Behavioral Ecology of Captive Species: Using Behavioral Adaptations to Assess and Enhance Welfare of Nonhuman Zoo Animals

Abstract

This project aimed to estimate a species' adaptations in nature and in captivity, assess welfare, suggest environmental changes, and find species characteristics that underlie welfare problems in nonhuman animals in the zoo. First, the current status of zoo animal welfare assessment was reviewed, and the behavioral ecology approach was outlined. In this approach, databases of species characteristics were developed using (a) literature of natural behavior and (b) captive behavior. Species characteristics were grouped in 8 functional behavioral ecological fitness-related categories: space, time, metabolic, safety, reproductive, comfort, social, and information adaptations. Assessments of the strength of behavioral adaptations in relation to environmental demands were made based on the results available from the literature. The databases with literature at the species level were coupled with databases of (c) behavioral observations and (d) welfare assessments under captive conditions. Observation and welfare assessment methods were adapted from the animal on the farm realm and applied to zoo species. It was expected that the comparison of the repertoire of behaviors in natural and captive environments would highlight welfare problems, provide solutions to welfare problems by environmental changes, and identify species characteristics underlying zoo animal welfare problems.

Environmental enrichment for fish in captive environments: effects of physical structures and substrates

“…Effects are, however, not necessarily only species specific, but may also be specific for populations or even individuals, a detail which become more and more evident from ‘animal personality’ research within the fields of behavioural ecology and physiology (Conrad et al . ; Koene ). Utilization of structures may also depend on time of day (Shoup et al .…”

“…Different kinds of structures can have different effects, which also may be specific depending on the ecology of the species in question. Effects are, however, not necessarily only species specific, but may also be specific for populations or even individuals, a detail which become more and more evident from 'animal personality' research within the fields of behavioural ecology and physiology (Conrad et al 2011;Koene 2013). Utilization of structures may also depend on time of day (Shoup et al 2003) or season (Valdimarsson and Metcalfe 1998) and may also change during ontogeny (Werner and Hall 1988).…”

Putting the “E” in SPIDER: Evolving Trends in the Evaluation of Environmental Enrichment Efficacy in Zoological Settings

“…Mellen and MacPhee (2001) discussed the importance of matching enrichment goals and resulting strategies to animals' natural history, a concept also supported by other authors (e.g., Koene, 2013;Newberry, 1995;Shepherdson, 2003). It has become common practice to consider natural history not only when devising ad hoc environmental enrichment plans, but also when designing the structural elements of exhibits themselves.…”

“…The population of animals of a particular species at any one zoo is often small enough to pose challenges for researchers attempting to use inferential statistics to support conclusions about the general population. Several researchers have recommended larger multi-institutional studies (e.g., Koene, 2013;Shepherdson et al, 2013;Swaisgood, 2007) with sample sizes large enough to meet the assumptions required for these tests (e.g., Shepherdson, 2003;Swaisgood & Shepherdson, 2005). We certainly agree that researchers should take care to ensure that the tests they use are appropriate to their questions, their methods, and their data.…”

Octopamine levels relate to male mating tactic expression in the wolf spider Rabidosa punctulata

“…days post maturation molt) similar across the sexes, we chose to collect hemolymph from our females approximately 3 weeks after males (males were collected mature, making it impossible to know their precise age, but allowing us to infer that they were at least a few weeks older than females). Effects of captivity are known from several animals groups (Koene, 2013), and this potential explanation remains a distinct possibility. In addition, females, in contrast to males, were not transferred to a novel environment prior to bleeding.…”