Activity budget and behaviour of giant otters Pteronura brasiliensis at Parken Zoo, Eskilstuna, Sweden
Modern zoos must ensure the welfare and conservation of their captive animals. For this, it is recommended to provide cognitive stimuli (‘enrichment’), good habitat management and adequate nutrition amongst other things. Assessment of animal welfare should include behavioural observation. One frequently used approach compares the activity budget of zoo animals with their wild conspecifics, carefully […]
Behavioural patterns in zoo-housed Humboldt penguins (Spheniscus humboldti) revealed using long-term keeper-collected data: validation of approaches and improved husbandry
Given the increasing obligation to elevate animal welfare beyond minimum expectations, zoos need robust mechanisms to monitor physical activity and species-appropriate behaviours. This is not without challenge as animal behaviour can vary seasonally or be influenced by external factors such as weather and visitors. In theory, keepers who work with animals year-round are ideally situated […]
Day Time Activity Budgets, Height Utilization and Husbandry of Two Zoo-Housed Goodfellow’s Tree Kangaroos (Dendrolagus goodfellowi buergersi)
Goodfellow’s tree kangaroos (Dendrolagus goodfellowi) are an endangered, arboreal macropod native to the lower, mid-montane rainforests of Papua New Guinea. Despite a number of holders keeping D. goodfellowi in zoos across the world, there is a lack of recent published work on this species. Here, we present daytime activity budgets, document height use and provide […]
Behavioural Development of Three Former Pet Chimpanzees a Decade after Arrival at the MONA Sanctuary
Chimpanzees used as pets and in the entertainment industry endure detrimental living conditions from early infancy onwards. The preferred option for ending their existence as pet or circus chimpanzees is their rescue and transfer to a primate sanctuary that will provide them with optimal living and social conditions, so that they can thrive. In this […]
Stress behaviors in captive robust capuchins: Effects of humidity, visitors, management and sex
Wild robust capuchins (Sapajus spp.) are omnivorous neotropical primates that live in relatively large groups in extensive home and daily ranges with activity budgets dominated by traveling, foraging, and object manipulation, meaning that enclosed spaces can result in significant deprivation. Space restriction, manipulation by caretakers, and the chronic presence of visitors, can disrupt the animals’ […]
In search of the optimal enrichment program for zoo‐housed animals
Zoo-housed animals are regularly exposed to new forms of environmental enrichment to make their lives less predictable. However, providing new enrichment can have unpredictable effects. We evaluated the effectiveness of two enrichment regimes: (1) providing only new enrichments – “Novelty” and (2) only familiar enrichments – “Familiar.” In this case study, enrichment efficacy was assessed […]
Effect of enclosure expansion on the activity budgets of eastern black‐and‐white colobus monkeys, Colobus guereza
Behavior is one of the most observable and informative indicators of animal welfare. This study used behavioral observation methodologies to evaluate the impact of an enclosure expansion on the activity budgets of a group of three eastern black-and-white colobus monkeys, Colobus guereza, housed at the Adelaide Zoo in South Australia. Instantaneous scan sampling methods were […]
Behavior and Habitat Use Remain Diverse and Variable in Modern Zoological Exhibits over the Long-Term: Case Studies in 5 Species of Ursidae
Long-term evaluations of whether modern zoological exhibits help to maintain variation in the behavior of zoo animals are lacking despite the hope that animals avoid falling into monotonous patterns of behavior or boredom. This study evaluated changes in behavior and habitat use over multi-year periods in nine individuals of five bear species at two zoological […]
Biological and environmental factors as sources of variation in nocturnal behavior of giraffe
Upon a drastic decline of the giraffe population in the wild, conservation efforts and therefore the role of zoos have become more important than ever. With their unique opportunities, zoos provide excellent conditions to study animal behavior, expanding the knowledge about the giraffe’s behavior repertoire and their ability to adapt. This study therefore examined the […]
Costs and benefits of living in a vegetated, compared with non‐vegetated, enclosure in male Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata)
Improving captive environments for primates has been an important tool to enhance animal welfare. One method has been to provide primates with naturalistic vegetated enclosures to promote species-specific behaviors, enhancing interactions with their social and natural environment, such as an increase in feeding, foraging, and positive social behaviors such as play. To investigate the benefits […]