Monitoring the welfare of giraffes in two Belgian zoos
Giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis) are a popular species held in many zoos. Welfare concerns have been expressed, and often are focussed on measuring indicators of (potential) negative welfare such as locomotory and oral stereotypies. Here we present additional data on potential positive welfare indicators, as have been suggested for ruminants, focusing on feeding time, rumination, affiliative […]
Crib biting and equine gastric ulceration syndrome: Do horses that display oral stereotypies have altered gastric anatomy and physiology?
Equine gastric ulceration syndrome (EGUS) and crib biting (CB) are two separate conditions suffered by horses. Previous research has hypothesized causal relationships between these two conditions, whereby the behavior is driven by a requirement to stimulate saliva production to buffer gastric juice. However, to date, there is limited empirical evidence to support this notion. To […]
Failure of a chemical spray to significantly reduce stereotypic licking in a captive giraffe
Abstract 10.1002/zoo.10114.abs The repetitive licking of nonfood substrates is a common stereotypic behavior in captive giraffes. In this study we attempted to reduce stereotypic licking in a Masai giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi) by applying a bitter chemical (marketed as a taste deterrent to prevent the unwanted licking and chewing of substrates) to the areas of […]
Abnormal behaviour with a focus on stereotypies – indicators of suffering and impaired welfare?
Abnormal behaviour is a potential indicator of pain, suffering and injury in captive animals. Especially stereotypies, i.e. repetitive invariant behavioural patterns without obvious function or goal, can be observed as a consequence of inadequate housing conditions. Hence, they are often considered indicators of impaired welfare. In context of the ongoing scientific debate on captive animal […]