One Health, One Welfare: A Unifying Framework for Zoos

Zoos and aquariums have long faced the challenge of integrating conservation, animal care and welfare, and efforts to connect people with nature. Although these priorities are central to modern, accredited zoos, they are often addressed by separate teams within an organization, which may limit opportunities for collaboration and broader impact. One Health, One Welfare (OHOW) offers an interdisciplinary framework that promotes the shared health and wellbeing of people, animals, and the environments we share. We propose that OHOW can serve as a unifying framework to support zoo missions through more intentional integration of their diverse areas of expertise. We illustrate how existing zoo activities align with OHOW principles and highlight opportunities to strengthen connections between wildlife conservation, animal care and welfare, environmental and public health, and community engagement. Finally, we argue that zoos are uniquely positioned to play a leading role in OHOW initiatives including protecting wildlife, public health, and ecosystems around the world.