Alleviating stress in zoo animals with environmental enrichment.

2009 ◽  
pp. 337-354 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Carlstead ◽  
D. Shepherdson
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Enrichment ◽  
Zoo Animals

scholarly journals Evaluating Environmental Enrichment Methods in Three Zoo-Housed Varanidae Lizard Species

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 716-727
Author(s):  
James O. Waterman ◽  
Rachel McNally ◽  
Daniel Harrold ◽  
Matthew Cook ◽  
Gerardo Garcia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Enrichment ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Lizard Species ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Monitor Lizard ◽  
Zoo Animals ◽  
Scent Trails ◽  
Behavioural Repertoire ◽  
Cognitive Sophistication

Environmental enrichment has been shown to enhance the behavioural repertoire and reduce the occurrence of abnormal behaviours, particularly in zoo-housed mammals. However, evidence of its effectiveness in reptiles is lacking. Previously, it was believed that reptiles lacked the cognitive sophistication to benefit from enrichment provision, but studies have demonstrated instances of improved longevity, physical condition and problem-solving behaviour as a result of enhancing husbandry routines. In this study, we evaluate the effectiveness of food- and scent-based enrichment for three varanid species (Komodo dragon, emerald tree monitor lizard and crocodile monitor). Scent piles, scent trails and hanging feeders resulted in a significant increase in exploratory behaviour, with engagement diminishing ≤330 min post provision. The provision of food- versus scent-based enrichment did not result in differences in enrichment engagement across the three species, suggesting that scent is just as effective in increasing natural behaviours. Enhancing the environment in which zoo animals reside is important for their health and wellbeing and also provides visitors with the opportunity to observe naturalistic behaviours. For little known and understudied species such as varanids, evidence of successful (and even unsuccessful) husbandry and management practice is vital for advancing best practice in the zoo industry.

scholarly journals Animal Training, Environmental Enrichment, and Animal Welfare: A History of Behavior Analysis in Zoos

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 531-543
Author(s):  
Eduardo J. Fernandez ◽  
Allison L. Martin
Keyword(s):  
Behavior Analysis ◽  
Operant Conditioning ◽  
Environmental Enrichment ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Training Methods ◽  
Change Behavior ◽  
History Of Behavior Analysis ◽  
Zoo Animals ◽  
History Of ◽  
Antecedents And Consequences

The modern zoo has been associated with two major behavioral welfare advances: (a) the use of training to increase voluntary husbandry care, and (b) the implementation of environmental enrichment to promote naturalistic behaviors. Both practices have their roots in behavior analysis, or the operant conditioning-centered, reward-based approach to behavioral psychology. Operant conditioning served as the foundation for the development of reinforcement-based training methods commonly used in zoos to make veterinary and husbandry procedures easier and safer for animals and their caregivers. Likewise, operant conditioning, with its focus on arranging environmental antecedents and consequences to change behavior, also provided a framework for successful environmental enrichment practices. In this paper, we outline the key individuals and events that shaped two of the cornerstones of the modern zoo: (1) the emergence of reward-based husbandry training practices, and (2) the engineering of environmental enrichment. In addition, we (3) suggest ways in which behavior analysis can continue to advance zoo welfare by (i) expanding the efficacy of environmental enrichment, (ii) using within-subject methodology, and (iii) improving animal-visitor interactions. Our goal is to provide a historical and contextual reference for future efforts to improve the well-being of zoo animals.

scholarly journals Motion Illusions as Environmental Enrichment for Zoo Animals: A Preliminary Investigation on Lions (Panthera leo)

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Regaiolli ◽  
Angelo Rizzo ◽  
Giorgio Ottolini ◽  
Maria Elena Miletto Petrazzini ◽  
Caterina Spiezio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Enrichment ◽  
Preliminary Investigation ◽  
Panthera Leo ◽  
Zoo Animals

scholarly journals Effects of active and passive enrichment regimes on fecal glucocorticoid metabolite levels in captive Indian leopards (Panthera pardus fusca)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nirali Panchal ◽  
Chena Desai ◽  
Ratna Ghosal
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Enrichment ◽  
Medium Size ◽  
Type I ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Cage Size ◽  
Zoo Animals ◽  
Invasive Method ◽  
Free Ranging ◽  
Fecal Glucocorticoid

Environmental enrichment improves health and wellbeing of zoo animals. To test this hypothesis, we used Indian leopards, one of the popular zoo animals, as a model system to understand effects of active (interacting) and passive (noninteracting) enrichment elements on stress hormone levels of captive individuals. We included three enrichment categories, category ‘A’ (having both active: large size cage, and passive: controlled temperature, playback of forest sounds and sound proof glasses to filter visitors’ noise, enrichment elements), category ‘B’ (active enrichment type I, small size cage with air coolers), and category C (active enrichment type II, medium size cage without air coolers) for the leopards (n=14) housed in two Indian zoos. We standardized a non-invasive method to measure fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGCM) levels in captive leopards. The standardized fGCM assay was further validated by analysing samples from free-ranging leopards, as well. The fGCM levels (Mean±SE) were 10.45±2.01 and 0.95±0.003μg/g dry wt of feces in captive and free-ranging leopards, respectively. Our results demonstrated that fGCM levels of leopards in categories B and C were significantly (P<0.05) different from each other, thus, indicating cage size (an active enrichment element) as an important factor in influencing the physiology of the sampled animals. Overall, the findings of the study will contribute towards informing policies for management of the Indian leopards.

scholarly journals Caretaker Score Reliability for Personality Assessment of Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 2073
Author(s):  
Marina Salas ◽  
Amanda Fernández-Fontelo ◽  
Eva Martínez-Nevado ◽  
Jesús Fernández-Morán ◽  
Agustín López-Goya ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breeding Success ◽  
Personality Assessment ◽  
Bottlenose Dolphin ◽  
Environmental Enrichment ◽  
Factor Model ◽  
Five Factor Model ◽  
Bottlenose Dolphins ◽  
Social Groups ◽  
Zoo Animals ◽  
Fair Degree

The evaluation of zoo animals’ personalities can likely lead to a range of benefits, including improving breeding success, creating stable social groups, and designing and developing environmental enrichment programmes. The goal of this study was to use caretakers scores to evaluate personality in bottlenose dolphins and to assess the reliability of scores within each rater and among raters from each centre. To this end, 24 caretakers from 3 countries (Spain, France, and Argentina), including a total of 5 dolphinariums and 6 groups of dolphins, used a questionnaire based on the Five-Factor Model of Personality to score bottlenose dolphins on a number of personality traits in three different contexts. Each caretaker evaluated the animals under their care twice, ensuring that raters did not share thoughts nor impressions with other raters. Our findings showed a good degree of agreement between each rater’s scores and a fair degree of agreement among scores of raters from the same centre. We also identified which raters and centres had significant mean score differences and detected that 4 out of 24 raters from two different centres showed such differences systematically. The evaluation of raters’ reliability and the identification of particular inconsistent raters and centres is critical to make more appropriate and realistic management decisions that, in turn, directly impact animals’ welfare.

scholarly journals Animal Training, Environmental Enrichment, and Animal Welfare: A History of Behavior Analysis in Zoos (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eduardo J Fernandez ◽  
Allison L. Martin
Keyword(s):  
Behavior Analysis ◽  
Operant Conditioning ◽  
Environmental Enrichment ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Training Methods ◽  
Change Behavior ◽  
History Of Behavior Analysis ◽  
Zoo Animals ◽  
History Of ◽  
Antecedents And Consequences

The modern zoo has been associated with two major behavioral welfare advances: (a) the use of training to increase voluntary husbandry care, and (b) the implementation of environmental enrichment to promote naturalistic behaviors. Both practices have their roots in behavior analysis, or the operant conditioning-centered, reward-based approach to behavioral psychology. Operant conditioning served as the foundation for the development of reinforcement-based training methods commonly used in zoos to make veterinary and husbandry procedures easier and safer for animals and their caregivers. Likewise, operant conditioning, with its focus on arranging environmental antecedents and consequences to change behavior, also provided a framework for successful environmental enrichment practices. In this paper, we outline the key individuals and events that shaped two of the cornerstones of the modern zoo: (1) the emergence of reward-based husbandry training practices, and (2) the engineering of environmental enrichment. In addition, we (3) suggest ways in which behavior analysis can continue to advance zoo welfare by (i) expanding the efficacy of environmental enrichment, (ii) using within-subject methodology, and (iii) improving animal-visitor interactions. Our goal is to provide a historical and contextual reference for future efforts to improve the well-being of zoo animals.

Environmental enrichment contributes to neurodevelopmental recovery after hypoxia

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathy May Tran ◽  
Madeleine Broder ◽  
Suzannah Luft ◽  
Michael L. Schwartz ◽  
Karen Muller Smith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Enrichment
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