Visitor Effects on Kangaroos During and After a Covid Zoo Closure

Visitor effects are a popular area of welfare research in zoo settings. Previous research has demonstrated a lot of variability between species and individuals in how they respond to visitor density and behavior. Despite the prevalence of this research, there is little focus on walk-through habitats specifically. Walk-through habitats are one of the most popular zoo features, as they allow guests closer proximity to wild animals and unique immersive opportunities. As with many other public institutions, the Detroit Zoo temporarily closed to the public in 2020 due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Kangaroos and wallabies are popular choices to be featured in walk-through habitats and reside in an established walk-through habitat at the Detroit Zoo. The 2020 closure offered an unprecedented opportunity to compare the behavior and space use of 15 red kangaroos (Macropus rufus) between visitor density conditions. After the Zoo reopened to the public, we observed increases in social proximity and time spent inactive and decreased space use. We also observed a relationship between crowd size and feeding such that kangaroos spent more time feeding when there were no visitors in the habitat. Some individuals displayed departures from the group-level trends, which we attributed to differences in life history, rearing, and personality. These results highlight the importance both of considering visitor effects on animal welfare and considering animal welfare on an individual basis.

http://dx.doi.org/10.26451/abc.08.04.06.2021