A Gecko-eye View of Naturalistic Enclosures
Naturalistic enclosures have become a popular exhibition technique for zoos, and reptiles and amphibians are regularly housed in these exhibits. While a considerable sum of research indicates that visitors prefer naturalistic exhibits, there are fewer studies documenting the behaviour and welfare of animals housed under these conditions. This study investigated the impact of a naturalistic […]
The Zone Overlap Index: A new measure of shared resource use in the zoo
It is important that the environment provided in the zoo is relevant to the species being housed and its suitability be easily assessed by personnel. As shared space and resources can overlap in a zoo’s enclosure a tool is required to measure the effects of such overlap between individual animals in a shared enclosure. This […]
How do we plan for the zoo exhibit of the future?
Zoos regularly build new exhibits, many of which cost millions of US dollars. It is important that exhibits deliver from an animal, visitor, and staff perspective. It is rare for zoo exhibits to be quantitatively assessed, including trialing of exhibit design, even though this is common practice in the museum sector. This paper highlights the […]
Changes in Environment and Management Practices Improve Foot Health in Zoo-Housed Flamingos
Foot lesions are a highly prevalent phenomenon among zoo-housed flamingos, with up to 99.8% of birds affected. These lesions are a recognized welfare concern, increasing the likelihood of bacterial infections, and even septicemia. Although several risk factors have been linked to foot lesions in flamingos (including age, climate, and substrate), there have been few studies […]
Natural Habitat Design for Zoo-Housed Elasmobranch and Teleost Fish Species Improves Behavioural Repertoire and Space Use in a Visitor Facing Exhibit
This study investigated the behaviour of two Elasmobranch species; Southern fiddler ray (Trygonorrhina dumerilii, n = 1) and Port Jackson shark (Heterodontus portusjacksoni, n = 4) and two teleost species; moonlighter (Tilodon sexfasciatus, n = 1) and banded morwong (Cheilodactylus spectabilis, n = 1) living within a single enclosure. For this study, two treatments were […]
Principal Component Analysis as a Novel Method for the Assessment of the Enclosure Use Patterns of Captive Livingstone’s Fruit Bats (Pteropus livingstonii)
The Spread of Participation Index (SPI) is a standard tool for assessing the suitability of enclosure design by measuring how captive animals access space. This metric, however, lacks the precision to quantify individual-level space utilization or to determine how the distribution of resources and physical features within an enclosure might influence space use. Here we […]
Inter-aviary distance and visual access influence conservation breeding outcomes in a territorial, endangered bird
Species extinctions are becoming a global crisis, affecting biodiversity and ecosystem services, with island populations being particularly vulnerable. In response, conservation managers are increasingly turning to ex situ conservation breeding programs to establish assurance populations and provide a source for release and re-establishment of wild populations. The ‘Alalā (Hawaiian crow, Corvus hawaiiensis) is a critically […]
Factors influencing the behaviour and welfare of captive lion-tailed macaques in Indian zoos
A behavioural study was conducted on 47 lion-tailed macaques housed in 13 zoos across India. An ethogram was constructed and behavioural observations conducted using qualitative sampling ad libitum, focal animal sampling and instantaneous scans. Sampling was conducted only during the day when visitors were present at the macaque enclosures. Stereotypic pacing was the most commonly […]
Habitats for captive primates.
A Review of Applying Ecological Principles to Captive Primate Environments, by Bruce Clark. Toledo, OH, published by the author, 1992, 211 pp., $15.50, spiral bound
A Comparison of the Activity Budgets of Wild and Captive Sulawesi Crested Black Macaques (Macaca Nigra)
One aim of environmental enrichment techniques is to replicate ‘wild-like’ behaviour in captivity. In this study. three captive troops of Sulawesi crested black macaques (Macaca nigra) were each observed for 100 h in large naturalistic enclosures. Activity budgets constructed from these observations were compared with published data collected from wild troops in the DuaSudara Nature […]