Animal Behaviour, Handling & Wellbeing (ANIM1014)

Course overview

Integration of basic & applied principles of animal behaviour & welfare, & provides for the application of these principles to the handling, management & care of companion, farm, recreational & wild animals.

Evidence of immunity to Q fever is mandatory for this course. Refer to UQ Student Immunisation Requirements for more information.

Course introduction and description

Animal welfare and behaviour studies sit at the critical intersection of science, ethics, and practical management. This course explores how understanding an animal's natural behaviors and welfare needs leads to more effective, ethical, and productive human-animal interactions. Students will discover how behavioural principles inform everything from facility design and handling techniques to optimising animal production while safeguarding welfare. We examine how knowledge of species-specific behaviour patterns enhances our ability to interpret animal communication, reduce stress during management procedures, and develop positive human-animal relationships. By integrating fundamental behavioural science with practical applications, this course prepares students to address contemporary challenges in companion animal care, livestock management, wildlife conservation, and recreational animal settings. Whatever career path you follow, these principles provide an essential foundation for evidence-based, welfare-centered animal management.

NOTE: This course has mandatory immunisation requirements due to an increased risk of Vaccine Preventable Diseases (VPD) for students working with animals or in agricultural environments. Students will be asked to provide evidence of immunity to Q fever via my.UQ My Requests as a condition of enrolment in this course. Refer to UQ Student Immunisation Requirements for more information.

At the School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability, we are committed to creating an inclusive and empowering learning environment for all students. We value and respect the diverse range of experiences our students bring to their education, and we believe that this diversity is crucial for fostering a rich culture of knowledge-sharing and meaningful exploration. We hold students and staff accountable for actively contributing to establishing a respectful and supportive learning environment.

Bullying, harassment, and discrimination in any form are strictly against our principles and againstﾠUQ Policy,ﾠand will not be tolerated. If you have any concerns about your experience in this course, we encourage you to tell a member of the course teaching team. Your well-being and a positive learning atmosphere are of utmost importance to us.

Course requirements

Incompatible

You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:

ANIM1007

Restrictions

Restricted to students who meet mandatory immunisation requirements.

Course contact

Course staff

Timetable

The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.

Additional timetable information

Course structure and Schedule:

This course consists of lectures and practical sessions.

Lectures:

• All students attend the same lecture schedule.

Practical sessions:

• Students will be assigned to groups during Week 1.
• Practical sessions occur on Mondays in either the 10am - 12noon time slot or the 1pm - 3pm time slot.
• Each student will attend only 6-7 practical sessions throughout the semester - no attendance is required in any of the other sessions.
• Each group's specific practical schedule will be published on the course Blackboard site.

Location and requirements:

• Practical session locations and required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) will be posted on Blackboard.

Communication:

• Any schedule changes will be announced via Blackboard.
• Students must check Blackboard announcements regularly.

All timetabled practicals have been identified as high-risk activities for Q-fever exposure.

Students are required to attend their scheduled practical sessions. For students who are unable to attend their practical for reasons beyond their control, further information can be found in the ‘Assessment > Additional Information’ section of this course profile, under “Absence from a Practical Session”. 

If you have any concerns regarding your official timetable or course allocations, or there are no suitable class times available, contact Faculty of Science Timetable science.mytimetable@uq.edu.au for advice. 

If you have any questions about missing class activities, please contact your course coordinator. 

Aims and outcomes

This course introduces the basic and applied principles of animal behaviour, and provides for the application of these principles to the handling, management and wellbeing of companion, farm, recreational and wild animals.

Learning outcomes

After successfully completing this course you should be able to:

Assessment

Assessment summary

A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.

Assessment details

In-Semester Examination

• Identity Verified
• In-person

Mode

Written

Category

Examination

Weight

20%

Due date

In-semester Saturday

6/09/2025 - 20/09/2025

Task description

Exam details

Submission guidelines

Deferral or extension

You may be able to defer this exam.

Animal Behaviour Report

• Online

Mode

Written

Category

Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Project

Weight

30%

Due date

19/09/2025 2:00 pm

Task description

Submission guidelines

Turnitin submission details: 

You must submit your Assessment task, in Blackboard, via the Turnitin link by the submission deadline. You should also retain an electronic copy of every piece of assessment you submit.

Legal Declaration: 

By submitting your work via this website, you formally declare that (1) it is your own original work, and no part of the work has been copied from any other source or person except where due acknowledgement is made; (2) no part of the work has been previously submitted for assessment in this or any other institution; and (3) you have read the Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy (https://policies.uq.edu.au/document/view-current.php?id=149) and understand its implications. 

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

Submission of an Extension of Assessment Due Date (EADD) should be completed online through your My Requests tab via my.UQ Dashboard, in accordance with the University's Assessment Procedure (located in the Policies and Procedures section of this course profile) which outlines the requirements for requesting extensions to assessment due dates. Extensions require the correct evidence/documentation to support the requested length of time of the extension.

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

For example, a report worth a maximum of 40 marks, submitted 28 hours late will attract a penalty of 8 marks, calculated as 2 periods of 24 hours x 10% x 40 marks.

Assessment deadlines are firm and must be met. Late submission without permission or non-submission of assessable work will result in penalties being applied. Late submission of assessment will only be granted for documented medical reasons, accident, bereavement, jury service and other circumstances allowed in the UQ Policies and Procedures Library (PPL). 

End-of-Semester Examination

• Hurdle
• Identity Verified
• In-person

Mode

Written

Category

Examination

Weight

50%

Due date

End of Semester Exam Period

8/11/2025 - 22/11/2025

Task description

Hurdle requirements

Exam details

Submission guidelines

Deferral or extension

You may be able to defer this exam.

Course grading

Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.

Additional course grading information

Course Grading Rules and Assessment Hurdles

• Students are required to achieve a passing mark in the End-of-Semester Examination in order to pass the course.ﾠ

If a student obtains an overall percentage greater than the cut-offs set to achieve a 4 or higher for the course based on marks from a combination of progressive assessment and the final exam and the student does NOT score a passing markﾠfor the End-of-Semester Exam, they are unable to achieve a grade higher than a 3 (failing grade) for the course.

Supplementary assessment

Supplementary assessment is available for this course.

Should you fail a course with a grade of 3, you may be eligible for supplementary assessment. Refer to my.UQ for information on supplementary assessment and how to apply. 

Supplementary assessment provides an additional opportunity to demonstrate you have achieved all the required learning outcomes for a course.  

If you apply and are granted supplementary assessment, the type of supplementary assessment set will consider which learning outcome(s) have not been met.  

Supplementary assessment can take any form (such as a written report, oral presentation, examination or other appropriate assessment) and may test specific learning outcomes tailored to the individual student, or all learning outcomes. 

To receive a passing grade of 3S4, you must obtain a mark of 50% or more on the supplementary assessment. 

Additional assessment information

Please note the following when writing assignments

You must not re-use past work from previous assessments in your assignments.

Academic Integrity and Plagiarism 

All reported work must be done by the individual student. Assignments that look and sound alike will be reported as plagiarism – a serious offence at UQ. Please note the university’s policy on academic integrity and plagiarism which can be accessed at Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy. 

Turnitin

Assignments that are required to be submitted through TurnItIn, must only be uploaded to the assessment specific Turnitin link on the relevant course Blackboard site. If you submit any version of your assessment item to any alternative Turnitin link, this is considered cheating and you will be held liable for this action.

Release of marks

Unless specifically indicated by the lecturer involved, every attempt will be made to have the results for progressive assessment tasks available within 3 weeks of submission. For items of assessment submitted in the last 2 weeks of the semester, the results will be available before the day of your end of semester examination in the course, unless otherwise indicated by the Course Coordinator. Results and feedback availability will be advised to you by email or announced via the course Blackboard site.ﾠ

Feedback in this course

Feedback is welcome (positive or negative) on this course as any information on how students find this learning experience is constructive.

Please use the evaluation form provided to you at the end of semester - or if you are enrolled internally, a course evaluation process will occur in the last few weeks of semester.

Re-mark Applications – refer to the University's Re-mark Policy to check your eligibility

Before applying for a remark, students should consider the following:

• You have consulted the course coordinator for feedback
• Yourﾠacademic grounds for remark have been discussed and are valid
• Wanting a higher grade is not grounds for a remark. A remark can decrease your grade.

Remark applications will not be considered without first having contacted your course Co-ordinator.

Practical class attendance

You must complete and adhere to the OHS paperwork/relevant inductions to attend practical classes. 

For In Person students, there are Practical Classes scheduled as per your timetable. The practicals run for approximately 3 hours and may be a combination of laboratory-based and field-based activities. 

Absence from a Practical Session

If you are unable to complete your timetabled practical session because of circumstances beyond your control (e.g., illness) you must submit a practical absence request immediately accompanied by acceptable supporting documentation.

 A list of acceptable reasons and required supporting documentation is found at https://my.uq.edu.au/information-and-services/manage-my-program/exams-and-assessment/applying-assessment-extension?p=1#1   

 Your request must be submitted prior to or on the day of the missed practical. The submission link can be found in the Learning Resources (Blackboard Original) or Course Resources (Blackboard Ultra) folder in your course Blackboard site.

 Requests without the correct supporting documentation may not be approved. If the reason for your absence is not approved, you will be considered as absent from that practical session.

 It is your responsibility to submit an application and provide correct documentation.

·       There may be opportunities to reschedule you into a later practical session. Please contact the course coordinator to discuss alternative practical session availability. Students with approval will be prioritised.

·       If you miss a practical, you will need to ensure you review the associated online module in order to prepare for the final exam.

 If you require further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact the School - agriculture@enquire.uq.edu.au. 

Learning resources

You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.

Library resources

Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.

Other course materials

Additional learning resources information

Chastain CB (2018) Animal Handling and Physical Restraint. CRC Press, Boca Raton.... eBook available from library

Fowler ME (2008). Restraint and Handling of Wild and Domestic Animals, 3rd edition. Wiley-Blackwell, Ames... available from library

Houpt KA (2010). Domestic Animal Behavior for Veterinarians and Animal Scientists, 5th edition. Blackwell Publishing, Ames... available from library

Learning activities

The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.

Policies and procedures

University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:

• Student Code of Conduct Policy
• Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
• Assessment Procedure
• Examinations Procedure
• Reasonable Adjustments for Students Policy and Procedure

Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.

You'll also need to be aware of the following policies and procedures while completing this course:

• Vaccinations and Immunisation Procedure

Course guidelines

Student immunisation requirements

The University policy Vaccination and Immunisation (Vaccinations and Immunisation Guideline / Document / Policy and Procedure Library) provides information about immunisation and screening requirements related to programs and courses. Failure to comply with student immunisation requirements can lead to an increased risk of serious illness occurring. Therefore, non-compliance will result in the relevant course/s being dropped from your enrolment under Section 3 of the Enrolment policy (Enrolment Procedure / Document / Policy and Procedure Library).