Standardised scoring system to assess the welfare of Yangtze finless porpoises (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis)

The current study represents the second phase of developing the Yangtze Finless Porpoise Welfare Assessment Protocol (YFP-WAP), guided by the Five Domains model (FDM). Based on previously validated indicators, it aimed to create a scoring system to quantify welfare states. Application of the FDM grading system to the YFP-WAF revealed that indicators with higher scores influenced overall outcomes disproportionately, highlighting limitations in the original approach. As a result, a new scoring system was developed to ensure a more balanced contribution from all indicators across domains. The scoring system allows the separate quantification of welfare enhancement and compromise to prevent compensation between positive and negative experiences. It employs the sum of numerical values for each indicator, along with a percentage-based normalisation system to account for variations in indicator numbers across domains, ensuring balanced contributions to final welfare scores. In addition, a preliminary ‘Critical Scoring’ tool was created, which prioritises key indicators to identify urgent welfare issues before full assessment. Through the implementation of a standardised, transparent, and adaptable scoring method, the YFP-WAP aims to support individual-level welfare monitoring to improve the living conditions of captive porpoises and facilitate interventions for ex situ breeding programmes of YFP, and other closely related species. Despite challenges associated with fully capturing the complexity of welfare dynamics, this framework offers a practical and scientifically grounded approach for the assessment of the welfare of Yangtze finless porpoises (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis) under human care, that can also be applied or adapted to other cetacean species