E i l Environmental Enrichment

Enrichment involves any change to an animal’s life or environment which is beneficial for welfare and which provides for appropriate and

Enrichment Within the Zoo

welfare, and which provides for appropriate and ‘naturalistic’ or ‘wild’ behavioural opportunities.

It is not possible for zoo animals to be provided with the complexities that life involves in their natural, wild habitat. It is also true to say that many experiences in the wild may be deemed extremely stressful Zoos do

There are many types of enrichment which involve manipulating the environment in which the animal lives, and also providing enriching elements within that

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the wild may be deemed extremely stressful. Zoos do have a duty to provide optimal welfare, and part of that is to incorporate environmental enrichment.

environment.

Physical enrichment involves working with the size and complexity of the structural enclosure itself, and providing or changing climbing frames, perches, floor substrates and toys.

Cognitive enrichment can be provided for byCognitive enrichment can be provided for by incorporating problem solving activities with some species.

Social enrichment involves providing appropriate pairings or groupings, potential mixed species exhibits and also considering the level of human contact.

Sensory enrichment involves manipulating sound, light and smell.

Nutrition is also an important part of enrichment, and works by providing different types of food or different types of presentation.

There are of course many combinations of these elements of enrichment, many of which will also be species specific.

The aims of any enrichment include increasing behavioural diversity and the range of normal (naturalistic) behaviours. Part of the process is

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(naturalistic) behaviours. Part of the process is also to increase an animal’s positive response to, and use of, the available environment. Enrichment can also be important in reducing abnormal behaviours.

© E.Astbury

Zoos have great opportunities to implement enrichment techniques as they inherently house many different species. They may also have the technical expertise and interest on hand to develop and monitor p pnew methods. It is very important to have a clear idea of the desired outcome of implementing an enrichment item, so that the actual response can be monitored effectively.

The type of enrichment employed can be restricted by cost and also by goals For many zoos education ofcost and also by goals. For many zoos, education of visitors is a priority and naturalistic enclosures are not only key for the species they are housing, but they also designed to be educationally representative.

It may be that enrichment items which appear man-made and which may be highly enriching for a species would actually not be allowed as their usespecies, would actually not be allowed as their use would undermine educational goals.

Many zoos strongly recommend the use of only naturalistic enrichment within naturalistic enclosures. When this is the case, the design of enrichment becomes even more creative.

Examples of enrichment items used at Chester Zoo include: climbing and swinging equipment for primate species; ‘scent’ trails, logs and hessian sacking for the lions; rubbing posts for the rhinos; whole food (e.g. turkey, chicken, rabbit) for carnivore species such as jaguars. Others include hollow ostrich eggs j g ggfilled with mealworms for the meerkats and mongoose, bamboo puzzle feeders and scatter feeding for many primate species, which may also enjoy a fruit ice lolly in the summer. There are many techniques employed to enrich the animals in the Zoo.

When enrichment devices are being designed and implemented it is important to assess them against the risks involved. For example, enrichment should not compromise the health and safety of animals or people who work around them. This means they should be assessed, for example, against the risk of

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, p , ginjury to the animal and they should be regularly cleaned, especially if transferred between enclosures. Devices should also be regularly changed to avoid habituation.

A Keeper’s Perspective

Although enrichment for zoo animals may look like lots of fun with exciting “toys” and puzzles there is a more serious side to why, as keepers e ha e to pro ide these things keepers, we have to provide these things.

A keeper’s role is to make sure that the animals are looked after properly and that they remain healthy, both physically and mentally. If an animal becomes bored or stressed, this can lead to more serious behavioural or health problems.

To make sure this doesn’t happen we act like detectives looking at what the animal would be doing with its time if it were in the wild, and look at what we can provide for the animal to ensure it doesn’t get bored! We make sure that the enrichment that we use for any of the animals is to encourage a wild behaviour such as hunting, sleeping, swimming, scent marking and foraging.

Serval cats (pictured) are one of the species I look after. In the wilds of Africa, they spend a lot of time hunting, catching small prey like birds and mice a number of times a day. To recreate this in the Zoo we provide them with lots of small feeds, up to six times a day! This is different for other cat species such as Sumatran Tigers. They spend very little time hunting in the wild only eating large prey (e g pigs deer) very little time hunting in the wild, only eating large prey (e.g. pigs, deer) every few days. As a result, in the Zoo we only feed them once a day.

We not only have to think about what and when to feed them, but also how. We need to give the servals a chance to hunt for their food so we come up with lots of different ways to hide their food, encouraging them to spend time looking for it. Things like drilled bamboo with food inside can encourage the servals to use their dextrous paws, feeling around for food items as they would inside rodent burrows in the wild. Hiding food in leaf piles encourages them to root around using their sense of smell to track down the food. Trees can be used to hide food high up, this encourages the servals to climb which helps to build up their muscles too. Sometimes, despite the food being well hidden, the ser als can be too good and find the food q ickl m ch to m servals can be too good and find the food quickly, much to my frustration!

As an animal learns how to use the “toys” and puzzles we give them they become more efficient at removing the food so we have to make sure we’re always one step ahead! So next time you’re in the Zoo and see a ball in with the lions or a rope in the Orangutans, try not

Images © A.Wolfendon3

p g , yto see them simply as play things, but think of reason behind them being there and what wild behaviour is being encouraged!

Andy

Benefits of EnrichmentResearch into the benefits of enrichment is continuing, particularly within zoo environments. A lot of the research about enrichment has been on domesticated or laboratory

i l h i l ti i h t h banimals, where implementing enrichment has been seen to improve brain development and function. It can also enhance learning and memory and improve an animal’s interaction with its environment. Such known benefits can only enhance the lives of zoo animals. These factors can all combine to reduce an animal’s fear response, or perceived ‘stress’ levels Environmental enrichment mayperceived stress levels. Environmental enrichment may also promote reproduction, as a result of increased physical and psychological well being.

What is important is that enrichment is implemented in a pro-active way (prior to a potential abnormal behaviour occurring). It is also important to recognise when a certain

i h t b h i d t i t l ff t th fenrichment may be having a detrimental effect, therefore monitoring is essential. An enrichment diary is a recommended way of recording what enrichment has been used, when and how it was received. What is clear is just how important enrichment is to the lives of zoo animals and to the people responsible for their care.

Summary• Environmental enrichment can mentally and physically stimulate

captive animals.

• Optimal enrichment involves using a combination of techniques, which are safe for the animal and husbandry team.

• Implemented techniques must be monitored and changed regularly.

• Enrichment is an important part of the work to consistently improve animal welfare, and should be part of day to day husbandry.

Acknowledgements

References and Further ResourcesHill.S.P, Broom.D.M (2009) Measuring Zoo animal Welfare: theory and practice. Zoo Biology 28: 1 14

Thank you to the carnivore and enrichment team at Chester Zoo for their help and advice

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Zoo Biology, 28: 1-14

Hosey.G, Melfi.V, Pankhurst.S (2009) Zoo animals: behaviour, management and welfare. Oxford University Press.

Young.R.J (2003) Environmental enrichment for captive animals. Universities Federation for Animal Welfare: (UFAW) Animal welfare series.© Alison Maclean, RZSS