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Spiezio C, Galardi EG, Sandri C, Regaiolli B. Do not disturb: Visitors' effect on the behavior and welfare of female and male big cats in zoos. Zoo Biol 2023; 42:744-756. [PMID: 37283487 DOI: 10.1002/zoo.21789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The effect of visitor presence on animal behavior needs to be evaluated to ensure the welfare and improve the husbandry of the individuals in zoos. This study aims to assess the effect of visitor presence on the behavior and welfare of pairs of Amur tiger, snow leopard, and Eurasian lynx at Parco Natura Viva, Italy. The study was made of two periods: the baseline, in which the zoo was closed, and the visitor presence period, in which the zoo was opened. Per period and per subject 12 30-min observations were done. Continuous focal animal sampling method was used to collect behavior duration of the big cats. The main results of the study highlighted that, when visitors were present, all felids except for the female lynx were significantly more inactive than in the baseline. Moreover, despite interindividual and inter-species variability in the significance level of findings, natural behaviors such as attentive behavior, exploration/marking, locomotion, and positive social interactions were performed more in the baseline than in the visitor presence period. Finally, when visitors were present, as the studied subjects experienced daily longer exposure to visitors, inactivity increased whereas individual species-typical behaviors (e.g., locomotion) and positive social interactions decreased. Thus, visitors seem to partially alter the behavioral time-budgets of the study big cats, increasing inactivity and decreasing the performance of species-specific behavior, at least in some individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caterina Spiezio
- Research & Conservation Department, Parco Natura Viva-Garda Zoological Park, Bussolengo, Italy
| | - Elena Giulia Galardi
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Camillo Sandri
- Research & Conservation Department, Parco Natura Viva-Garda Zoological Park, Bussolengo, Italy
- DISTAL, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Barbara Regaiolli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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2
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Goswami S, Tyagi PC, Malik PK, Gupta BK. Effects of enclosure complexity and visitor presence on the welfare of Asiatic lions. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2023.105853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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3
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Lee S, Ryu H, Yi Y, Jang SA, Gye H, Choi A, Cho H, Lee BK, Choe JC. The effects of visitors and social isolation from a peer on the behavior of a mixed-species pair of captive gibbons. Sci Rep 2022; 12:19706. [PMID: 36385625 PMCID: PMC9668933 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-23196-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Human visitors affect the behavior of captive animals, which is the so-called visitor effect. The number and behavior of visitors may influence stress-related behaviors in captive animals, such as self-scratching, yawning, and visitor-directed vigilance. A social group setting can be applied to alleviate such negative visitor effects and facilitate social behavior and interactions between individuals. In this study, we examined how the number and behavior of visitors are related to stress-related behaviors of a captive mixed-species gibbon pair comprising a yellow-cheek gibbon (Nomascus gabriellae) and a white-handed gibbon (Hylobates lar). The two gibbons were separated during the study period, and we examined whether the social isolation stimulated the visitor effect. The frequency of stress-related behaviors of the gibbons increased and the social playing between them decreased proportionally to visitor number. In the indoor enclosure, the gibbons increased their visitor-directed vigilance when visitors shouted or struck the glass partition. Our findings indicate that the number and behavior of visitors negatively affect captive gibbons and that a mixed-species social setting can help gibbons reduce visitor-induced stress. Future studies with larger sample sizes will improve the understanding of the visitor effect and the social setting in the captivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saein Lee
- grid.255649.90000 0001 2171 7754Laboratory of Behaviour and Ecology, Interdisciplinary Program of EcoCreative, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, 03760 Republic of Korea
| | - Heungjin Ryu
- grid.42687.3f0000 0004 0381 814XSchool of Life Sciences, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan, Republic of Korea ,grid.496435.9Department of Basic Research, National Institute of Ecology, Seocheon-Gun, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoonjung Yi
- grid.410625.40000 0001 2293 4910Laboratory of Animal Behaviour and Conservation, College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037 Jiangsu China ,grid.255649.90000 0001 2171 7754Division of EcoScience, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, 03760 Republic of Korea
| | - Seon-a Jang
- grid.262229.f0000 0001 0719 8572Department of Biological Sciences, Pusan National University, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | - Haeun Gye
- grid.496435.9Department of Zoological Management, National Institute of Ecology, Seocheon-Gun, Republic of Korea
| | - Ahyun Choi
- grid.255649.90000 0001 2171 7754Laboratory of Behaviour and Ecology, Interdisciplinary Program of EcoCreative, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, 03760 Republic of Korea
| | - Haeun Cho
- grid.255649.90000 0001 2171 7754Laboratory of Behaviour and Ecology, Interdisciplinary Program of EcoCreative, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, 03760 Republic of Korea
| | - Bae-keun Lee
- grid.496435.9Administration Bureau, Division of Social Responsibility Support, National Institute of Ecology, Seocheon-Gun, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae C. Choe
- grid.255649.90000 0001 2171 7754Division of EcoScience, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, 03760 Republic of Korea
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4
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Hartell-DeNardo J, Kozlowski C, Baskir E, Macek M, Dorsey C, Powell DM. Behavior and adrenal physiology of Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) serving as ambassador animals. Zoo Biol 2022; 42:243-253. [PMID: 36097680 DOI: 10.1002/zoo.21735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Ambassador animals are part of many zoo programs, but studies assessing their impact on these animals are relatively rare. This study validated an excrement glucocorticoid metabolite (GCM) assay for Magellanic penguins and used GCM measures in conjunction with behavioral observations to evaluate individual responses to participation in an ambassador animal program. Excrement samples and behavioral observations were collected daily from each bird during two phases, 1 week during which it participated in a twice-daily ambassador program and 1 week in which it did not. We found no differences in GCMs between phases or in comparisons between penguins with 5 or 10 years of program experience. GCM also did not show significant individual variation and did not increase over time during the program phase. There were no significant correlations between bird experience and behavior frequencies, nor GCM concentrations and behavior, across birds. We observed significant positive correlations between the penguins' engagement with novel objects during programs and their unguided approach to guests. Our results suggest that there is no adverse physiological effect of program participation on these penguins, that behavioral and physiological responses may be decoupled, and that choice and control can increase desired behaviors behavior during ambassador programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Hartell-DeNardo
- Animal Division, Saint Louis Zoo, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.,George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA
| | - Corinne Kozlowski
- Department of Reproductive & Behavioral Sciences, Saint Louis Zoo, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Eli Baskir
- Department of Reproductive & Behavioral Sciences, Saint Louis Zoo, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Michael Macek
- Animal Division, Saint Louis Zoo, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Candice Dorsey
- Association of Zoos & Aquariums, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - David M Powell
- Department of Reproductive & Behavioral Sciences, Saint Louis Zoo, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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Duncan LM, D’Egidio Kotze C, Pillay N. Long-Term Spatial Restriction Generates Deferred Limited Space Use in a Zoo-Housed Chimpanzee Group. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12172207. [PMID: 36077927 PMCID: PMC9455080 DOI: 10.3390/ani12172207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary A worldwide trend amongst zoos is to replacesmall, barren enclosures with large, naturalistic ones intended to provide animals with environments which cater to their behavioural and psychological needs. Evidence suggests that naturalistic enclosures are effective but most studies focus on welfare-related behaviour or human perceptions of the enclosures. To date, little attention has been given to how animals use space in naturalistic enclosures. Our study investigated how a group of chimpanzees at the Johannesburg Zoo used space in a naturalistic enclosure by recording behaviour and space use every 5 min for an hour at a time. We found that the chimpanzees showed a preference for locations within the enclosure which coincided with their previous housing and that the chimpanzees form subgroups which conform to the space of their previous housing (i.e., small, barren enclosure). We suggest that the chimpanzees’ perception of space has been altered by their experience of the previous, smaller barren housing and that this limits their space use in the naturalistic enclosure through what appears to be a self-imposed ‘invisible cage’ around subgroups. Exactly how the ‘invisible cage’ works is unclear but our findings have implications for animal welfare, husbandry and broader conservation of endangered species. Abstract Background: Appropriate space is considered paramount for good captive animal welfare. There has been a concerted effort by captive institutions, particularly zoos, to provide captive animals with relatively large, naturalistic enclosures which havehad demonstrated welfare benefits for animals. However, post-occupancy assessments of these enclosures tend to focus on short-term welfare-centredbehavioural effects or human perceptions of the enclosures and their effects and seldom consider spaceuse. We examined the space use of a group of eight captive chimpanzees 5 years after large-scale enclosure modification at the Johannesburg Zoo, South Africa. Methods: Instantaneous scan sampling was used to record behaviour and location of each chimpanzee at 5 min intervals in the new enclosure. From these 6.8 h of data, space-use patterns and subgroup (two or more chimpanzees within 10 m of each other) spacing were considered relative to local environmental variables, social conditions and the location and size of the previous smaller enclosures in which they had been kept. Results: Space use was heterogeneous, with some enclosure zones being used more than others, and 97.5% of subgroups restricted their spacing to the dimensions of the previous housing (10 m × 10 m). Conclusions: This pattern was not explained by individual behaviour, time of day, location, available space, weather, temperature or shade availability, inter-individual spacing or subgroup composition. We suggest the learned helplessness phenomenon may explain these observations and discuss the implications for both animal welfare and endangered species conservation.Regardless of the mechanism, we suggest that such effects could be avoided through the provision of large enclosures for captive animals.
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Zoo Closure Does Not Affect Behavior and Activity Patterns of Palawan Binturong (Arctictis binturong whitei). JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGICAL AND BOTANICAL GARDENS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/jzbg3030030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Exploring the interaction between humans and animals has become increasingly important in the evaluation of well-being for species housed in zoos and aquaria. The COVID-19 pandemic saw the global closure of zoos and aquaria to visitors. Chester Zoo, U.K., was no exception, with the charity shutting its doors for the longest period in its 90-year history. Whilst access to site was strictly limited to essential animal care staff, recent investment in networked infrared CCTV camera systems allowed some species to be monitored remotely during this extraordinary period of zoo closure. Here, we used this equipment to investigate whether zoo closure influenced activity patterns and behavior of two adult Palawan binturong, Arctictis binturong whitei. The cameras facilitated behavioral monitoring over 24 h enabling the collection of a full activity budget, which revealed a natural crepuscular activity pattern. Overall, visitor presence was found to have a neutral effect on this species, with no significant difference observed in time spent engaging in den use, vigilance or travel behaviors during zoo open and zoo closed conditions. A neutral visitor effect was found when evaluating behavior over a 24 h period and during hours which the zoo would normally be open to visitors (10:00–16:30). This research presents new information on this elusive and understudied species in captivity, and promotes investment in monitoring equipment which enables more comprehensive behavioral sampling than traditional visitor-effect methods.
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Williams E, Carter A, Rendle J, Fontani S, Walsh ND, Armstrong S, Hickman S, Vaglio S, Ward SJ. The Impact of COVID-19 Zoo Closures on Behavioural and Physiological Parameters of Welfare in Primates. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12131622. [PMID: 35804521 PMCID: PMC9265073 DOI: 10.3390/ani12131622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Primates are some of the most cognitively advanced species held in zoos, and their interactions with visitors are complex. The COVID-19 pandemic provided a unique opportunity to understand the impact of zoo visitors on animals, in comparison to “empty zoos”. This study sought to understand the impact of facility closures and subsequent reopenings on behavioural and physiological parameters of welfare in four primate species housed in the UK: bonobos (Pan paniscus) (n = 8), chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) (n = 11), and western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) (n = 6) held at Twycross Zoo (TZ); and olive baboons (Papio anubis) (n = 192) held at Knowsley Safari (KS). Behavioural data were collected from April–September 2020 (KS) and November 2020–January 2021 (TZ). Faecal samples were collected during morning checks from October–November (TZ) and July–November 2020 (KS). Faecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGMs) were measured using ELISA kits. Statistical analysis for behavioural observations was undertaken using general linear models. Enclosure usage was assessed using t-tests and Mann–Whitney U-tests as appropriate. Bonobos and gorillas spent less time alone when facilities were open to the public (p = 0.004, p = 0.02 respectively). Gorillas spent less time resting when the facility was open to the public (p = 0.04), and chimpanzees engaged in more feeding (p = 0.02) and engagement with enrichment (p = 0.03) when the zoo was open to the public than when it was closed. Olive baboons performed less sexual and dominance behaviour and approached visitor cars more frequently when the safari park was opened to the public than they did the ranger’s vehicle during closure periods. There were no significant changes in physiological parameters for any of the study species. The results suggest variable impacts of the zoo closures on zoo-housed primates. We recommend future work that seeks to understand the impact of individual-level differences on “visitor effects” and that differences between animal experiences in zoos and safari parks are further explored in a range of species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen Williams
- School of Animal, Rural & Environmental Sciences, Brackenhurst Campus, Nottingham Trent University, Southwell NG25 0QF, Nottinghamshire, UK; (A.C.); (S.J.W.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Anne Carter
- School of Animal, Rural & Environmental Sciences, Brackenhurst Campus, Nottingham Trent University, Southwell NG25 0QF, Nottinghamshire, UK; (A.C.); (S.J.W.)
| | - Jessica Rendle
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough LE12 5RD, Leicestershire, UK;
- Conservation Medicine, College of Science Health, Education and Engineering, Murdoch University, Perth 6150, Australia
- Twycross Zoo, Atherstone CV9 3PX, Warwickshire, UK
| | - Sara Fontani
- School of Sciences, University of Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton WV1 1LY, West Midlands, UK; (S.F.); (S.H.); (S.V.)
| | | | - Sarah Armstrong
- Knowsley Safari, Prescot L34 4AN, Merseyside, UK; (N.D.W.); (S.A.)
| | - Sarah Hickman
- School of Sciences, University of Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton WV1 1LY, West Midlands, UK; (S.F.); (S.H.); (S.V.)
| | - Stefano Vaglio
- School of Sciences, University of Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton WV1 1LY, West Midlands, UK; (S.F.); (S.H.); (S.V.)
- Behaviour, Ecology and Evolution Research (BEER) Centre, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, County Durham, UK
| | - Samantha J. Ward
- School of Animal, Rural & Environmental Sciences, Brackenhurst Campus, Nottingham Trent University, Southwell NG25 0QF, Nottinghamshire, UK; (A.C.); (S.J.W.)
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Behavioral Changes of Brown Bears (Ursus arctos) during COVID-19 Zoo Closures and Further Reopening to the Public. JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGICAL AND BOTANICAL GARDENS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/jzbg3020021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Visitor effect studies have been of keen interest for decades, but there have been only anecdotal opportunities to investigate the impact of the prolonged absence of visitors on animal welfare in zoos. In some zoos, bears are actively involved in animal–visitors interaction through begging, which gives them some degree of control over gaining food rewards throughout the day when visitors are present. Prolonged visitor absence may, therefore, represent a loss of control and have a negative impact on the bears’ welfare. In this study, we investigate the behavior of four brown bears (Ursus arctos) in three zoos to see how the animals’ behavior changed depending on the presence and absence of the public during zoo closures in 2020 related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The bears’ behavior was assessed using activity budget analysis and novel object tests. The results showed that the bears behavior varied between facilities and that there was no effect of visitor presence for the individuals who had access to indoor holding space. The results of the study are discussed in terms of choice and control and their impact on the wellbeing of bears in zoos.
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Does Observer Presence Modify the Behavior and Enclosure Use of Captive Edwards’ Pheasants? JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGICAL AND BOTANICAL GARDENS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/jzbg3020012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
It is well known that captive animals alter their behavior and space use when observed by visitors, with the concept coined the ‘visitor effect’. The ‘observer effect’, described as any alteration in behavior and enclosure use as a result of a quiet, stationary observer, has been less studied. This study investigates the observer effect in two pairs of Edwards’ pheasants (Lophura edwardsi) and their offspring at Sparsholt College, United Kingdom. The impact of an observer (as opposed to camera) on behavior and enclosure use of pheasants was observed, using instantaneous focal sampling. Enclosure use was measured by converting both enclosures into unequal zones and then assessing the evenness of enclosure use through modified Spread of Participation Index. Poisson regression analysis was used to investigate observer impact, alongside the additional variables of keeper and visitor presence, temperature, and individual bird differences. Overall, the behaviors of resting and clustering were significantly increased during observer presence, whereas feeding and locomotion were significantly decreased. The behaviors of preening and standing were not affected by observer presence, though they were influenced by keeper and visitor presence. Enclosure use was also affected by observer presence, though the effect size was small. This suggests that pheasants may perceive the presence of humans near their enclosures as a potential threat, and may alter their behavior to reduce detection, similar to their wild counterparts. Animal researchers should consider the potential impact of observer presence on their subjects, particularly when observing species such as pheasants.
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Lutz CK, Coleman K, Hopper LM, Novak MA, Perlman JE, Pomerantz O. Nonhuman primate abnormal behavior: Etiology, assessment, and treatment. Am J Primatol 2022; 84:e23380. [PMID: 35383995 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Across captive settings, nonhuman primates may develop an array of abnormal behaviors including stereotypic and self-injurious behavior. Abnormal behavior can indicate a state of poor welfare, since it is often associated with a suboptimal environment. However, this may not always be the case as some behaviors can develop independently of any psychological distress, be triggered in environments known to promote welfare, and be part of an animal's coping mechanism. Furthermore, not all animals develop abnormal behavior, which has led researchers to assess risk factors that differentiate individuals in the display of these behaviors. Intrinsic risk factors that have been identified include the animal's species and genetics, age, sex, temperament, and clinical condition, while environmental risk factors include variables such as the animal's rearing, housing condition, husbandry procedures, and research experiences. To identify specific triggers and at-risk animals, the expression of abnormal behavior in captive nonhuman primates should be routinely addressed in a consistent manner by appropriately trained staff. Which behaviors to assess, what assessment methods to use, which primates to monitor, and the aims of data collection should all be identified before proceeding to an intervention and/or treatment. This article provides guidance for this process, by presenting an overview of known triggers and risk factors that should be considered, steps to design a comprehensive evaluation plan, and strategies that might be used for prevention or treatment. It also outlines the tools and processes for assessing and evaluating behavior in an appendix. This process will lead to a better understanding of abnormal behavior in captive primate colonies and ultimately to improved welfare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corrine K Lutz
- Institute for Laboratory Animal Research, The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Kristine Coleman
- Division of Comparative Medicine, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, USA
| | - Lydia M Hopper
- Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Melinda A Novak
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jaine E Perlman
- Division of Animal Resources, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Ori Pomerantz
- Population and Behavioral Health Services, California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, California, USA
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11
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Fink LB, Scarlata CD, VanBeek B, Bodner TE, Wielebnowski NC. Applying Behavioral and Physiological Measures to Assess the Relative Impact of the Prolonged COVID-19 Pandemic Closure on Two Mammal Species at the Oregon Zoo: Cheetah ( A. jubatus) and Giraffe ( G. c. reticulata and G. c. tippelskirchii). Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:3526. [PMID: 34944302 PMCID: PMC8698047 DOI: 10.3390/ani11123526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The effect of visitor presence on zoo animals has been explored in numerous studies over the past two decades. However, the opportunities for observations without visitors have been very limited at most institutions. In 2020, the Oregon Zoo was closed, in response to the global SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic, from 15 March 2020 to 12 July 2020, resulting in approximately four consecutive months without visitor presence. This study aimed to quantify potential behavioral and hormonal changes expressed during two transition periods in zoo visitor attendance: the initial time period before and after closure in March 2020 and time before and after reopening in July 2020. Fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGM) concentrations of resident giraffes (n = 2) and cheetahs (n = 2) were tracked using enzyme immunoassay (EIA) analyses. Average fGM concentrations during the two transition periods were compared using a two-way mixed ANOVA. Additionally, twice-weekly scan sampling was used to quantify behavioral observations across the transitions, which were analyzed as individual behavior proportions. Individual behavior proportions were compared across the Zoo's opening status and time of day using Kruskal-Wallis (H) tests. The results of our analyses showed the following outcomes: (1) significant increases in fGM concentrations for cheetahs and giraffes between the transition periods but not within them; (2) a significant increase in time spent 'not visible' in the cheetahs in the second transition period; and (3) increased vigilance behaviors in the giraffes immediately after the Zoo's closure. However, the changes observed in fGM concentrations may be more strongly correlated with concomitant social changes (giraffes) and some medical events (cheetahs) rather than with the Zoo's opening status. Nevertheless, this study was able to quantify differences in behavioral frequencies and fGM concentration in cheetahs and giraffes at the Oregon Zoo during the times of transition between visitor's presence and absence. The results indicate that, while there was a possible, but relatively minor impact of the presence and absence of visitors on some behaviors, the differences observed in fGM concentration may have been more affected by some of the concomitant social changes and medical events that happened during the same period than by the presence or absence of visitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurel B. Fink
- Department of Biology, Portland State University, 1719 SW 10th Avenue, SRTC rm 246, Portland, OR 97201, USA
- Oregon Zoo, 4001 SW Canyon Rd, Portland, OR 97221, USA; (C.D.S.); (B.V.); (N.C.W.)
| | - Candace D. Scarlata
- Oregon Zoo, 4001 SW Canyon Rd, Portland, OR 97221, USA; (C.D.S.); (B.V.); (N.C.W.)
| | - Becca VanBeek
- Oregon Zoo, 4001 SW Canyon Rd, Portland, OR 97221, USA; (C.D.S.); (B.V.); (N.C.W.)
| | - Todd E. Bodner
- Department of Psychology, Portland State University, 1721 SW Broadway, Cramer Hall rm 317, Portland, OR 97201, USA;
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Xu A, Liu C, Wan Y, Bai Y, Li Z. Monkeys fight more in polluted air. Sci Rep 2021; 11:654. [PMID: 33436838 PMCID: PMC7804853 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80002-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Air pollution is a global environmental problem, and its effects on human behavior, psychology, and health have been well studied. However, very few studies were done on if and how air pollution affects animal behavior, for example, social conflict. Many physiological and psychological evidences suggest a possible positive relationship between air pollution and animal social conflict, thus we established a multiple linear regression model using a captive monkey group to explore if monkeys behave more aggressively in polluted air. Our results confirmed that daily social fighting behaviors occurred more when air is polluted. Temperature has a nonlinear effect on monkey social conflict, with a fighting peak at 25-29 °C. To our knowledge, this is the first report that animal social conflict, like humans, is also affected by air pollution and temperature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aichun Xu
- College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, 301118, China
| | - Chunhong Liu
- Lab of Animal Behavior & Conservation, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Yue Wan
- Lab of Animal Behavior & Conservation, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Yali Bai
- Lab of Animal Behavior & Cognition, Nanjing Hongshan Forest Zoo, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Zhongqiu Li
- Lab of Animal Behavior & Conservation, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China. .,Lab of Animal Behavior & Cognition, Nanjing Hongshan Forest Zoo, Nanjing, 210023, China.
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13
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Widespread Behavioral Responses by Mammals and Fish to Zoo Visitors Highlight Differences between Individual Animals. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10112108. [PMID: 33203018 PMCID: PMC7697811 DOI: 10.3390/ani10112108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Revised: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The impact that humans have on zoo animals can vary based on the species of animal, exhibit design, and individual differences in behavioral responses. We independently analyzed data from 10 never-published studies that examined the impact of zoo visitors on zoo animal behavior. Of the 16 species studied, 90.9% of the mammal species and 60.0% of the fish species demonstrated a change in at least one behavior based on zoo visitor abundance or visitor behavior (e.g., noise, solicitation of interactions from zoo animals). In addition, behavioral changes associated with zoo visitors were present in animals housed in exhibits where there was direct contact with zoo visitors, as well as in exhibits where there was indirect contact and no direct contact. Individuals often varied in their behavioral responses, and some individuals appeared to seek out interactions with visitors. Our findings demonstrate that short-term research projects can provide valuable insight into individual animal-level and species-level responses to visitor abundance and visitor behavior in the zoo setting. We recommend that behavioral assessments focus on the analysis of behaviors of individual animals whenever possible, and we recommend that exhibits provide areas that allow for animals to retreat from the public view.
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Cassidy LC, Hannibal DL, Semple S, McCowan B. Improved behavioral indices of welfare in continuous compared to intermittent pair-housing in adult female rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). Am J Primatol 2020; 82:e23189. [PMID: 32890432 PMCID: PMC7944647 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Limiting opportunities for captive nonhuman primates (NHPs) to express species-specific social behaviors may disrupt the adaptive drive for social companionship and may lead to increases in coping behaviors and inactivity. While captive NHPs show improved welfare when moving to pair-housing from single-housing, the impact of daily separation of pair-mates, as is implemented in intermittent pair-housing, is not fully understood. We compared behavioral indices of welfare exhibited by adult female rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) in two conditions: (1) intermittent pair-housing, involving daily overnight separation of pair-mates, and (2) continuous pair-housing, involving little separation of pair-mates. A within-subjects study design tested two groups of females experiencing both pairing conditions in an alternate order, switching either from continuous to intermittent pair-housing, or from intermittent to continuous pair-housing. Behavioral observations, recording activity state, self-directed, abnormal, and social behaviors, were conducted at midday when all females were paired, and in the afternoon when intermittent pairs were separated. Females exhibited higher levels of inactivity and self-directed behavior when separated due to intermittent pair-housing in comparison to continuous pair-housing. In addition, intermittently paired females showed higher levels of grooming and other types of affiliation when paired, than during the same time frame when they were continuously paired. These results suggest that females in the continuous presence of a social partner experience improved levels of activity and do not need to elevate levels of behavioral coping mechanisms (e.g., self-scratching, increased affiliation) as they receive the benefits associated with social companionship consistently throughout the day. Overall, this study provides the first evidence that continuous pair-housing affords better welfare than intermittent pair-housing in adult female rhesus macaques. Pair-housing options, such as continuous pairing, that reduce reliance on behavioral coping mechanisms and promote adaptive social behavior throughout the entirety of the day should be prioritized over husbandry care scheduled for convenience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren C. Cassidy
- Welfare and Cognition Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center–Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
- Leibniz-ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, German Primate Center & University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Darcy L. Hannibal
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California Davis, Davis, California
- Department of Population Health & Reproduction, University of California Davis, Davis, California
| | - Stuart Semple
- Centre for Research in Evolutionary, Social and Interdisciplinary Anthropology, University of Roehampton, London, United Kingdom
| | - Brenda McCowan
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California Davis, Davis, California
- Department of Population Health & Reproduction, University of California Davis, Davis, California
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Hosey G, Ward SJ, Ferguson A, Jenkins H, Hill SP. Zoo-housed mammals do not avoid giving birth on weekends. Zoo Biol 2020; 40:3-8. [PMID: 32956511 DOI: 10.1002/zoo.21571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Revised: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
There is evidence that zoo visitor presence can influence the behaviour and, in some cases, adrenal response of zoo animals, and can sometimes compromise animal welfare. In some laboratory studies, significantly more primate births have been reported on weekends, when fewer people are working there, compared with weekdays when staffing levels are at their highest. Here, we investigate whether there is evidence of a "weekend effect" on births in zoo animals as a result of visitor numbers. Unlike laboratories, zoos are typically busier with visitors on weekends than on weekdays, although staffing levels remain fairly consistent across days of the week. If zoo animal parturition is sensitive to human presence, then fewer births would be expected on weekends compared with weekdays. We tested this using birth data and visitor numbers on the entrance gate from zoo records across 16 species representing artiodactyls, perissodactyls, carnivores and primates at four British zoos, to see whether there is an association between mean daily birth rates and average visitor numbers. We predict that, if there is a visitor effect, daily births should be lower on weekends than weekdays and should correlate with mean daily visitor numbers. Results showed that births for all 16 species were randomly distributed through the week, and there was no significant decline in births on weekends. We conclude that the "weekend effect", if such a thing exists, does not appear to be a feature of zoo births, suggesting that elevated weekend visitor numbers are not sufficiently stressful to trigger delayed parturition.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Samantha J Ward
- School of Animal Rural and Environmental Sciences, Nottingham Trent University, Southwell, UK
| | | | | | - Sonya P Hill
- North of England Zoological Society (Chester Zoo), Chester, UK
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Chiapero F, Ferrari HR, Prieto MV, García Capocasa MC, Busso JM. Multivariate Analyses of the Activity Pattern and Behavior of the Lesser Anteater on Open and Closed Days at Córdoba Zoo, Argentina. J APPL ANIM WELF SCI 2020; 24:83-97. [PMID: 32723195 DOI: 10.1080/10888705.2020.1799214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The human factor is one of the major determinants of animal welfare in zoos. Assessing changes in activity patterns, behavior and space use due to human presence might help understanding visitors' influence on these animal welfare indicators. In Córdoba (Argentina), we assessed the activity pattern and behavior of Tamandua tetradactyla (lesser anteaters; n = 5) during natural light/dark phases and the animals' use of space. We analyzed responses of lesser anteaters to humans in days open to the public (Sundays and Tuesdays) and days closed to the public (Mondays), collecting data at 5-minute intervals during 12 days, for each animal. Data were analyzed at two temporal scales: a 24 h period and visiting hours. Multivariate analyses showed no differences in activity pattern, behavior and space use among days, exhibiting a consistent response of each individual over the studied days. Principal Component Analysis showed differences between female and male behaviors. Based on these results, the visitor effect on these lesser anteaters would appear to be neutral, indicating that the presence of visitors is at most, a minor concern in the housing and management of these individuals in Córdoba Zoo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florencia Chiapero
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas (IIBYT), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales (FCEFyN)-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (UNC) , Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Héctor Ricardo Ferrari
- Cátedra de Bienestar Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional de Buenos Aires , Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María Valentina Prieto
- Carrera de Veterinaria, Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad Católica de Córdoba , Córdoba, Argentina
| | | | - Juan Manuel Busso
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas (IIBYT), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales (FCEFyN)-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (UNC) , Córdoba, Argentina.,FCEFyN-UNC , Córdoba, Argentina.,Laboratorio de Técnicas No Invasivas, CONICET-Jardín Zoológico Córdoba , Córdoba, Argentina
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Serres A, Hao Y, Wang D. Body Contacts and Social Interactions in Captive Odontocetes Are Influenced by the Context: An Implication for Welfare Assessment. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10060924. [PMID: 32466514 PMCID: PMC7341235 DOI: 10.3390/ani10060924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Revised: 05/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Even though species differ in terms of personality traits and responses to external stimuli, welfare-oriented studies conducted on odontocetes are mostly focused on bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Odontocetes are highly social animals; social behaviors are therefore interesting to investigate in relation to welfare. Video recording was conducted over a year on three groups of captive odontocetes, to record the frequency of social behaviors across different contexts. Captive odontocetes’ social behaviors, such as pectoral contacts, other body contacts, agonistic interactions or social play were influenced by the context and the patterns observed in this study suggest their potential usefulness to assess welfare in these animals, and that species and groups might react differently to a stimulus. Abstract Research on the welfare of captive odontocetes has increased in recent years, but has been mostly focused on bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Few studies investigated potential welfare indicators using quantitative data linked to a range of conditions or stimuli that are thought to impact the animals’ emotional state. Since odontocetes are social animals that engage in various social interactions, these interactions might inform us on their welfare state. We investigated pectoral contact laterality and the effect of the context on several social behaviors in three groups of captive odontocetes (Yangtze finless porpoises, YFPs: Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis; East-Asian finless porpoises, EAFPs: N. a. sunameri, and bottlenose dolphins, BDs). Animals exhibited patterns depending on the time of the day for most of the social behaviors we analyzed; social separation was associated with lower rates of social behaviors for the two analyzed groups (YFPs and BDs), the accessibility to several pools was associated with higher rates of social behaviors for BDs. The effect of enrichment, disturbances and public presence was less clear and strongly depended on the group, the type of enrichment and disturbance. Our results confirm that captive odontocetes’ social behaviors are influenced by the context, and that, depending on the group, some of them, such as pectoral contacts, other body contacts, agonistic interactions or social play exhibit consistent patterns across contexts. Monitoring these behaviors might be useful to adapt the captive management to each species and group. The different responses among the three studied groups confirm that species and groups react differently to a stimulus and therefore, management decisions should be species/group specific. We recommend that more studies should be conducted to validate our findings in other groups of odontocetes under human care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agathe Serres
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430050, China;
- Institute of Hydrobiology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Correspondence: (A.S.); (Y.H.)
| | - Yujiang Hao
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430050, China;
- Correspondence: (A.S.); (Y.H.)
| | - Ding Wang
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430050, China;
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Roth AM, Cords M. Zoo visitors affect sleep, displacement activities, and affiliative and aggressive behaviors in captive ebony langurs (Trachypithecus auratus). Acta Ethol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10211-020-00338-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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19
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Mazumder J, Kaburu SSK. Object Manipulation and Tool Use in Nicobar Long-Tailed Macaques
(Macaca fascicularis umbrosus). INT J PRIMATOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-020-00141-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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20
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Naz S, Muazzam S, Sagheer A, Tanveer A, Khan NA, Ali Z, Chand N, Khan RU. Captivity stress influences the DNA damage of Pavo cristatus under environmental conditions of Faisalabad, Pakistan. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2020; 27:5636-5639. [PMID: 31845253 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-019-07307-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2019] [Accepted: 12/05/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The surroundings of wild and captive birds are divergent in existence. Wild birds inhabiting their natural environment have unlimited resources availability. They face variety of captivity stresses when moved from wild habitat to caged enclosures. The effect of similar captivity stresses on the DNA of birds living in cages for longer stretches of time is addressed in this study. The laboratory analysis to investigate DNA damage in Pavo cristatus was performed using single-cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) or comet assay. Our results showed that measurable DNA damage was observed in Pavo cristatus species. Endogenous stress factors owing to long-term captivity were responsible to cause this damage. The caged conditions provided to the captive birds can be improved in order to prevent DNA impairment. Moreover, appropriate monitoring and effective management are necessary on continual basis to ensure the well-being of caged birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shabana Naz
- Department of Zoology, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
| | - Shifa Muazzam
- Department of Zoology, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Anila Sagheer
- Department of Zoology, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Arnab Tanveer
- Department of Zoology, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Nishat Ali Khan
- Department of Zoology, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Zahid Ali
- Gatwala Deputy Director, Wildlife Park and Breeding Center, Punjab Wildlife Department, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Naila Chand
- Faculty of Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Sciences, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar, Peshawar, Pakistan
| | - Rifat Ullah Khan
- Faculty of Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Sciences, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar, Peshawar, Pakistan
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Swimming features in captive odontocetes: Indicative of animals’ emotional state? Behav Processes 2020; 170:103998. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2019.103998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2019] [Revised: 10/30/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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22
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Wallace EK, Herrelko ES, Koski SE, Vick SJ, Buchanan-Smith HM, Slocombe KE. Exploration of potential triggers for self-directed behaviours and regurgitation and reingestion in zoo-housed chimpanzees. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2019.104878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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23
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Sherwen SL, Hemsworth PH. The Visitor Effect on Zoo Animals: Implications and Opportunities for Zoo Animal Welfare. Animals (Basel) 2019; 9:ani9060366. [PMID: 31212968 PMCID: PMC6617010 DOI: 10.3390/ani9060366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2019] [Revised: 06/09/2019] [Accepted: 06/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Research has shown that an animal’s welfare is highly dependent on how various individual animal factors (e.g., species traits, genetics, temperament and previous experience) interact with environmental features (e.g., social grouping, enclosure design and sensory environment). One prominent feature of a zoo’s environment is the presence of visitors. Decades of research on the visitor effect in zoos has demonstrated that visitors can have negative, neutral or positive impacts on zoo animal behaviour and welfare. This paper reviews the literature on the implications and potential opportunities of human–zoo animal interactions on animal behaviour and welfare, with the aim of stimulating interest, understanding and exploration of this important subject. Abstract Achieving and maintaining high standards of animal welfare is critical to the success of a modern zoo. Research has shown that an animal’s welfare is highly dependent on how various individual animal factors (e.g., species traits, genetics, temperament and previous experience) interact with environmental features (e.g., social grouping, enclosure design and sensory environment). One prominent feature of the zoo environment is the presence of visitors. Visitor contact can be unpredictable and intense, particularly in terms of auditory and visual interaction. Depending on an animal’s perception of this interaction, visitors can have either negative, neutral or positive impacts on zoo animal behaviour and welfare. This paper reviews the literature on the implications and potential opportunities of human-zoo animal interactions on animal behaviour and welfare, with the aim of stimulating interest, understanding and exploration of this important subject. The literature to date presents a mixed range of findings on the topic. It is possible this variation in the responses of zoo animals to visitors may be due to species-specific differences, the nature and intensity of the visitor interactions, enclosure design, and individual animal characteristics. Analysing these studies and better understanding animal preferences and motivations can provide insight into what animals find negatively and positively reinforcing in terms of visitor contact in a specific zoo setting. This understanding can then be applied to either safeguard welfare in cases where visitors can have a negative impact, or, conversely, it can be applied to highlight opportunities to encourage animal-visitor interaction in situations where animals experience positive emotions associated with visitor interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sally L Sherwen
- Wildlife Conservation and Science, Zoos Victoria, Victoria, Melbourne 3052, Australia.
- The Animal Welfare Science Centre, the University of Melbourne, Victoria, Melbourne 3052, Australia.
| | - Paul H Hemsworth
- The Animal Welfare Science Centre, the University of Melbourne, Victoria, Melbourne 3052, Australia.
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Visitor effects on zoo-housed Sulawesi crested macaque (Macaca nigra) behaviour: Can signs with ‘watching eyes’ requesting quietness help? Appl Anim Behav Sci 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2018.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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25
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The Different Physical and Behavioural Characteristics of Zoo Mammals That Influence Their Response to Visitors. Animals (Basel) 2018; 8:ani8080139. [PMID: 30110894 PMCID: PMC6115739 DOI: 10.3390/ani8080139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2018] [Revised: 08/08/2018] [Accepted: 08/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Studies of the zoo visitor effect (changes in animal behaviour in response to the presence of the public) have had varying results: most studies have found that visitors have a negative animal welfare impact, but some studies have found no effect, or even, a positive effect on animal welfare. The problem is that most studies only consider one species at a time and meta-analyses suffer from the great variation in animal husbandry, enclosures and the public’s behaviour. Therefore, we examined 17 different mammal species responses to zoo visitors over the period of one year. The species were chosen to show a variation in physical characteristics (e.g., body weight) and habits (e.g., diurnal or nocturnal); this allows us to determine which characteristics are important in determining the variation of the response of mammals to zoo visitors. The results showed no effect of body weight, but activity cycle was very important, with diurnal animals being more affected. These results allow us to predict which mammal species will be most negatively affected by zoo visitor presence. Abstract The factors underlying the ‘zoo visit effect’ (changes in animal behaviour/physiology in response to visitor presence) are still poorly understood, despite it being widely investigated. The present study examined the effect of zoo visitors on the behaviour of 17 different species of mammals at the Belo Horizonte Zoo, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The behaviour of the animals was recorded using scan (focal in one case) sampling with instantaneous recording of behaviour, during 12 continuous months. Data were analysed using a comparative method examining five different factors: diet, body weight, stratum occupied, activity cycle, and habitat, as well as three different visitor categories: small and quiet audience, medium size audience and medium noise, and large size and loud audience. Significant changes in the behaviour for each factor, especially increases in locomotor and resting behaviour, were observed in response to different visitor categories. The factors that most explained responses to visitor categories were habitat and activity cycle. Species from closed habitats compared to open habitats were significantly more impacted (more behaviour affected), probably, because they are, evolutionarily, less accustomed to visual contact with people. Diurnal species showed more behavioural changes than nocturnal ones, possibly, because they were being observed during their normal activity cycle. These results may help zoos identify which mammal species are most susceptible to the zoo visitor effect, and consequently, be more pro-active in the use of mitigating strategies.
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Rose PE, Brereton JE, Croft DP. Measuring welfare in captive flamingos: Activity patterns and exhibit usage in zoo-housed birds. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2018.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
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27
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Raulo A, Dantzer B. Associations between glucocorticoids and sociality across a continuum of vertebrate social behavior. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:7697-7716. [PMID: 30151183 PMCID: PMC6106170 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2017] [Revised: 02/22/2018] [Accepted: 02/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The causes and consequences of individual differences in animal behavior and stress physiology are increasingly studied in wild animals, yet the possibility that stress physiology underlies individual variation in social behavior has received less attention. In this review, we bring together these study areas and focus on understanding how the activity of the vertebrate neuroendocrine stress axis (HPA-axis) may underlie individual differences in social behavior in wild animals. We first describe a continuum of vertebrate social behaviors spanning from initial social tendencies (proactive behavior) to social behavior occurring in reproductive contexts (parental care, sexual pair-bonding) and lastly to social behavior occurring in nonreproductive contexts (nonsexual bonding, group-level cooperation). We then perform a qualitative review of existing literature to address the correlative and causal association between measures of HPA-axis activity (glucocorticoid levels or GCs) and each of these types of social behavior. As expected, elevated HPA-axis activity can inhibit social behavior associated with initial social tendencies (approaching conspecifics) and reproduction. However, elevated HPA-axis activity may also enhance more elaborate social behavior outside of reproductive contexts, such as alloparental care behavior. In addition, the effect of GCs on social behavior can depend upon the sociality of the stressor (cause of increase in GCs) and the severity of stress (extent of increase in GCs). Our review shows that the while the associations between stress responses and sociality are diverse, the role of HPA-axis activity behind social behavior may shift toward more facilitating and less inhibiting in more social species, providing insight into how stress physiology and social systems may co-evolve.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aura Raulo
- Department of BiosciencesUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
- Zoology DepartmentUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Ben Dantzer
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMichigan
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMichigan
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28
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Schultz JT, Young JK. Behavioral and spatial responses of captive coyotes to human activity. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2018.05.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
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29
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Miller LJ, Ivy JA, Vicino GA, Schork IG. Impacts of natural history and exhibit factors on carnivore welfare. J APPL ANIM WELF SCI 2018; 22:188-196. [PMID: 29621889 DOI: 10.1080/10888705.2018.1455582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
To improve the welfare of nonhuman animals under professional care, zoological institutions are continuously utilizing new methods to identify factors that lead to optimal welfare. Comparative methods have historically been used in the field of evolutionary biology but are increasingly being applied in the field of animal welfare. In the current study, data were obtained from direct behavioral observation and institutional records representing 80 individual animals from 34 different species of the order Carnivora. Data were examined to determine if a variety of natural history and animal management factors impacted the welfare of animals in zoological institutions. Output variables indicating welfare status included behavioral diversity, pacing, offspring production, and infant mortality. Results suggested that generalist species have higher behavioral diversity and offspring production in zoos compared with their specialist counterparts. In addition, increased minimum distance from the public decreased pacing and increased offspring production, while increased maximum distance from the public and large enclosure size decreased infant mortality. These results have implications for future exhibit design or renovation, as well as management practices and priorities for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lance J Miller
- a San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, Behavioral Ecology , Escondido , CA , USA
| | - Jamie A Ivy
- b Department of Life Sciences , San Diego Zoo Global , San Diego , CA , USA
| | - Greg A Vicino
- b Department of Life Sciences , San Diego Zoo Global , San Diego , CA , USA
| | - Ivana G Schork
- c School of Environmental and Life Sciences , University of Salford , Salford , United Kingdom
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Pérez-Galicia S, Miranda-Anaya M, Canales-Espinosa D, Muñoz-Delgado J. Visitor effect on the behavior of a group of spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) maintained at an island in Lake Catemaco, Veracruz/Mexico. Zoo Biol 2017; 36:360-366. [PMID: 29120094 DOI: 10.1002/zoo.21384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2016] [Revised: 09/14/2017] [Accepted: 10/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
We analyzed the effect of human visitors on the behavior of a group of spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) kept on a small tourist island. Although the spider monkey is a common species in zoos, there are very few specific studies on visitor effects on these monkeys. We conducted behavioral observations on the group of spider monkeys to evaluate the effect of visitors. We also used actimetry devices to measure the variations in the spider monkeys' locomotor activity associated with human presence. With regard to the effect on behavior, we found an increase in self-directed behaviors and a decrease in vocalization, both associated with human presence. Moreover, our results suggest that when people feed monkeys, there is an increase in agonistic behaviors. On the other hand, we found that changes in activity levels in response to human presence vary among individuals. We conclude that changes in spider monkeys' behavior could provide evidence of the negative effect of visitors in our study conditions. Although we discuss the differences in activity levels due to differences in social position, further research is required this topic. Our results can be used to inform management plans for this species in captivity. Improving this relationship between humans and non-human primates through tourism education programs would benefit ecotourism and therefore species conservation programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Pérez-Galicia
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Coyoacán, Distrito Federal, México
- Chronoecology and Human Ethology Laboratory, Depto. Etología. Dirección de Neurociencias, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Tlalpan, Distrito Federal, México
| | - Manuel Miranda-Anaya
- Department of Neurobiology of Development and Neurophysiology, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Santiago de Querétaro, Querétaro, México
| | - Domingo Canales-Espinosa
- Head Office of Academic Area of Biological and Agricultural Sciences, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Veracruz, México
| | - Jairo Muñoz-Delgado
- Chronoecology and Human Ethology Laboratory, Depto. Etología. Dirección de Neurociencias, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Tlalpan, Distrito Federal, México
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31
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Polgár Z, Wood L, Haskell MJ. Individual differences in zoo-housed squirrel monkeys' (Saimiri sciureus
) reactions to visitors, research participation, and personality ratings. Am J Primatol 2017; 79. [DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2016] [Revised: 12/07/2016] [Accepted: 01/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zita Polgár
- Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Veterinary Centre, Easter Bush; Scotland UK
| | - Lara Wood
- Division of Psychology, Abertay University, Dundee, DD1 1HG, UK, & School of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9JP; UK
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32
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Zannella A, Norscia I, Stanyon R, Palagi E. Testing yawning hypotheses in wild populations of two strepsirrhine species: Propithecus verreauxi and Lemur catta. Am J Primatol 2015; 77:1207-15. [PMID: 26317594 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2015] [Revised: 07/21/2015] [Accepted: 08/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Yawning, although easily recognized, is difficult to explain. Traditional explanations stressed physiological mechanisms, but more recently, behavioral processes have received increasing attention. This is the first study to test a range of hypotheses on yawning in wild primate populations. We studied two sympatric strepsirrhine species, Lemur catta, and Propithecus verreauxi, of the Ankoba forest (24.99°S, 46.29°E, Berenty reserve) in southern Madagascar. Sexual dimorphism is lacking in both species. However, their differences in ecological and behavioral characteristics facilitate comparative tests of hypotheses on yawning. Our results show that within each species males and females yawned with similar frequencies supporting the Dimorphism Hypothesis, which predicts that low sexual dimorphism leads to little inter-sexual differences in yawning. In support of the State Changing Hypothesis yawning frequencies was linked to the sleep-wake cycle and punctuated transitions from one behavior to another. Accordingly, yawning frequencies were significantly higher in L. catta than in P. verreauxi, because L. catta has a higher basal level of activity and consequently a higher number of behavioral transitions. In agreement with the Anxiety Hypothesis, yawning increased significantly in the 10 min following predatory attacks or aggression. Our findings provide the first empirical evidence of a direct connection between anxiety and yawning in lemurs. Our results show that yawning in these two strepsirrhines occurs in different contexts, but more research will be necessary to determine if yawns are a single, unitary behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Zannella
- Anthropology Laboratories, Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Ivan Norscia
- Natural History Museum, University of Pisa, Calci, Pisa, Italy
| | - Roscoe Stanyon
- Anthropology Laboratories, Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Palagi
- Natural History Museum, University of Pisa, Calci, Pisa, Italy.,Unit of Cognitive Primatology and Primate Center, Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies CNR, Rome, Italy
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33
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Sherwen SL, Hemsworth PH, Butler KL, Fanson KV, Magrath MJL. Impacts of visitor number on Kangaroos housed in free-range exhibits. Zoo Biol 2015; 34:287-95. [PMID: 26036594 DOI: 10.1002/zoo.21226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2015] [Revised: 05/12/2015] [Accepted: 05/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Free range exhibits are becoming increasingly popular in zoos as a means to enhance interaction between visitors and animals. However very little research exists on the impacts of visitors on animal behaviour and stress in free range exhibits. We investigated the effects of visitor number on the behaviour and stress physiology of Kangaroo Island (KI) Kangaroos, Macropus fuliginosus fuliginosus, and Red Kangaroos, Macropus rufus, housed in two free range exhibits in Australian zoos. Behavioural observations were conducted on individual kangaroos at each site using instantaneous scan sampling to record activity (e.g., vigilance, foraging, resting) and distance from the visitor pathway. Individually identifiable faecal samples were collected at the end of each study day and analysed for faecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGM) concentration. When visitor number increased, both KI Kangaroos and Red Kangaroos increased the time spent engaged in visitor-directed vigilance and KI Kangaroos also increased the time spent engaged in locomotion and decreased the time spent resting. There was no effect of visitor number on the distance kangaroos positioned themselves from the visitor pathway or FGM concentration in either species. While there are limitations in interpreting these results in terms of fear of visitors, there was no evidence of adverse effects animal welfare in these study groups based on avoidance behaviour or stress physiology under the range of visitor numbers that we studied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sally L Sherwen
- Animal Welfare Science Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Wildlife Conservation and Science, Zoos Victoria, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Paul H Hemsworth
- Animal Welfare Science Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kym L Butler
- Animal Welfare Science Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Biometrics Group, Department of Economic Development Jobs Transport and Resources, Hamilton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kerry V Fanson
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Victoria, Australia
| | - Michael J L Magrath
- Department of Wildlife Conservation and Science, Zoos Victoria, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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34
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35
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Collins CK, Marples NM. Zoo Playgrounds: A Source of Enrichment or Stress for a Group of Nearby Cockatoos? A Case Study. J APPL ANIM WELF SCI 2015; 18:375-87. [DOI: 10.1080/10888705.2015.1034278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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36
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Bloomfield RC, Gillespie GR, Kerswell KJ, Butler KL, Hemsworth PH. Effect of partial covering of the visitor viewing area window on positioning and orientation of zoo orangutans: A preference test. Zoo Biol 2015; 34:223-9. [PMID: 25716803 DOI: 10.1002/zoo.21207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2014] [Revised: 02/02/2015] [Accepted: 02/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The window of the visitor viewing area adjacent to an animal platform in an orangutan enclosure was altered to produce three viewing treatments in a randomized controlled experiment. These treatments were window uncovered, left side of the window covered or right side of the window covered. Observations were conducted on the orangutans present on the platform, and on their location (left or right side), and orientation (towards or away from the window) while on the platform. The partial covering of the window had little effect on the proportion of time orangutans spent on the viewing platform, or on the direction they faced when on the platform. When the orangutans were facing towards the window, and the right side was uncovered, irrespective of whether the left side was covered, they spent about three quarters of the time on the right side, suggesting a preference for the right side of the platform. However, when the right side was covered and the left side uncovered, the animals facing towards the window spent only about a quarter of the time on the right side, that is, they spent more time on the uncovered side. The results suggest that the orangutans have a preference to position themselves to face the window of the visitor viewing area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel C Bloomfield
- Animal Welfare Science Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | | | - Keven J Kerswell
- Animal Welfare Science Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kym L Butler
- Animal Welfare Science Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Primary Industries (Victoria), Biometrics Group, Hamilton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Paul H Hemsworth
- Animal Welfare Science Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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37
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Hosey G, Melfi V. Are we ignoring neutral and negative human-animal relationships in zoos? Zoo Biol 2014; 34:1-8. [PMID: 25328013 DOI: 10.1002/zoo.21182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2014] [Revised: 08/18/2014] [Accepted: 09/19/2014] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Human-animal interactions (HAI), which may lead to human-animal relationships (HAR), may be positive, neutral, or negative in nature. Zoo studies show that visitors may be stressful, may have no effect, or may be enriching. There is also evidence that good HARs set up between animals and their keepers can have positive effects on animal welfare. However, we need to know more about negative HARs, and as a first step we attempt to do this here by considering cases where animals attack people in the zoo. Due to the sensitivity and rarity of these events data appear sparse and unsystematically collected. Here, information available in the public domain about the circumstances of these attacks has been collated to test hypotheses about negative HAIs derived from a model of zoo HARs. The limited data presented here broadly support the zoo HAR model, and suggest that attacks usually happen in unusual circumstances, where there may be a failure by the animal to recognise the HAR, or where the relationship, if there is one, does not hold; and give some support to the prediction that exposure to many keepers may impair the development of a positive HAR. This study may provide useful information for the zoo community to proactively collect systematic standardised records, which will enable a fuller understanding of zoo HARs, upon which appropriate measures might be adopted to build better zoo HARs, which are likely to positively impact zoo animal welfare, and reduce these rare incidences further.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoff Hosey
- Biology, University of Bolton, Bolton, United Kingdom
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38
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Sherwen SL, Magrath MJ, Butler KL, Phillips CJ, Hemsworth PH. A multi-enclosure study investigating the behavioural response of meerkats to zoo visitors. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2014.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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39
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Quadros S, Goulart VD, Passos L, Vecci MA, Young RJ. Zoo visitor effect on mammal behaviour: Does noise matter? Appl Anim Behav Sci 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2014.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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40
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Abstract
Contact with people, both familiar (e.g., caretakers) and unfamiliar (e.g., members of the public), is a significant part of the lives of nonhuman animals in zoos. The available empirical evidence shows that in many cases this contact represents a source of stress to the animals, although there is sufficient overall ambiguity in these studies to suggest that the effect of people on the animals is much more complex than this. A possible way to try to understand human-animal relationships in the zoo is to ask how the animals might perceive the humans with whom they have contact, and here this question is explored further, using a framework first published by Hediger as a starting point. Hediger suggested that zoo animals might perceive people as an enemy, as part of the inanimate environment, or as a member of the same species. He supported these categories with anecdotal evidence, which was all that was available at the time, but more empirical evidence is available now, so it is appropriate to revisit these categories. The evidence suggests that animals discriminate both conspecific and heterospecific others, rather than just viewing familiar people as members of their own species, and that additional categories (stimulating part of the environment and friendship) may be warranted. These categories are then placed in a general model that suggests how relationships of different qualities, and hence different perceptions of each other, might develop between animals and the people they are in contact with in zoos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoff Hosey
- a School of Health & Social Studies, University of Bolton , United Kingdom
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41
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Larsen MJ, Sherwen SL, Rault JL. Number of nearby visitors and noise level affect vigilance in captive koalas. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2014.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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42
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Farrand A, Hosey G, Buchanan-Smith HM. The visitor effect in petting zoo-housed animals: Aversive or enriching? Appl Anim Behav Sci 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2013.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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43
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Rajagopal T, Archunan G, Sekar M. Impact of Zoo Visitors on the Fecal Cortisol Levels and Behavior of an Endangered Species: Indian Blackbuck (Antelope cervicapra L.). J APPL ANIM WELF SCI 2011; 14:18-32. [DOI: 10.1080/10888705.2011.527598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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44
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The effects of visitor density on sika deer (Cervus nippon) behaviour in Zhu-Yu-Wan Park, China. Anim Welf 2010. [DOI: 10.1017/s0962728600001172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
AbstractVisitors to zoos are a source of potential stress to certain captive-housed animals. Much research has focused on Europe and America, whereas the effect of human audiences on the behaviour of captive animals in Chinese parks has so far not been investigated. Sika deer (Cervus nippon) housed in Zhu-Yu-Wan Park, Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province, China, were studied to determine the effect of different visitor density levels on the animals’ activity. From June 21 to December 10, 2006, and again from February 21 to July 10, 2007, 21 subjects were observed for 10 h per week for a total of 44 weeks. Continuous focal animal sampling was used to quantify behaviours, and visitor density was recorded every minute. Friedman's tests were used to examine the effects of visitor density on the behaviour of sika deer. Results showed that high visitor density was significantly related to foraging, resting, watching and ‘non-visible’ behaviours. The findings demonstrate that high numbers of visitors have an effect on the welfare of sika deer.
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45
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Manciocco A, Chiarotti F, Vitale A. Effects of positive interaction with caretakers on the behaviour of socially housed common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus). Appl Anim Behav Sci 2009. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2009.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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46
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47
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48
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Sekar M, Rajagopal T, Archunan G. Influence of zoo visitor presence on the behavior of captive Indian gaur (Bos gaurus gaurus) in a zoological park. J APPL ANIM WELF SCI 2009; 11:352-7. [PMID: 18821404 DOI: 10.1080/10888700802330093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Visitors to zoos can be a source of potential disturbance and stress to some captive, nonhuman animals in the wild. To determine the influence of visitor presence on captive bison (Bos gaurus gaurus), the study analyzed the behavior of 4 individuals at the Arignar Anna Zoological Park, India. The study often observed the behavior of the animals on visitor-present days and on days when visitors were absent. In the presence of zoo visitors, the bison showed a higher level of intragroup aggression and moving behavior. In contrast, the bison rested more when no visitors were present. The results revealed that the presence of zoo visitors significantly influenced the behavior of captive bison and thereby may have affected their welfare.
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49
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Carder G, Semple S. Visitor effects on anxiety in two captive groups of western lowland gorillas. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2008. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2008.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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50
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Welfare assessment of captive Asian elephants ( Elephas maximus) and Indian rhinoceros ( Rhinoceros unicornis) using salivary cortisol measurement. Anim Welf 2008. [DOI: 10.1017/s096272860003222x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
AbstractThe measurement of salivary cortisol allows non-invasive assessment of welfare in captive animals. We utilised this technique to test the effect of zoo opening on six Asian elephants and two Indian rhinoceros at the Terra Natura Zoological Park, Alicante, Spain, during pre-opening, opening and post-opening periods. Salivary cortisol concentrations were found to be significantly higher during the opening period than during pre- and post-opening periods for both species. This method could prove a useful tool in monitoring the success of decisions taken to improve the welfare of captive animals.
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