UK's Zoos Leap Forward with "Overdue" Welfare Reforms!

In the UK, zoos are revamping how they care for animals, thanks to new welfare reform standards published by the Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (Defra). These are the first changes in over ten years, focusing on improved habitats like natural enclosures for elephants, banning stressful touch pools, and ending long-term tethering of birds. The reforms also prioritize breeding programs and conservation efforts, aiming to save species from extinction. Animal Welfare Minister Baroness Hayman heralds this as a generational leap, impacting both zoos and aquariums across Britain.