Appendix A

Statement of Task

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will appoint a planning committee to organize and convene a workshop to discuss the current understanding of animal welfare challenges in research on wildlife and biologically diverse vertebrate animal species. The workshop will focus on issues associated with the unique welfare challenges of conducting research with species having diverse physiologies and behaviors and living in diverse habitats, for which the recommendations outlined in the current version of the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (8th edition) do not apply. By heightening awareness, increasing sensitivity, and promoting discussions on animal research and education for these non-traditional research animal species, the workshop will help inform the planning process for expanding guidelines for humane care and use of a wide diversity of animals both in traditional “brick-and-mortar” laboratory animal facilities and beyond (e.g., field laboratories and field stations, and terrestrial and aquatic settings under both captive and natural conditions). The workshop will include presentations and panel discussions to explore topics and questions such as:

• Understanding the growing needs of, and building strategies for, enhancing veterinary and Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) expertise on the health and welfare of wildlife and biologically diverse vertebrate animal species.
• Discussing resource options for improving the development and evaluation of IACUC protocols on research studies involving wildlife and biologically diverse vertebrate animal species interactions in captive and diverse natural environmental settings.
• Discussing bioethics associated with fieldwork practices (e.g., bleeding, euthanasia including thoracic compressions for small birds) and unique considerations for wildlife and biologically diverse vertebrate animal species; as well as welfare assessments amid other considerations such as unique physiological, behavioral, environmental, and/or husbandry needs of wildlife and biologically diverse vertebrate animal species.
• Discussing federal, state, and local regulatory and management challenges associated with research on terrestrial and aquatic wildlife and biologically diverse vertebrate animal species.
• Discussing opportunities for enhancing collaborations between IACUCs and researchers studying wildlife and biologically diverse vertebrate animal species, including animal–environment interactions, anthropogenic effects on environment and animal life, and the relation between animal, environmental, and human health.
• Discussing strategies, synergies, and collaborations within and among the wildlife and biologically diverse vertebrate animal research and biodiversity communities that could leverage national-level research resources, identify knowledge gaps, and facilitate knowledge acquisition and sharing.
• Reviewing the reasons and advantages for IACUC review of research using wildlife and biologically diverse vertebrate animal species, including regulatory compliance, public relations, and institutional protection.

The workshop presentations and discussions will be documented in a workshop proceedings authored by the rapporteur in accordance with the National Academies’ guidelines.