Making sense of it all: The importance of taking into account the sensory abilities of animals in their housing and management

In this selective review, examples are given of how different animal species use different sensory modalities in different ways. These examples serve to illustrate that we should not forget to take sensory abilities of the animals that we manage into account to ensure or improve their welfare. As humans we use predominantly vision and hearing, and do not always consider the housing and handling of animals as it is perceived by them. Through published studies on the use of sight, hearing, touch, and smell by different species, this review shows that these sensory modalities, alone or in combination, are pivotal for appropriate management of animals in our care. This includes exposure to and use of appropriate stimuli, as well as removal of potentially stressful sensory inputs. Such measures are important not only for the validity of research results, but also for improved animal welfare and production.