Samenvatting

Zoos in Europe developed in different ways. Whereas zoos in West-Europa flourished in the 19th century, zoos in Middle and East-Europe experienced harder times. Nowadays zoos demand more from their zookeepers. But, zookeepers from the Croatian zoo Zagreb Zoo do not have the educational background that is required in modern zoos. Zagreb Zoo must conform to the modern zoo standards such as that from EAZA. In these standards is also mentioned that keeping animal records is demanded for a EAZA membered zoo. A possible solution to train zookeepers in keeping animal records is a training program about record keeping. To develop this training program, more insight in record keeping is needed. The aim of this research is to define how unusual events or abnormal situations can be recognized during the daily work of a zookeeper and how these events or situations can be best communicated through daily reports. Furthermore, there is a focus on the possibility of placing these events and situations under overarching themes for the benefit of better communication of these events and situations. All of this is done to gain insight in the motivation, knowledge and skills that are required for the improvement of the quality of record keeping in Zagreb Zoo. This advice is then used to develop a training program for the zookeepers in Zagreb Zoo.