Behavioral and Environmental Animal Enrichment
Stimulation and Simulation to Keep Captive Animals Happy
Aug 27, 2009 Jessica Kolifrath
As defined on the Phoenix Zoo website, behavioral enrichment, also known as environmental enrichment, is "the environmental enhancement of the lives of captive animals by providing them with mental and physical stimulation to increase natural and healthy behavior". It's a term used to the efforts of animal keepers of all kinds to provide environments that simulate an animal's natural environment, and the techniques they use to keep animals busy and engaged.
The Importance of Enrichment
Any attempt to allow an animal to express their natural instincts and use their abilities can be categorized as enrichment. Animals who do not receive enrichment because bored, and may turn to self destructive behavior or completely withdraw. As explained in Animals Make Us Human by Temple Grandin, animals who are not allowed to fulfill their natural instincts can develop negative behavioral patterns known as a stereotypy. Temple Grandin states that "stereotypies are defined as abnormal behaviors are that repetitive, invariant, ... and seemly pointless."
Obviously, pointless repetitive behavior, withdrawal, and destructive behavior is detrimental to the animal's health. So, any animal keeper that is concerned about the well being of the animal uses enrichment techniques to stimulate them and keep them happy. Zoo keepers are one of the most common users of enrichment techniques, as zoo animals tend to be captive wild animals that require more interaction than their domesticated counterparts.
Zoo Enrichment Programs
The USDA has listed five required elements of zoo enrichment programs. The Phoenix Zoo website has them listed as:
- Social grouping
- Structure and substrate
- Foraging opportunities
- Stimulating all five senses
- Training
Social grouping refers to the concept of keeping animals in the same types of groups that they live in as wild animals. Structure and substrate is the structures and bedding materials available to the animal, for climbing on or hiding in. Foraging opportunities are feeding methods - those who allow animals to forage, or creatively search out food. The stimulation of all five senses is fairly self-explanatory.
Training is a major part of enrichment in zoos. Many zoos train their animals to perform in short shows for the zoo visitors. The Atlanta Zoo has a daily show featuring their African elephants and trainers. By learning to perform simple tasks, the elephants are mentally stimulated. This is important, as modern research suggests that they take in a vast amount of information in their lifetime.
Enrichment for Pets
Of course, most pet owners are using enrichment ideas and techniques with their pets. A simple game of catch with a dog helps to simulate the seeking and chasing parts of hunting, which most dogs never otherwise experience. Proper enrichment can do more good for a pet than simple games that only keep them busy. The best enrichment is based on the need that creates a behavior, not just allowing the behavior patterns.
This is clearly explained in Animals Matter. Author Temple Grandin relays a study that was performed with baby gerbils. Pet gerbils that live in a normal cage environment usually spend 30% of their time digging in the corners. Wild gerbils live in burrows, and don't continue to dig once the burrow is done. An owner could choose to give the gerbil extra bedding material to dig in, or they could give them access to a burrow like tunnel system. The study found that caged gerbils that were allowed to have a burrow no longer needing to dig.
Animal Husbandry Often Lacks Enrichment
While small time breeders often take great care of their animals, large scale commercial farms often neglect enrichment in favor of profits. Unnatural environments can be much less expensive for the farms than trying to simulate a natural habitat. Better living environments would raise meat, eggs, and dairy prices.
Animals Make Us Human has many examples of commercial farms neglecting animal's emotional needs. Hens naturally hide to lay their eggs. That's the reason small time farmers use laying boxes - otherwise hens hide their eggs in other places. But in a commercial laying house, hens must lay their eggs in the open. The cheapest method of collecting eggs is to have the hen lay them over a tray. Laying boxes require employees to collect the eggs, which is much more expensive than installing a metal tray.
Enrichment Techniques Lead to Healthier Animals
Enrichment, interaction that stimulates an animal mentally and physically, is one of the keys to animal health. Even domesticated animals need to fulfill their natural instincts and use their abilities. Zoo keepers are some of the best known for using enrichment techniques, but most pet owners utilize them on a daily basis without knowing it. Understanding an animal's needs and addressing them is the basis of behavioral or environmental enrichment.
You may also want to read Ferret Enrichment - What is Enrichment?
Sources:
Animals Make Us Human: Creating the Best Life for Animals by Temple Grandin, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing (2009).
Environmental Enrichment Simulates Natural Habitat
|
What do you think about this article?
Latest Articles