Oral Behaviors of Beef Steers in Pen and Pasture Environments

This study observed the behavioral characteristics of 122 steers in eight pens and 1,136 steers at six pastures. Nonhuman animals kept in pens performed less nutritive oral behaviors and more nonnutritive oral behaviors than animals kept at pasture. Although these could not be described as stereotypies, they did represent a replacement of nutritive oral behaviors […]

A survey assessment of variables related to stereotypy in captive giraffe and okapi.

Stereotypic behavior has been investigated in a wide variety of animals, but little published information is available on this problem in captive exotic ungulates. A survey was used to gather information on the prevalence of stereotypic behavior in giraffe and okapi and to identify variables associated with these behaviors. Of the 71 institutions that received […]

Tongue twisters: feeding enrichment to reduce oral stereotypy in giraffe

Abstract 10.1002/zoo.20180.abs Stereotypic behavior has been well-studied and documented in a variety of animals including primates, carnivores, and domesticated ungulates. However, very little information is known about stereotypic behavior of captive exotic ungulates. Giraffe have been found to perform a wide range of stereotypic behaviors. According to a survey of zoological institutions, oral stereotypies, specifically […]