Influence of enclosure size on the distances covered and paced by captive tigers (Panthera tigris)
In the wild, tigers live in large individual territories ranging from 7 to 1000km2 depending on the region and prey abundance. However, in captivity, the animal’s environment is strongly reduced, and the size of the enclosure provided varies between zoos. It has been shown that animals occupying large territories in the wild, like tigers, are […]
Does Enclosure Size Influence the Behaviour & Welfare of Captive Snakes (Pantherophis guttatus)?
There is much evidence in mammals and birds demonstrating the importance of providing sufficient space to allow captive animals to exhibit natural behaviours, however, little such evidence exists for reptiles. The aim of this study was to ascertain whether enclosure size impacted on the behaviour and welfare of captive corn snakes (Pantherophis guttatus). Snakes (N […]
Getting It Straight: Accommodating Rectilinear Behavior in Captive Snakes—A Review of Recommendations and Their Evidence Base
Snakes are sentient animals and should be subject to the accepted general welfare principles of other species. However, they are also the only vertebrates commonly housed in conditions that prevent them from adopting rectilinear behavior (ability to fully stretch out). To assess the evidence bases for historical and current guidance on snake spatial considerations, we […]
Activity Patterns of Gray Wolves Housed in Small Vs. Large Enclosures
Free-ranging gray wolves (Canis lupus) generally inhabit large home ranges, yet they are housed in a variety of restricted spaces when in captivity. There is continual debate as to whether space restrictions alter a wolf’s behavior. The purpose of these studies was to remotely measure and then compare the amount and frequency of activity of […]
GPS determination of walking rates in captive African elephants (Loxodonta africana)
The movements of elephants in captivity have been an issue of concern for animal welfare activists and zoological professionals alike in recent years. In order to fully understand how movement rates reflect animal welfare, we must first determine the exact distances these animals move in the captive environment. We outfitted seven adult female African elephants […]
Effect of Enclosure Size and Complexity on the Behaviors of Captive Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)
Reports describing the implementation of innovative facility designs are important to both the primate caregiving community and policymakers reviewing current U.S. Department of Agriculture regulations. This study documents the changes in behavior of 5 adult chimpanzees that coincided with transfer from the Psychology Building Facility to the large and complex chimpanzee enclosure within the Chimpanzee […]
An ethological definition of animal welfare with special emphasis on pig behaviour
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Black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) in U.S. zoos: II. behavior, breeding success, and mortality in relation to housing facilities
Abstract The captive population of black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) is not self-sustaining. The reasons for suboptimal reproduction and high mortality need to be investigated. This can only be achieved by cross-institutional analyses of environments, behavior, and performance. In this study, we collected data on 23 zoos with black rhinoceros to compare zoo environments with reproductive […]
Use of space in the domestic fowl: separating the effects of enclosure size, group size and density
An understanding of how confined animals move within the space available to them is essential in the design of effective captive environments that maximize animal welfare. In addition to the obvious effect of enclosure size, other factors such as the number of individuals in the group and their density per unit of area are likely […]
Separating the Impact of Group Size, Density, and Enclosure Size on Broiler Movement and Space Use At a Decreasing Perimeter to Area Ratio
The goal of this study was to determine the impact of enclosure size on space use and movement patterns of domestic fowl (Gallus gallus domesticus), independent of group size and density. Research designed to estimate the effects of group size, density, or enclosure size involves inherent confounding between factors, clouding their individual effects. This experimental […]