Conservation
Conservation
Minister Heydon launches Dublin Zoo’s Animal Welfare Master Plan
Wed 8 April 2026 - 1 min read
Animal Welfare Master Plan Launch
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon has today launched Dublin Zoo’s Animal Welfare Master Plan, which identifies strategic goals and actions the Zoo aims to achieve by the organisation’s bicentennial in 2031.
The plan was developed collaboratively by Dublin Zoo’s animal care, veterinary and curatorial teams, working alongside Dublin Zoos dedicated Behaviour and Welfare Scientist Lucy Stratford and in partnership with external researchers and academic experts.
Pictured are (L-R) Frank O’Sullivan, Veterinary surgeon, Dublin Zoo, Dr Christoph Schwitzer, Director of Dublin Zoo, Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon, TD, Lucy Stratford, Behaviour & Welfare Scientist, Dublin Zoo, Miguel Bueno, General Curator, Dublin Zoo © Patrick Bolger
Dublin Zoo’s appointment of a dedicated Behaviour and Welfare Scientist in October 2024 makes the organisation the first on the island of Ireland to employ a scientist dedicated exclusively to animal welfare and behaviour.
Along with the Animal Welfare Master Plan, these are the latest steps in Dublin Zoo’s long-standing dedication to ensuring that the welfare of the animals in its care underpins everything the organisation does.
Pictured are (L-R) Lucy Stratford, Behaviour & Welfare Scientist, Dublin Zoo, Dr Christoph Schwitzer, Director of Dublin Zoo, Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon © Patrick Bolger
At the heart of the Master Plan are four interlinked strategic goals, all underpinned by a set of clear actions to enable Dublin Zoo to achieve these goals by the organisation’s bicentennial:
- Culture: Dublin Zoo will empower staff by continuing to foster a culture of animal welfare science, ensuring animal welfare is a priority that permeates through all levels of the organisation
- Cycle: Dublin Zoo has a duty to ensure that the welfare of animals in its care is continually monitored, and steps are taken to enact positive change where needed
- Collaborate: Dublin Zoo will work collaboratively, both internally and with external organisations to better understand and advance the welfare of the animals in its care
- Communicate: Dublin Zoo is committed to sharing good welfare practises with colleagues, peers and its one million plus visitors each year
Dublin Zoo’s Animal Welfare Master Plan is the only publicly available animal welfare plan by a Zoo in Europe and one of very few worldwide, underlining Dublin Zoo’s commitment to communicating transparently and effectively on its animal welfare practices. This approach will help to enhance understanding of animal welfare among Dublin Zoo’s visitors in addition to fostering continued improvements in animal welfare practices through close collaboration with the wider zoo and aquarium community.
The Animal Welfare Master Plan builds upon Dublin Zoo’s Animal Welfare Policy which was published in 2020 and adheres to the highest standards set by independent professional industry bodies such as the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA), European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) and World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA).
At today’s launch, Dublin Zoo told the story of eastern bongo calf Nia’s post-natal care to demonstrate the stringent animal welfare practises within the organisation.
The Minister is pictured feeding the eastern bongos at their habitat in Dublin Zoo. © Patrick Bolger
Speaking at the launch today, Minister Heydon said; “Today’s launch of Dublin Zoo’s Animal Welfare Master Plan marks a significant milestone for the Zoo. This ambitious and transparent plan reflects a deep commitment to continuous improvement, collaboration, and innovation in the care of their animals. I commend the team at Dublin Zoo for their leadership in developing one of the only publicly available welfare plans in Europe, and for setting a clear course towards their 200th anniversary in 2031 with animal welfare firmly at its core.
“Animal welfare is a topic central to mine and my Department’s commitment to this area as well. We will be launching our own five-year strategy before the summer, for which we had over 1700 submissions in our recent public consultation.”
Director of Dublin Zoo Christoph Schwitzer said, “On behalf of the entire Dublin Zoo team, I’d like to thank Minister Heydon for launching our Animal Welfare Master Plan today. This plan is an integral part of our Dublin Zoo 200 strategy, which aims to transition Dublin Zoo into a zoo-based conservation organisation by the time of our 200th anniversary in 2031.
“We have set ourselves some ambitious goals in the plan, but we believe we can achieve them and as we strive to do so we will stimulate innovation and unlock new ways of working, all of which will serve to enhance the lives of animals in our care.”
Lucy Stratford, Behaviour and Welfare Scientist at Dublin Zoo said; “The development of Dublin Zoo’s Animal Welfare Master Plan has been very much a collaborative approach, with significant input from the animal care, curatorial and veterinary teams at Dublin Zoo as well as external researchers and academics.
“That ethos of collaboration is interwoven into our approach to animal welfare practice at Dublin Zoo, and the collective efforts of Dublin Zoo’s teams that led to Nia the eastern bongo calf surviving and thriving are a great example of this.”
Dublin Zoo’s Animal Welfare Master Plan can be found here.
Pictured are (L-R) Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon, TD, Dr Christoph Schwitzer, Director of Dublin Zoo © Patrick Bolger
