Assessing the impact of environmental enrichment on behavior in understudied armadillo species: A case study
The implementation of environmental enrichment (EE) can be effective in promoting zoo animal welfare by enhancing the performance of natural or species-typical behaviors. Research on the effects of EE is biased towards larger mammalian species, with less charismatic species being overlooked. Armadillos are one such overlooked example. A captive environment that results in inactivity, obesity, […]
Assessing the impact of environmental enrichment on behavior in understudied armadillo species: A case study
The implementation of environmental enrichment (EE) can be effective in promoting zoo animal welfare by enhancing the performance of natural or species-typical behaviors. Research on the effects of EE is biased towards larger mammalian species, with less charismatic species being overlooked. Armadillos are one such overlooked example. A captive environment that results in inactivity, obesity, […]
Environmental Enrichment for Ageing Animals in Zoos
The use of environmental enrichment is commonplace in zoos, aquariums, sanctuaries and other facilities and aims to enhance the lives of animals under human care by promoting natural behaviours. There are various types of enrichment used including food-based, sensory, manipulative and novel. Enrichment programmes can be created by listing the options for each type of […]
Optimal Wellbeing of Ageing Wild Animals in Human Care
Many wild animals in human care live longer than their wild counterparts because of modern care and wellbeing programmes, leading to a growing demographic of ageing animals. This handbook is dedicated to their care. As an innovative expert publication, it integrates all aspects of professional care, including topics such as behaviour, ethics, environmental enrichment, training, […]
Assessing the impact of environmental enrichment on behavior in understudied armadillo species: A case study
The implementation of environmental enrichment (EE) can be effective in promoting zoo animal welfare by enhancing the performance of natural or species-typical behaviors. Research on the effects of EE is biased towards larger mammalian species, with less charismatic species being overlooked. Armadillos are one such overlooked example. A captive environment that results in inactivity, obesity, […]
Environmental Enrichment and Its Effect on the Welfare of Two Asian Elephants in African Safari Wildlife Conservation Park (Puebla, Mexico)
Animal welfare is important in zoos to maintain the physical well-being and psychological health of individuals. An animal is considered to have welfare if it has good nutrition and also expresses its innate behavior, including sensations and feelings experienced as a result of physical health. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect […]
Environmental Enrichment and Its Effect on the Welfare of Two Asian Elephants in African Safari Wildlife Conservation Park (Puebla, Mexico)
Animal welfare is important in zoos to maintain the physical well-being and psychological health of individuals. An animal is considered to have welfare if it has good nutrition and also expresses its innate behavior, including sensations and feelings experienced as a result of physical health. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect […]
Never be mute about bird welfare: Swanning around with environmental enrichment
Environmental enrichment (EE) is commonly provided to animals managed under human care, being beneficial to behavioral diversity and improving animal welfare. Use of EE appears to be particularly beneficial to individual wild animals spending a short period of time in captivity, for example, as part of conservation or rehabilitation programs. This paper documents a case […]
Mirror, mirror on the wall… How tank material and the presence of “enrichments” affect competition and agonism in zebrafish (Danio rerio)
Despite generations of rearing in a laboratory environment, zebrafish (Danio rerio) retain innate preferences for environmental features that mimic their natural habitat (e.g. plants and gravel), but the effects of such preferred housing conditions on agonism are poorly understood. In this study, we worked with > 450 fish in 41 tanks to test two competing […]
The Evolution of Zoos as Conservation Institutions: A Summary of the Transition from Menageries to Zoological Gardens and Parallel Improvement of Mammalian Welfare Management
Zoological institutions, which were once exclusively for entertainment, are now leaders of wildlife conservation. This centuries-long transition was punctuated by key milestones that reformed wild animal exploitation into a mission of protection. Modern zoos perform ex situ activities to preserve natural resources, which are enabled by the housing of wild species. Zoo-managed animals facilitate new […]