Papers · Articles
The Human Enclosure
A. C. Applebee, L. N. Combe · 2026
Abstract
Zoo welfare science has spent seventy-five years developing rigorous frameworks for evaluating whether captive environments meet the biological and psychological needs of complex social mammals. The Mellor Five Domains Model (2020), building on Hediger’s foundational work (1950, 1964, 1969), provides validated criteria for nutrition, environment, health, behavioral expression, and mental states. This paper applies those criteria – unchanged – to the living conditions of Homo sapiens in modern industrialized societies. The result is a welfare assessment that no competent zookeeper would accept for any species in their care. Across 18 welfare indicators drawn from established zoo science, human institutional environments score an average of 3.4 out of 10, compared to 6.4 for typical zoo enclosures.
Cite
Applebee, A. C., & Combe, L. N. (2026). The Human Enclosure [Preprint]. Omxus Press. https://neotheque.com/papers/human-enclosure/