Members of the Pod: Do Marine Mammal Trainers Perceive a Bond with the Animals They Care For?
Animals under human care interact with their caretakers, potentially resulting in human–animal bonds (HABs), which can enhance wellbeing for both. Previous research has suggested that keepers perceive bonds with their animals, but investigation of a different zoo role working with one species has not yet been completed. Here, we investigate the animal trainers’ perception of […]
Vocalizations and other behavioral responses of male cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) during experimental separation and reunion trials
Abstract 10.1002/(SICI)1098-2361(1998)17:13.3.CO;2-8 In this study we assessed the extent of psychological attachment between male cheetahs living in same sex pairs in zoos by recording the behavior and vocalizations of two male coalitions (siblings and nonsiblings) during four experimental separations and reunions of each coalition. Both coalitions showed higher vocalization rates and walking rates during separations […]
Behavioral, cardiac and cortisol responses to brief peer separation and reunion in cattle
Behavioral, cardiac, and adrenal responses of heifers to short-term isolation and to subsequent reunion with familiar or nonfamiliar conspecifics were measured. Two groups of heifers were studied according to their different social reactivity: Aubrac heifers (n=12) reared under suckler conditions and Friesian heifers (n=12) reared under dairy management. Because these two groups could also react […]
Maternal separation produces, and a second separation enhances, core temperature and passive behavioral responses in guinea pig pups
During separation in a novel cage, guinea pig pups exhibit passive behavior that appears due to increased proinflammatory activity. To determine if separation also produces a febrile response, the present study used telemetry to provide continuous core temperature measurement of pups exposed to a novel cage for 3 h while either alone or with their […]
Infant-mother recognition in a social rodent (octodon degus)
Octodon degus (degu), a biparental species with precocious offspring is a potential model for the study of social attachment and related affective disorders such as depression. This study investigates the nature of the social bond between young degus and their mothers with a special emphasis on infant-mother recognition. We tested young degus in a potentiation […]
First Suckling: A Crucial Event for Mother–Young Attachment? An Experimental Study in Horses (Equus caballus)
This study investigates the consequences of interference during first suckling for subsequent mare-young attachment in horses (Equus caballus). Foals brought to their dams’ teats appeared, at later ages (1-3 months), to remain closer to their dams and to play less than control foals that had been allowed to suckle spontaneously. Higher levels of play and […]
Enhancement of attachment and cognitive development of young nursery-reared chimpanzees in responsive versus standard care
Forty-six nursery-reared chimpanzee infants (22 females and 24 males) receiving either standard care (n = 29) or responsive care (n = 17) at the Great Ape Nursery at Yerkes participated in this study. Standard care (ST) consisted primarily of peer-rearing, with humans providing essential health-related care. Responsive care (RC) consisted of an additional 4 hr […]
Differences in Titi Monkey (Callicebus cupreus) Social Bonds Affect Arousal, Affiliation, and Response to Reward
Titi monkeys (Callicebus cupreus) are a monogamous, New World primate. Adult pair-mates form a bidirectional social bond and offspring form a selective unidirectional bond to their father. Some of the neurobiology involved in social bonds and maternal behavior is similar to the neural circuitry involved in nonsocial reward. Due to these overlapping mechanisms, social states […]
The development of behaviour- trends since Tinbergen (1963)
Niko Tinbergen (1963) put behavioural development on the map as one of the four main problems in behavioural biology. Developmental research at the time was still in the grip of the nature/nurture debate. In his discussion, Tinbergen advocated an interactionist approach to development, which has been the main point of view in developmental research since […]
Does the attachment system towards owners change in aged dogs?
Changes during senescence can significantly affect both the emotional and relational needs of old individuals and the characteristics of the attachment system. In order to determine whether the emotional response of dogs is affected by old age, we compared the behavioural parameters of adult (AD < 7 years of age, n = 25) and aged […]