Dolphin 'happiness' measured by scientists in France

This project firts's to examine captivity "from the animals'. The study, published in the journal Applied Animal Behaviour Science, was part of a three-year project to measure dolphin welfare in a captive setting. Lead researcher Dr Isabella Clegg worked at Parc Astérix, a theme park with one of France's largest dolphinariums. With colleagues at the University of Paris, she designed experiments to decode dolphin behaviour - looking for physical postures that indicate how the animals were feeling. "We wanted to find out what activities in captivity they like most". Talking to Isabella, who crearly adore the dolphins - and observing the aquatic mammals, it is easy to conclude that they have happy lives.

But Dr Susanne Schultz from the University of Manchester, who has studied the social behaviour of wild marine mammals, tell us that it's better the dolphins live in wildness.