, which the animals could choose to use. For several weeks, they controlled the operation of the sound source in their own habitat, and their use of the device was monitored using motion sensors and cameras.
Collecting data of individuals and species to databases
A register is kept of the current and past animals of Korkeasaari Zoo on the Species360’s Zoological Information Management System ZIMS. The system contains individual-level data on animals and thus species, and is used as a database internationally for zoos and wildlife research institutes. Data is stored in zoos, public aquariums, wildlife rescue centres and research institutes on more than 10 million animal individuals – including the animals of Korkeasaari Zoo. International researchers have the opportunity to use this data in their work.
Almost all animals that die or are euthanised at Korkeasaari Zoo are examined by the Department of Veterinary Pathology at the University of Helsinki or the Finnish Food Authority, and the examination reports are stored. The information from these records helps to improve treatment practices. Some of the animals are sent to the collections of the Finnish Museum of Natural History for possible future educational and research use. In this way the animals, even after their death, contribute to the knowledge of the management and biology of the species. In some cases, blood and tissue samples or reproductive cells can also be stored by freezing.