Comprehensive Guide to the Science of Animal Care & Welfare
Topics include: Creating care plans, Behavioral and Physiological Assessments, Habitat design, Enrichment, Operant conditioning through PRT, Creating a culturre of safety, Adopting a philosophy of care, regulatory compliance, and more.
Thriving Through Evidence-Based, Individualized Care
A focus on what it means for an animal to thrive, rather than merely survive, in human care -- highlighting the foundation that each animal is an individual with individual challenges, needs, preferences, and avenues to thriving; dynamics that can only be determined through evidence.
A Course for Anyone Involved in the Care and Welfare of Animals
This course is tailored towards anyone working with animals in any capacity. Whether in a zoo, a laboratory, a sanctuary, or any other type of facility, the fundamentals explored in this course are universal.
About the Course
Every animal in human care deserves the opportunity to thrive, not merely survive. Achieving this requires a deliberate, evidence-based approach to curation that moves beyond generic protocols and minimal standards. In this program, you will learn how to properly assess individual animals, develop meaningful care plans grounded in behavioral and physiological data, design habitats and enrichment that address each animal’s specific challenges and barriers to thriving, and apply operant conditioning through positive reinforcement training with clarity and purpose. You will also explore how to build the organizational culture and philosophy that makes high-quality care sustainable. Designed for anyone working with animals in zoos, sanctuaries, laboratories, or any other type of facility that provides animal care, this course provides a practical framework for delivering care that allows animals to truly thrive as the species and individuals they are.
Course Begins 7 September 2026
This is a limited enrollment course, so enroll now to reserve your spot.
Meet Your Instructor
With over 25 years of experience, Andrew Halloran is a recognized animal care and welfare expert. Dr. Halloran’s work has been transformational at both sanctuaries and zoos. He specializes in welfare assessments, creating individual and group care plans, enclosure design, and creating robust enrichment programs. He has authored philosophies and standards of care for various facilities. In addition to his work with captive animals, Dr. Halloran co-founded the Tonkolili Chimpanzee Project in Sierra Leone — a community based conservation initiative which seeks to mitigate conflict between wild chimpanzees and their human neighbours by providing alternative agriculture and methods of preserving exiting chimpanzee habitat in the face of rampant deforestation and human population growth. Dr. Halloran is the author of the book Animal Curation: The science of care & welfare (Cambridge University Press 2025). He is also the author of popular science books The Song of the Ape (St. Martin’s Press 2012) and Lion Shaped Mountain (Elgin Press 2021).
Course Curriculum
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1
The Curatio Fundamentorum
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The Curatio Fundamentorum
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2
Defining "Thriving"
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3
The Species-Specifics of Thriving
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4
Measures of Thriving
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5
Barriers and Challenges to Thriving
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6
The Environment
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The Environment
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7
Compensation in an Artificial Environment
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Compensation in an Artificial Environment
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8
Psychological and Emotional Health
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9
Physiological Health
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10
Operant Conditioning
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11
The Culture of an Animal Care Organization
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12
Pitfalls
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