Zoo Animal Welfare, stereotypy and environmental

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Swaisgood, R. R., and Shepherdson, D. J. 2006. Environmental enrichment as a strategy for mitigating stereotypies in zoo animals: a literature review and a ...
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Zoo Animal Welfare, stereotypy and environmental enrichment David Shepherdson Ph.D. Oregon Zoo

Definition of Enrichment A

dynamic process which structures and changes an animal’s environment in a way that provides behavioral choices to animals and draws out their speciesappropriate behaviors and abilities and enhances their welfare. AZA Behavior

Advisory Group (1999)

Guiding Concepts  Mimic

Nature  Ethological Needs  Information Primacy  Control/Behavioral Contingency

Goals of Enrichment Improved

Visitor experience Animal Management Tool Conservation Improved welfare –reduce chronic stress –reduce abnormal behavior –optimal state of wellbeing

Examples of Enrichment  Physical

environment

Examples of Enrichment  Physical

environment  Feeding

Examples of Enrichment  Physical

environment  Feeding  Sensory

Examples of Enrichment

 Physical

environment  Feeding  Sensory  Social environment

Examples of Enrichment

 Physical

environment  Feeding  Sensory  Social environment  Cognitive

Hediger viewed training as a form of “occupational therapy.”

Stereotypy, a Problem for Zoo’s?  Potential

indicator of Wellbeing  Stress can result in reduced reproduction  Reduces the effectiveness of exhibits  Potentially reduced survival for animals re-introduced to the wild

Potential Causes of Stereotypy  Frustrated

motivations to perform specific behaviors  Paucity of behavioral opportunities  Lack of sensory stimulation  Stress  Pathology

Does Enrichment Reduce Stereotypy? A Review of 25 Studies

Swaisgood, R. R., and Shepherdson, D. J. 2006. Environmental enrichment as a strategy for mitigating stereotypies in zoo animals: a literature review and a meta-analysis.: In Stereotypic animal behaviour: Fundamentals and implications to welfare., ed. G. Mason, and J. Rushen, 255-84. Wallingford UK: CABI. Swaisgood, R. R., and Shepherdson, D. J. 2005. Scientific approaches to enrichment and stereotypies in zoo animals: What's been done and where should we go. Zoo Biol. 24: 499-518.

Different types of enrichment

Fron: Swaisgood, R. R., and Shepherdson, D. J. 2006. Environmental enrichment as a strategy for mitigating stereotypies in zoo animals: a literature review and a meta-analysis.: In Stereotypic animal behaviour: Fundamentals and implications to welfare., ed. G. Mason, and J. Rushen, 255-84. Wallingford UK: CABI.

Does Enrichment Reduce Stpy?

From: Swaisgood, R. R., and Shepherdson, D. J. 2005. Scientific approaches to enrichment and stereotypies in zoo animals: What's been done and where should we go. Zoo Biol. 24: 499-518.

Summary of Findings  Enrichment

reduces Stereotypy 50-60%  But stereotypy not eliminated  Feeding and non feeding equally effective  No difference between species

Polar Bear Study Objectives  Describe

Stereotypic Behavior in Zoo Polar Bears  Identify the role of environmental, husbandry & temperament factors in the performance of stereotypic behavior  Investigate the relationship between physiological measures of stress and stereotypic behavior

Stereotypic Behavior A locomotor pattern (swimming or pacing) that is repeated over and over again in the same location and is observed in 5 or more observations

20 Partner Zoos, 55 (24.31) Bears           

Point Defiance, Tacoma San Francisco Los Angeles N. Carolina San Diego Zoo Cleveland Sea World Orlando Sea World San Diego Bronx Central Park, New York Buffalo

         

Seneca Park, Rochester Toledo Toronto St Louis Brookfield Oregon Zoo Philadelphia Como, St. Paul Winnipeg Lake Superior

San Diego

N. Carolina

Buffalo

Winnipeg

Como

Cleveland

Measures  Behavior

– Behavior coded from video taped observation  Physiology

– Bi-weekly fecal samples for one year  Temperament

– Standardised Behavior test  Environmental

Factors

– Direct observation, questionnaire & measurement

Standardized Behavior Test Principle Components Analysis used to define four temperament types:  INTEREST

- interacting with novel objects  SLOW APPROACH - latency to approach  CAUTIOUS - cautious with objects  SCENT - attention to scent

Results…

What do Zoo Polar Bears Do? 80.00%

%Time Visible

70.00% 60.00% 50.00% 40.00% 30.00% 20.00% 10.00% 0.00% Stationary

Locomotion

Stereotypy

Mean stpy %Locomotion

Stereotypy by Zoo 70.0% 60.0% 50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 20.0% 10.0% 0.0% 1 14 13 9 16 21 12 15 2 20 17 3 11 4 19 18 5 Zoo

8 10 6

Stereotypy by Bear

% Locomotor time

0.60

0.40

0.20

0.00 Alcor Berlin Coldiloc Junior Mizar Snow Yukon Arcturus Bob Glacier Klondike Neil Sweetheart Aurora Charlie Hope Lil'_One Pike Tundra

Stereotypy 7% (4/56) of bears did not exhibit any stereotypic behavior 32% of bears exhibited stereotypic behavior more than 20% of time observed (max 42.5%)

No Difference Between Male and Female Stereotypy 0.35

males 0.3

females

average frequency

0.25

0.2

0.15

0.1

0.05

0

% of time visible

% of locomotion

STEREOTYPY

Findings  Zoo

polar bears do indeed spend a large proportion of their active day engaged in locomotor stereotypies  There is no significant gender difference

Explaining The Variation in Stereotypy Beta

t

p

Gender

0.203

1.654

.106

Train (yes > no)

-0.290

-2.083

.044

Enrichment

-0.290

-2.202

.034

Interest

-0.273

-1.996

.053

Slow Approach

0.233

1.818

.077

Overall R2 = 0.428, df 5/39, F = 5.844, p < 0.001

proportion of locomote time spent in land stpy

Training

0.30

Beta = 0.290 t = -2.083 P = 0.044



0.20



0.10

0.00 no

yes

train

total number of enrichment items for day

Enrichment Beta = - 0.290 t = 2.202 P = .034



12.50







10.00   





7.50 

 



   

 

5.00

   

 





  



0.00

0.20



   







 



2.50





 



0.40

0.60

proportion of locomote time spent in land stpy

Male Stereotypy (n=24) Beta

t

p

# Females

-.433

-2.8

0.011

Wild/Captive

-.459

-2.9

0.08

(Wild>Captive)

Overall R2 = 0.507, df 2/21, F = 10.796, p = 0.001

Females in Social Group Beta = - 0.443 t = 2.8 P = 0.011

proportion of locomote time spent in stpy

Mean Stereotypy Levels for Males 0.50

0.40

0.30

0.20

0.10

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

# females in social group

2.0

Non-Significant Environmental Variables  No

significant Correlations between DV’s and: – Pool Volume – Den Access – View From Exhibit – Exhibit Complexity – Temperature

Explaining the Variation in Corticoid Beta Exbt. Area (range

t

p

-0.284

-1.932

0.061

Train

-0.245

-1.715

0.095

Interest

-0.294

-1.923

0.062

2025 – 8000 sq. ft.)

Overall R2 = 0.327, df 5/39, F = 5.844, p < 0.002

Stereotypy & Corticoid Not significant

Males & Females r = .190, p = 0.186

mean windsorized corticoide



1250.00







1000.00   

750.00









  





 



 

 



 





  

 

250.00





 



 



500.00 









 

0.00

0.20

0.40

0.60

proportion of locomote time spent in stpy

Conclusions…

Overall Conclusions  Zoo

Bears show high rates of stereotypy  Improved husbandry (enrichment & training) is key to reducing stereotypic behavior  Corticoid levels linked to exhibit area  Temperament characteristics linked to both stereotypic behavior and corticoid levels

Recommendations  Focus

on improving the effectiveness of husbandry – specifically enrichment and training  Suggest that social grouping and social interaction should receive more attention  Further experimentation on Husbandry Factors (this study was observational)  Further study focused on specific variables (i.e. exbt. Size, Social group size & composition, wild vs. captive)