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Bachetti ÉDS, Viol LY, Viana-Junior AB, Young RJ, de Azevedo CS. Global Overview of Environmental Enrichment Studies: What Has Been Done and Future Directions. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:1613. [PMID: 38891660 PMCID: PMC11171006 DOI: 10.3390/ani14111613] [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: 04/29/2024] [Revised: 05/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: Environmental enrichment (EE) is a management principle aimed at meeting the needs of animals under human care by identifying and providing essential environmental stimuli to contribute to the integrity of their psychological and physiological well-being. Studies on EE have been carried out worldwide, but consolidated information on how it has been used, who it has been used for, how it has been evaluated, and what gaps still exist in the subject is scarce in the scientific literature. This study assessed, employing a systematic review, the global scenario of research into EE in animals kept under human care over the last 17 years, answering the above-mentioned questions. (2) Methods: A search for EE papers was carried out in the Web of Science and Scopus databases from January 2005 to December 2021, resulting in 2002 articles from which information was extracted. (3) Results: Results showed an increase in the number of articles published on EE, especially in farms, but studies in laboratory environments continue to be more frequent. Mammals and birds are the most studied animal groups. Cognitive enrichment is the least utilised by researchers. The number of publications by researchers from countries in the southern hemisphere is low. (4) Conclusions: Although the technique of EE is being widely used, it is still focused on certain groups of animals in certain captive environments and carried out mainly in the northern hemisphere of the planet. Therefore, the gaps pointed out here need to be filled by future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Érica da Silva Bachetti
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Universidade Federal de São João Del-Rei, São João del Rei 35701-970, Brazil; (É.d.S.B.); (L.Y.V.)
| | - Layane Yamile Viol
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Universidade Federal de São João Del-Rei, São João del Rei 35701-970, Brazil; (É.d.S.B.); (L.Y.V.)
| | - Arleu Barbosa Viana-Junior
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Campina Grande 58429-500, Brazil;
| | - Robert John Young
- School of Sciences, Engineering & Environment, Peel Building, University of Salford, Manchester M5 4WT, UK;
| | - Cristiano Schetini de Azevedo
- Laboratório de Zoologia dos Vertebrados, Departamento de Biodiversidade, Evolução e Meio Ambiente, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto 35402-136, Brazil
- Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Biológicas, Campus Morro do Cruzeiro, s/n, Bauxita, Ouro Preto 35402-136, Brazil
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Bigiani S, Pilenga C. Benefit of Cognitive Environmental Enrichments on Social Tolerance and Play Behavior in Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus). J APPL ANIM WELF SCI 2024; 27:355-372. [PMID: 37337461 DOI: 10.1080/10888705.2023.2227563] [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] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
Social tolerance is an essential feature of social life that can determine the good functioning of a group of animals. Play behaviors, like social play and playing with objects, are frequently associated with positive emotional and welfare states. As a result, zoos use various strategies to promote both social tolerance and play with objects. Providing animals with cognitive environmental enrichment can be an effective tool to achieve these goals. Here we tested whether cognitive environmental enrichment can promote social tolerance and play with objects in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). To this end, we provided a group of five dolphins with two types of cognitive enrichment: one for individual use and one for cooperative use, both based on the rope-pulling task paradigm. Then we evaluated whether social tolerance and play with objects had increased after we provided dolphins with the two enrichments. Our results go in this direction, showing that after we provided dolphins with the enrichments, their intolerance behaviors decreased, both during feeding sessions and play sessions, while their play with objects increased. As a result, the two enrichments we used could be useful for improving dolphins' housing conditions.
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Padrell M, Amici F, Córdoba MP, Llorente M. Cognitive enrichment in a social setting: assessing the use of a novel food maze in sanctuary-housed chimpanzees. Primates 2022; 63:509-524. [PMID: 35849205 PMCID: PMC9463267 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-022-00996-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Foraging devices are effective enrichment tools for non-human primates, as they provide both cognitive and manipulative stimulation that may enhance these animals’ welfare. We assessed the behavioral effects of a novel tool-based enrichment on 14 chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) housed at Fundació Mona (Girona, Spain). The device consisted of a vertical maze filled with food rewards, which chimpanzees could extract by using tools. We conducted behavioral observations in two conditions over an approximately 2.5-month period: when the food maze was loaded (12 enrichment days), and when it was empty (12 baseline days). Data were collected using 2-min scan sampling and untimed-event focal sampling during two daily sessions of 80 min each. We expected that the chimpanzees’ interest in the enrichment would decrease over time, but that its use would be linked to an increase in the occurrence of species-typical behaviors, a reduction in negative indicators of welfare, and changes in social behaviors. We found that participation widely varied among subjects, being higher in females and decreasing through time. Furthermore, participation was linked to an increase in tool use and a decrease in inactivity, but also to an increase in aggression-related behaviors. In contrast, participation had no effect on the occurrence of abnormal behaviors, social proximity or affiliation-related behaviors. Finally, we detected an increase in self-directed behaviors only when subjects actively interacted with the device. We conclude that, in future studies, these types of devices should be evaluated for longer periods of time and more attention should be paid to individuals’ preferences and abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Padrell
- Departament de Psicologia, Facultat d'Educació i Psicologia, Universitat de Girona, Plaça Sant Domènech 9, 17004, Girona, Spain. .,Research Department, Fundació Mona, 17457, Girona, Spain.
| | - Federica Amici
- Department of Comparative Cultural Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.,Faculty of Life Sciences, Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Miquel Llorente
- Departament de Psicologia, Facultat d'Educació i Psicologia, Universitat de Girona, Plaça Sant Domènech 9, 17004, Girona, Spain. .,Institut de Recerca i Estudis en Primatologia, IPRIM, 17246, Santa Cristina d'Aro, Spain.
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Bridging pure cognitive research and cognitive enrichment. Anim Cogn 2022; 25:1671-1678. [PMID: 35652984 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-022-01636-2] [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: 03/05/2022] [Revised: 05/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Cognitive enrichment is a growing subset of environmental enrichment for captive animals. However, it has been difficult for practitioners to design, implement, and evaluate relevant and appropriate cognitive challenges. Even though pure comparative cognition researchers focus on fundamental evolutionary questions, their knowledge and expertise can also shape the future of cognitive enrichment. This paper describes the motive, means, and opportunity to do so. Taxon-specific summaries of animal cognition (including inter-individual variation in skill and effects of motivation), and experimental designs (including the task itself, training, and reward) need to be accessible to practitioners in applied settings, such as farms, zoos, and sanctuaries. Furthermore, I invite pure researchers to directly evaluate their cognitive research program as enrichment and thus bridge the disciplines of animal cognition and welfare.
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Franks B, Gaffney LP, Graham C, Weary DM. Curiosity in zebrafish ( Danio rerio)? Behavioral responses to 30 novel objects. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:1062420. [PMID: 36896243 PMCID: PMC9988950 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.1062420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Curiosity-the motivation to seek out information-has been studied widely across the animal kingdom. To investigate curiosity in zebrafish we presented 30 novel objects to groups of zebrafish housed in semi-naturalistic tanks (6 tanks; 10 fish/tank; 10-min presentations). During the first 100 s and final 100 s of each object's 10-min presentation period, we recorded each group's: (i) latency to approach the object, (ii) attraction to the object, (iii) social dynamics: agonistic behavior and group cohesion and coordination, and (iv) diving behavior, a stress response in zebrafish. Comparing these behaviors to a 100 s baseline period when no object was present, we tested for neophobia (avoidance of novelty), neophilia (overall attraction to novelty), sustained interest (prolonged attraction to at least some presentations), discriminant interest (certain objects eliciting more attention than others), habituation (loss of interest over time), and alterations to social and stress behaviors. Zebrafish groups readily approached all objects (1 s median latency), were neophilic throughout all object presentations, and showed systematic sustained interest only for some object presentations at the beginning of the study (object presentations 1-10). Over the course of the study, zebrafish also showed signs of habituation such that by the final ten object presentations (21-30), there were no signs of overall sustained interest. During the beginning of the study (object presentations 1-10), we also found evidence for specific object-driven interest, with object ID accounting for 11% of the variability in interest scores (p < 0.01), and object-driven interest corresponding to alterations in social behavior: decreased aggression (p < 0.02), increased group cohesion (p < 0.02), and increased group coordination (p < 0.05). By explicitly investigating curiosity in fish, this work reveals that under certain conditions, zebrafish voluntarily engage in cognitive stimulation opportunities. More work is needed to clarify what types of information zebrafish find most rewarding and how long-term exposure to such opportunities may affect fish welfare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Becca Franks
- Faculty of Land and Food Systems, The University of British Columbia, Animal Welfare Program, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Department of Environmental Studies, New York University, New York City, NY, United States
| | - Leigh P Gaffney
- Faculty of Land and Food Systems, The University of British Columbia, Animal Welfare Program, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Fisheries Ecology and Marine Conservation Lab, Department of Biology, The University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Courtney Graham
- Faculty of Land and Food Systems, The University of British Columbia, Animal Welfare Program, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College, The University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Daniel M Weary
- Faculty of Land and Food Systems, The University of British Columbia, Animal Welfare Program, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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