What Are Observations?

Observations are your way of documenting what you see when working with animals. They capture health concerns, behavioural changes, physical condition, social interactions, and environmental responses in real-time.

Unlike formal veterinary diagnoses, observations are everyday documentation. Anyone working with animals can record what they notice. Over time, these observations build a complete picture of each animal's wellbeing.

Why Record Observations?

Detect problems early: Small changes noticed today might indicate serious issues tomorrow. Regular observations reveal patterns that single events cannot show.

Support veterinary care: When you call your veterinarian, documented observations provide clinical context. "Limping for 3 days, worsening severity, left front leg" is far more useful than "something is wrong."

Track recovery: After treatment, observations document improvement (or lack thereof), guiding follow-up care.

Build history: Every observation becomes part of the permanent animal record, creating a lifetime health timeline.

Regulatory compliance: For some operations, regular documented observations are regulatory requirements.

Observation Categories

Kora organises observations into categories to help you describe what you are seeing:

Behaviour - Changes in normal activity patterns, unusual actions, lethargy, aggression, anxiety, stereotypic behaviours

Health Symptom - Physical signs of illness or injury (coughing, limping, discharge, swelling, wounds, abnormal breathing)

Dietary Habit - Appetite changes, eating patterns, food refusal, unusual consumption, weight loss indicators

Physical Characteristic - Body condition, coat quality, weight, growth, physical development, appearance changes

Social Interaction - Interactions with other animals, isolation, dominance behaviours, group dynamics changes

Environmental Response - Reactions to weather, habitat changes, enrichment items, new surroundings

Reproductive Behaviour - Oestrus signs, breeding behaviour, pregnancy indicators, nesting behaviour

Other - Anything that does not fit the above categories

Choose the category that best matches what you are observing. The category helps others understand the context quickly.

Severity Levels

Every observation has a severity level indicating how urgent the situation is:

Low - Minor observation, no immediate concern (slight appetite reduction, mild behavioural change, routine monitoring)

Medium - Noteworthy observation requiring attention (persistent symptoms, moderate behavioural changes, worth monitoring closely)

High - Significant concern requiring prompt action (obvious distress, injury, sudden behaviour changes, potential health risk)

Critical - Emergency requiring immediate veterinary attention (severe injury, acute illness, life-threatening condition, collapse)

Severity helps prioritise which observations need follow-up and how quickly.

Recording Observations: Basic Workflow

Step 1: Select the Animal

• Search by name or ID, or scan QR code (mobile)
• Open the animal's record

Step 2: Create New Observation

• Click or tap "Add Observation" or similar button
• Observation form opens

Step 3: Document What You See

• Category: Choose observation category (Behaviour, Health Symptom, etc.)
• Severity: Select severity level (Low, Medium, High, Critical)
• Description: Describe what you observed in clear, simple terms
• Date and Time: Usually auto-filled with current date and time (adjust if recording past observation)

Step 4: Add Details (Optional)

• Photos: Attach photos showing the condition or behaviour
• Location: Where you observed this (auto-captured with GPS on mobile)
• Additional notes: Any relevant context

Step 5: Save Observation

• Click or tap "Save"
• Observation is now part of the animal's permanent record

Time required: 30 to 60 seconds for basic observation, 2 to 3 minutes with photos and extensive notes

Field Observations with GPS

Mobile-first feature designed for quick observations while working with animals in the field.

How it works:

1. Open "Field Observations" from bottom navigation (mobile) or side navigation (desktop)
2. Your GPS location is captured automatically
3. Record observation with minimal typing
4. Link to animal via QR scan or search
5. Save observation. It is tagged with GPS coordinates and timestamp

Why GPS matters:

• Documents where the observation occurred (useful for large properties or wildlife reserves)
• Creates location-based history (see all observations at a specific water point, paddock, or territory)
• Supports biosecurity contact tracing (identify which animals were in the same area)

GPS workflow (mobile):

1. Tap "Field Observations" in bottom navigation
2. GPS auto-captures your current location
3. Tap "Record" button
4. Describe what you observed
5. Scan animal QR code or search by name
6. Select category and severity
7. Tap "Save"

Completed in: 30 to 45 seconds

Photo Documentation

Photos provide visual evidence supporting your written observations.

When to include photos:

• Visible injuries, wounds, or swelling
• Skin conditions, coat abnormalities, or lesions
• Body condition assessment (underweight, overweight)
• Unusual physical characteristics
• Environmental conditions affecting animals
• Verification of identification tags or markings

How to add photos:

• Desktop: Click "Upload Photo", select image from computer
• Mobile: Tap "Take Photo", use camera to capture image directly, or upload from gallery

Photo tips:

• Take clear, well-lit photos showing the condition
• Include reference for scale if needed (close-up of wound, full body for condition)
• Multiple angles for complex issues
• Photos become part of permanent record. They are reviewable by veterinarians and auditors

Follow-Up Flags (Veterinarian Feature)

Who uses this: Licensed veterinarians

What it is: Veterinarians can flag observations they want to return to later, creating a reminder for follow-up review or action.

When veterinarians flag observations:

• Waiting for test results before diagnosis
• Monitoring condition over time before deciding treatment
• Scheduling follow-up examination
• Tracking recovery progress after treatment
• Pending consultation with specialist

How it works:

1. Veterinarian reviews observation
2. Clicks "Flag for Follow-Up"
3. Flagged observations appear in veterinarian's task list or dashboard
4. Veterinarian returns to flagged observation when ready
5. After addressing, flag is removed

For non-veterinarians: You cannot flag observations for follow-up. But you can create a task for veterinary review, achieving a similar outcome.

Observation Examples Across Contexts

Example 1: Dairy Farm - Health Symptom

• Animal: Daisy (Cow A001)
• Category: Health Symptom
• Severity: Medium
• Description: "Limping on left front leg, favouring right side when walking. No visible swelling or injury. Appetite normal, otherwise behaving normally."
• Photo: Video of walking gait showing limp
• Follow-up: Created task for veterinary examination next day

Example 2: Zoo - Behavioural Observation

• Animal: Tembo (African Elephant)
• Category: Behaviour
• Severity: Low
• Description: "Spent 45 minutes interacting with new enrichment log. Used trunk to manipulate and move log repeatedly. Positive engagement."
• Photo: Photo of elephant with enrichment item
• Follow-up: None needed (positive enrichment response)

Example 3: Wildlife Reserve - Field Observation with GPS

• Animal: Juma (White Rhinoceros RH-F-003)
• Category: Physical Characteristic
• Severity: Low
• Description: "Body condition good, coat healthy. Observed grazing near northern waterhole. No signs of stress or injury."
• GPS: -25.7461, 28.1881
• Photo: Distance photo showing overall condition
• Follow-up: Routine monitoring continues

Example 4: Veterinary Clinic - Critical Observation

• Animal: Whiskers (Cat-2024-089)
• Category: Health Symptom
• Severity: Critical
• Description: "Acute respiratory distress, open-mouth breathing, pale gums. Owner reports sudden onset 30 minutes ago. Temperature 39.8°C."
• Photo: Close-up of pale gums
• Follow-up: Immediate emergency treatment initiated, flagged for ICU monitoring

Common Observation Scenarios

Scenario: Daily Health Checks Walk through your animals each morning, recording observations as you go:

• Mobile device in hand
• Quick visual assessment of each animal
• Record anything unusual (severity: Low or Medium for minor observations)
• Complete 50 animals in 15 to 20 minutes
• Creates daily baseline for each animal

Scenario: Noticing Something Concerning You see an animal behaving abnormally:

1. Stop and observe for 1 to 2 minutes
2. Record detailed observation (what you see, how long it has been happening, severity)
3. Take photo if visible issue
4. Flag severity High if urgent
5. Create task for immediate veterinary review if Critical

Scenario: Veterinarian Visit Follow-Up After veterinary treatment:

1. Record veterinarian's clinical findings as observation
2. Document treatment administered (covered in 7.4)
3. Schedule follow-up observations (daily for 3 days to monitor recovery)
4. Use observations to track improvement

Scenario: Wildlife Population Monitoring Monthly field surveys:

1. Use mobile with GPS
2. Record sighting observations (location, behaviour, condition)
3. Photo documentation for individual identification
4. Build population health database over time

Observation History and Trends

Viewing observations:

• Open animal record
• Navigate to "Observations" or "Health History" tab
• See chronological list of all observations
• Filter by category, severity, date range, or person who recorded

Identifying trends:

• Recurring behavioural issues
• Progressive weight loss
• Seasonal health patterns
• Treatment response tracking
• Long-term condition monitoring

Sharing with veterinarians:

• Veterinarians can access observation history for animals under their care
• Complete timeline supports accurate diagnosis
• Photos and GPS data provide clinical context

Best Practices for Observations

Be descriptive but concise: "Limping on left front leg, not bearing weight" is better than "leg problem" but does not need a full essay.

Use objective language: Describe what you see, not what you think it means. "Reduced appetite, eating 50% of normal amount" rather than "probably sick."

Record consistently: Daily observations create baselines. Occasional observations miss trends.

Include severity accurately: Do not over-dramatise minor issues, but do not downplay genuine concerns.

Add photos when relevant: Visual evidence supports verbal description.

Follow up on High and Critical: These require action, not just documentation.

Use field observations for efficiency: GPS-based mobile observations are faster than desktop recording for field staff.

What Happens After You Record an Observation?

Permanent record: Observation becomes part of animal's lifetime history, viewable by all authorised users.

Veterinary access: Veterinarians can review observation history when diagnosing or treating.

Traceability: Observations contribute to the animal's audit trail for compliance and biosecurity.

Task creation: High and Critical observations often trigger follow-up tasks.

Trend analysis: Over time, observations reveal health patterns and management insights.

Regulatory compliance: Documented observations demonstrate welfare monitoring and proactive care.