Dr Kris Descovich
Postdoctoral Researcher
Centre for Animal Welfare and Ethics
Postdoctoral Researcher
School of Veterinary Science
Researcher biography
Dr Descovich is an animal scientist working at the interface between welfare, behaviour, management and zoology. She is currently a Research Fellow in UQ's School of Veterinary Science working within the Animal Welfare Standards Project, a large international collaboration between Australia and China that aims to improve livestock management and welfare. Kris has a broad range of professional industry experience, having worked within zoos, veterinary clinics, and animal shelters. Dr Descovich's research is diverse and encompasses a range of topics in animal welfare science including captive wildlife management, pain identification in animals, novel welfare methods, and applied animal ethology.
Education
Graduate Certificate in Higher Education, Unitec Institute of Technology - 2016
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Queensland - 2012
Bachelor of Applied Science, Honours (BAppSc (Hons)), University of Queensland - 2008
Masters in Biostatistics, University of Queensland (In progress)
Employment
2019 - Current. Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Animal Welfare, University of Queensland
2015 - 2019. Lecturer in Animal Welfare. Unitec Institute of Technology, New Zealand
2013 - 2015. Research Fellow in Animal Welfare. University of Stirling, Scotland
Book Chapter
Berris, Karleah K. , Ruykys, Laura , Goldingay, Ross L. , Morrant, Damian S. , Packer, Jasmin G. , Descovich, Kris , Matthews, Alison , Coetsee, Amy , Nicolson, Vere , Horsup, Alan , Moseby, Katherine , Jose, Hayley Louise , Gill, Sarah J. and Taggart, David A. (2022). Wombats, bandicoots, bilbies, possums and gliders. Wildlife research in Australia: practical and applied methods. (pp. 401-411) edited by Bradley P. Smith, Helen P. Waudby, Corinne Alberthsen and Jordan O. Hampton. Clayton South, VIC, Australia: CSIRO Publishing. doi: 10.1071/9781486313457
Journal Articles
Campbell, Dana L.M., Kamboj, Madan Lal, Singh, Vijay Pal and Descovich, Kris (2022). Preface for the special issue of the 54th international congress of the ISAE. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 105807, 105807. doi: 10.1016/j.applanim.2022.105807
Li, Wenpeng, Yan, Chao, Descovich, Kris, Phillips, Clive J. C., Chen, Yongyou, Huang, Huijing, Wu, Xuan, Liu, Jian, Chen, Siyu and Zhao, Xingbo (2022). The effects of preslaughter electrical stunning on serum cortisol and meat quality parameters of a slow-growing Chinese chicken breed. Animals, 12 (20) 2866, 1-10. doi: 10.3390/ani12202866
Chang, Vysie, Descovich, Kris, Henning, Joerg and Allavena, Rachel (2022). Greyhound morbidity and mortality in Australia: A descriptive analysis of reported data from regulatory racing agencies. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 9 925948. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2022.925948
He, Shuai, Lin, Jiao, Jin, Qiongyu, Ma, Xiaohan, Liu, Zhongying, Chen, Hui, Ma, Ji, Zhang, Huancheng, Descovich, Kris, Phillips, Clive J. C., Hartcher, Kate and Wu, Zhonghong (2022). The relationship between animal welfare and farm profitability in cage and free-range housing systems for laying hens in China. Animals, 12 (16) 2090, 1-19. doi: 10.3390/ani12162090
Robinson, Lauren M., Crudge, Brian, Lim, Thona, Roth, Vichet, Gartner, Marieke, Naden, Kristina, Officer, Kirsty and Descovich, Kris (2022). Limitations and challenges of adapting subjective keeper questionnaires to non-Western sanctuary settings. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 251 105627, 105627. doi: 10.1016/j.applanim.2022.105627
Carnovale, Francesca, Xiao, Jin, Shi, Binlin, Arney, David, Descovich, Kris and Phillips, Clive J. C. (2022). Gender and age effects on public attitudes to, and knowledge of, animal welfare in China. Animals, 12 (11) 1367, 1-21. doi: 10.3390/ani12111367
Li, Pengtao, Fu, Tong, Cai, Amin, Descovich, Kris, Lian, Hongxia, Gao, Tengyun and Phillips, Clive J. C. (2022). Effect of peanut shell and rice husk bedding for dairy cows: an analysis of material properties and colostrum microbiota. Animals, 12 (5) 603. doi: 10.3390/ani12050603
Lefort, M.C., Cruickshank, R.H., Descovich, K., Adams, N.J., Barun, A., Emami-Khoyi, A., Ridden, J., Smith, V.R., Sprague, R., Waterhouse, B. and Boyer, S. (2022). Blood, sweat and tears: a review of non-invasive DNA sampling. Peer Community Journal, 2 e16. doi: 10.24072/pcjournal.98
Barreto, Michelle Orietta, Rey Planellas, Sonia, Yang, Yifei, Phillips, Clive and Descovich, Kris (2022). Emerging indicators of fish welfare in aquaculture. Reviews in Aquaculture, 14 (1) raq.12601, 343-361. doi: 10.1111/raq.12601
Yang, Yifei, Wang, Tingyun, Phillips, Clive J. C., Shao, Qingjun, Narayan, Edward and Descovich, Kris (2021). Knowledge of, and attitudes towards, live fish transport among aquaculture industry stakeholders in China: a qualitative study. Animals, 11 (9) 2678, 2678. doi: 10.3390/ani11092678
Li, Pengtao, Cai, Amin, Descovich, Kris, Fu, Tong, Lian, Hongxia, Gao, Tengyun and Phillips, Clive J. C. (2021). A comparison of rice husks and peanut shells as bedding materials on dairy cows’ preferences, behaviour, and health. Animals, 11 (7) 1887, 1-13. doi: 10.3390/ani11071887
Ford, Caitlin A. , Bellward, Liz , Phillips, Clive J. C. and Descovich, Kris (2021). Use of interactive technology in captive great ape management. Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens, 2 (2), 300-315. doi: 10.3390/jzbg2020021
Carnovale, Francesca, Jin, Xiao, Arney, David, Descovich, Kris, Guo, Wenliang, Shi, Binlin and Phillips, Clive J. C. (2021). Chinese public attitudes towards, and knowledge of, animal welfare. Animals, 11 (3) 855, 855-27. doi: 10.3390/ani11030855
Nash, Rebecca, Johnston, Helen, Robbins, Amy and Descovich, Kris (2021). The effect of enrichment filling and engagement time on regurgitation and reingestion behaviour in three zoo-housed orangutans. Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens, 2 (1), 10-20. doi: 10.3390/jzbg2010002
Amaya, Veronica, Descovich, Kris, Paterson, Mandy B. A. and Phillips, Clive J. C. (2020). Effects of music pitch and tempo on the behaviour of kennelled dogs. Animals, 11 (1) 10, 10-14. doi: 10.3390/ani11010010
Amaya, Veronica, Paterson, Mandy B.A., Descovich, Kris and Phillips, Clive J.C. (2020). Effects of olfactory and auditory enrichment on heart rate variability in shelter dogs. Animals, 10 (8) 1385, 1385-22. doi: 10.3390/ani10081385
Sinclair, Michelle, Zhang, Yu, Descovich, Kris and Phillips, Clive J.C. (2020). Farm animal welfare science in China—a bibliometric review of Chinese literature. Animals, 10 (3) 540, 1-21. doi: 10.3390/ani10030540
Forbes, Giverny, Crudge, Brian, Lewis, Kate, Officer, Kirsty and Descovich, Kris (2020). An observational study of the behaviour of captive rehabilitant sun bears (Helarctos malayanus). Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 24 (2), 1-14. doi: 10.1080/10888705.2020.1790367
Descovich, Kris, Li, Xiaofei, Sinclair, Michelle, Wang, Yan and Phillips, Clive Julian Christie (2019). The effect of animal welfare training on the knowledge and attitudes of abattoir stakeholders in China. Animals, 9 (11) 989, 989. doi: 10.3390/ani9110989
Jakob-Hoff, Richard, Kingan, Michael, Fenemore, Chiaki, Schmid, Gian, Cockrem, John F., Crackle, Amanda, Bemmel, Emily Van, Connor, Rebecca and Descovich, Kris (2019). Potential impact of construction noise on selected zoo animals. Animals, 9 (8) 504, 504. doi: 10.3390/ani9080504
Descovich, Kris A., Richmond, Susan E., Leach, Matthew C., Buchanan-Smith, Hannah M., Flecknell, Paul, Farningham, David A. H., Witham, Claire, Gates, M. Carolyn and Vick, Sarah-Jane (2019). Opportunities for refinement in neuroscience: indicators of wellness and post-operative pain in laboratory macaques. ALTEX - Alternatives to Animal Experimentation, 36 (4), 535-554. doi: 10.14573/altex.1811061
Lewis, Kate, Descovich, Kris and Jones, Martin (2017). Enclosure utilisation and activity budgets of disabled Malayan sun bears (Helarctos malayanus). Behavioural Processes, 145, 65-72. doi: 10.1016/j.beproc.2017.10.004
Descovich, Kris A., Wathan, Jennifer, Leach, Matthew C., Buchanan-Smith, Hannah M., Flecknell, Paul, Farningham, David and Vick, Sarah-Jane (2017). Facial expression: an under-utilized tool for the assessment of welfare in mammals. ALTEX - Alternatives to Animal Experimentation, 34 (3), 409-429. doi: 10.14573/altex.1607161
Descovich, Kris, Tribe, Andrew, McDonald, Ian J. and Phillips, Clive J. C. (2016). The eastern grey kangaroo: current management and future directions. Wildlife Research, 43 (7), 576-589. doi: 10.1071/WR16027
Descovich, K. A., Johnston, S., Lisle, A., Nicolson, V., Janssen, T., Brooks, P. and Phillips, C. J. C. (2016). Long-term measurement of body temperature in the southern hairy-nosed wombat (Lasiorhinus latifrons). Australian Mammalogy, 39 (1), 48-55. doi: 10.1071/AM15041
Descovich, K. A., McDonald, I. J., Tribe, A. and Phillips, C. J. C. (2015). A welfare assessment of methods used for harvesting, hunting and population control of kangaroos and wallabies. Animal Welfare, 24 (3), 255-265. doi: 10.7120/09627286.24.3.255
Descovich, Kristin A., Lisle, Allan T., Johnston, Stephen and Phillips, Clive J. C. (2013). The effect of group size on vigilance in a semi-solitary, fossorial marsupial (Lasiorhinus latifrons). Behavioural Processes, 100, 208-213. doi: 10.1016/j.beproc.2013.09.015
Descovich, K. A., Reints Bok, T. E., Lisle, A. T. and Phillips, C. J. C. (2013). Auditory laterality in a nocturnal, fossorial marsupial (Lasiorhinus latifrons) in response to bilateral stimuli. Laterality, 18 (1), 32-43. doi: 10.1080/1357650X.2011.626562
Descovich, Kristin A., Lisle, Allan T., Johnston, Stephen and Phillips, Clive J. C. (2012). Space allowance and the behaviour of captive southern hairy-nosed wombats (Lasiorhinus latifrons). Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 140 (1-2), 92-98. doi: 10.1016/j.applanim.2012.05.009
Descovich, Kristin A., Lisle, Allan T., Johnston, Stephen, Keeley, Tamara and Phillips, Clive J. C. (2012). Intrasample variation and the effect of storage delay on faecal metabolite concentrations in the southern hairy-nosed wombat (Lasiorhinus latifrons). Australian Mammalogy, 34 (2), 217-222. doi: 10.1071/AM11047
Descovich, Kristin A., Lisle, Allan T., Johnston, Stephen, Nicolson, Vere and Phillips, Clive J. C. (2012). Differential responses of captive southern hairy-nosed wombats (Lasiorhinus latifrons) to the presence of faeces from different species and male and female conspecifics. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 138 (1-2), 110-117. doi: 10.1016/j.applanim.2012.01.017
Descovich, Kristin A., Galdikas, Birute M., Tribe, Andrew, Phillips, Clive J. and Lisle, Allan (2011). Fostering appropriate behavior in rehabilitant orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus). International Journal of Primatology, 32 (3), 616-633. doi: 10.1007/s10764-011-9491-1
Conference Paper
Descovich, K, Phillips, C., Nicholson, V., Johnston, S and Lisle, A., (2011). The response of southern hairy-nosed wombats (Lasiorhinus Latifrons) to the presence of faeces. International Ethological Conference and the Animal Behaviour Society annual conference, Indiana University,, July, 2011.
Thesis
Descovich, Kristin (2012). The behavioural biology and management of southern hairy-nosed wombats (Lasiorhinus latifrons) in captivity. PhD Thesis, School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland.