Jessica Harley

Lecturer and Course Manager

Jessica has a Master of Research from the University of Chester and ten years of academic and industry research experience. She is the former Chair of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) Animal Welfare Working Group (2016-2022) and co-editor of the BIAZA Animal Welfare Toolkit, which provides welfare theory, audit tools and guidelines for the welfare assessment of animals in managed care. Jessica is also a member of the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums (EAZA) Research Committee, a section editor for the Journal of Zoo and Aquarium Research (JZAR), and an advisor to the Amur Leopard EEP Species Committee. In addition, she is the author of several peer-reviewed publications and the recently published book chapter ‘Behavioural biology in animal collection planning and conservation’ in Rose (2023) Behavioural Biology of Zoo Animals. Jessica is also interested in equine behaviour and welfare, and her research includes the development of protocols for welfare assessment in free-roaming horses. Jessica is committed to developing tools, resources and training that enable practical and reliable evaluation of the welfare of intensively and extensively managed animals.

Research Interests

Developing and applying welfare assessment and quality of life (QoL) protocols for intensively and extensively managed animals.
Effects of noise and anthropogenic events on the behaviour of animals

Publications

McDonald, S., Harley, J. J., & Hockenhull, J. (2024). A comparison of the welfare of free-ranging native pony herds on common land with those used for conservation grazing in the UK. Animal Welfare, 33, e30, 1-11.
Harley, J. J., Tracey, R., Stanley, C. R., & Banks, L. (2024). Management of intraspecific aggression in two bull giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis ssp. rothschildi). Zoo Biology, 1–8.
Williams E, Fulwell T, Walsh ND, Harley JJ, Johnson B. 2023. The Impacts of Evening Events in Zoos: A Christmas Event at Knowsley Safari. Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens. 4(1):21-38.
Harley, J., 2023. Behavioural biology in animal collection planning and conservation. In The Behavioural Biology of Zoo Animals (pp. 11-19). CRC Press.
Harley, JJ, Rowden, LJ., Clifforde, LM., Power, A., Stanley, CR. 2022. A preliminary investigation of the effects of a concert on the behaviour of zoo animals, Zoo Biology, DOI:10.1002/zoo.21676
Harley, J.J., O’Hara, L. and Rose, P.E., 2021. A Global Survey of Current Zoo Housing and Husbandry Practices for Fossa: A Preliminary Review. Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens, 2(3), pp.388-405.
Harley, J.J., Stack, J.D., Braid, H., McLennan, K.M. and Stanley, C.R., 2021. Evaluation of the Feasibility, Reliability, and Repeatability of Welfare Indicators in Free-Roaming Horses: A Pilot Study. Animals, 11(7), p.1981.
Stack, J.D. and Harley, J., 2021. Diagnosis and treatment of sacroiliac joint region pain in horses. UK-Vet Equine, 5(4), pp.150-157.
Clifforde, L.M.; Harley, J.J. 2021. Animal Welfare Toolkit: Zoo Events and Animal Management. BIAZA: London, UK
Harley, J., and Clark, F.E., 2019. BIAZA Animal Welfare Toolkit. BIAZA: London, UK.
Hosey G., Harley, J.J., Ward, S. 2019. Research and Research Training in BIAZA Zoos and Aquariums. Journal of Zoo and Aquarium Research, 7(4): 210-217
Harley, J.J., Chaisson, J., Handel, I. 2019. Effects of construction and operation of an amusement ride on the behaviour of a pair of Amur tigers (Panthera tigris altaica). Journal of Zoo and Aquarium Research, 7(4): 218-222
Harley, J.J., Power, A., and Stack, JD. 2019. Investigation of the efficacy of the GnRH agonist deslorelin in mitigating intraspecific aggression in captive male Amur leopards (Panthera pardus orientalis). Zoo Biology, 38(2): 214-219.
Rose, PE., Harley, J.J., and Riley, L. 2017. More than mammals and more than food: A review of the environmental enrichment workshops at the 19th BIAZA Research Conference. RATEL Journal of the Association of British and Irish Wild Animal Keepers, 43(3):18-20.
Kelly, P., Stack, D., & Harley, J. 2013. A review of the proposed reintroduction program for the far eastern leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis) and the role of conservation organizations, veterinarians, and zoos. Topics in companion animal medicine, 28(4), 163-166

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Jessica Harley

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Animal Science Courses

Animal Science

Cert HE Animal Management (Behaviour and Welfare)

Animal Science

Cert HE Zoo Management

Animal Science

BSc (Hons) Applied Zoology with Placement Year

Animal Science

BSc (Hons) in Applied Zoology

Animal Science

BSc (Hons) in Veterinary Nursing

Access to Higher Education

Access to Higher Education Diploma (Land Based Studies)

Animal Science

BSc (Hons) Zoo Management (Top-Up)

Animal Science

Foundation Degree Zoo Management

Animal Science

Foundation Degree in Animal Management (Behaviour and Welfare)

Animal Science

BSc (Hons) Animal Management (Behaviour and Welfare) (Top-Up)