Impact of female contraception for population management on behavior and social interactions in a captive troop of Guinea baboons (Papio papio)
As part of a population management strategy for a troop of Guinea baboons (Papio papio) at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, adult females were given a Suprelorin contraceptive implant. There was no information on the effect of contraception on behavior in this species, so behavioral data were collected before and after implant placement to determine any impact […]
Effects of scent enrichment on behavioral and physiological indicators of stress in zoo primates
Captive breeding is vital for primate conservation, with modern zoos serving a crucial role in breeding populations of threatened species and educating the general public. However, captive populations can experience welfare issues that may also undermine their reproductive success. To enhance the wellbeing of endangered zoo primates, we conducted a study to assess the effects […]
Young Belugas Diversify Adult Beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) Behavior
Across the animal kingdom, immature animals are characterized by their playfulness and diversity of behavior, but are their actions enriching to adult conspecifics? The purpose of this study was to assess if beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) calves influenced the behavioral repertoire of adult conspecifics, specifically with regard to play behaviors, social interactions, and solitary swimming. Video […]
Time constraints imposed by anthropogenic environments alter social behaviour in longtailed macaques
Humans and their associated anthropogenic factors may strongly affect the demographics, activity and fragmentation of wild animal populations. Yet, the degree and nature of such impact on indicators of animals’ social relationships remain largely under-investigated, despite the well-documented importance of strong social ties for an individual’s health and fitness. Here, we examined whether interactions with […]
Comparison between 28 zoological parks: stereotypic and social behaviours of captive brown bears
In the present study we compared 33 enclosures in 28 parks, with a total of 66 bears. We chose direct observation of behaviour rather than surveys. Each enclosure was observed during one day; stereotypies and social relationships were qualitatively noted in types and amount. The connections of behaviour with bears characteristics and types of management […]
Home-range use and intergroup encounters in western gorillas (Gorilla g. gorilla) at Lossi forest, North Congo
I present data on home-range use and types of intergroup encounters for one group (Apollo) of western gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) from a new study site in the Republic of Congo. The total home-range size of the focal group, which I calculated by superimposing a 100 m 100 m grid over the mapped daily path […]
Behavior of Individuals and Social Interactions of the Red-Fronted Macaw Ara Rubrogenys in the Wild During the Midday Rest
Behavior of the Red-fronted Macaw Ara rubrogenys was studied from September 1991 to March 1992 in south-central Bolivia. The macaws spent many hours at midday in groups of 2-30 individuals in quiet gorges and valleys. The birds always sat in pairs and spent most of the time sitting/resting or autopreening. Social interactions such as allopreening […]
Acoustic Interaction in Animal Groups: Signaling in Noisy and Social Contexts
It has long been known that individuals of many species vocally communicate with one another in noisy environments and in rich contexts of social interaction. It has recently become clear that researchers interested in understanding acoustic communication in animal groups must study vocal signaling in these noisy and socially complex settings. Furthermore, recent methodological advances […]
Effects of physical activity and group size on animal welfare in laboratory rats
The aim of this study was to investigate whether moderate physical activity and group size influence physical fitness, the level of social interactions in the home cage and rats’ performance in the Elevated Plus Maze and a handling test. Forty-eight male Sprague Dawley rats were kept in groups of two, four or eight for seven […]
Experimental Validation of Sex Differences in Spatial Behavior Patterns of Free-Ranging Snakes: Implications for Social Interactions
Social interactions often play a significant role in determining patterns of spatial use. Although snakes are generally thought of as asocial, recent spatial dispersion studies suggest that the spatial ecology of snakes may be more strongly influenced by social interactions than previously thought. We investigated the spatial behavior patterns of a western cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus) […]