Gorilla Adaptations to Naturalistic Environments

In the past few decades there have been increased investigations into the effects of captive environments on behavior. Simultaneously, zoological gardens have undergone a revolution in philosophy and design, resulting in a proliferation of “naturalistic” habitats. Complex environments such as these have been found to affect the behavior of captive animals favorably, including increasing reproductive […]

The effects of physical characteristics of the environment and feeding regime on the behavior of captive felids

Abstract 10.1002/(SICI)1098-2361(1997)16:13.3.CO;2-J The behavior of captive felids is influenced by enclosure design and management regime. The behavior of nine felid species housed in 11 enclosures was recorded using instantaneous scan sampling. Stereotypic pacing was observed in 15 out of 19 individuals. Size of enclosure did not affect pacing behavior, but edges of enclosures were found […]