Behavioral effects of changing group membership among captive lowland gorillas

Hoff, Michael P.; Hoff, Kathryn T.; Horton, Lee; Maple, Terry L.

doi:10.1002/(sici)1098-2361(1996)15:4<383::aid-zoo3>3.0.co;2-7

Cited by 19 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 9 publications

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“…How animals are housed socially—including the introductions of new animals—are important factors for the welfare of those exhibited animals [ 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 ]. Multiple studies have directly examined the effects of introducing new animals to a zoo exhibit [ 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 ]. In addition, other researchers have experimentally examined introduction effects of zoo animals on currently exhibited conspecifics, where the ways in which animals are housed together are repeatedly and systematically manipulated.…”

Section: Effects Of New Seal Introductions On Conspecific and Visitor...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of New Seal Introductions on Conspecific and Visitor Activity

Northey

Craft

Fernández

2022

Animals

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Modern zoos and aquariums are defined by several primary goals, which include improving the welfare of their animals, public education, and inspiring visitors to develop an interest in conservation. Animal-Visitor Interactions (AVIs) (i.e., the impact of captive animals and visitors on each other) are a primary means to study these goals. The introduction of new animals into two seal exhibits—the harbor and northern fur seals—at the Seattle Aquarium presented a valuable opportunity to assess the impacts of introductions on the currently exhibited animals and aquarium visitors. The impacts of animal introductions were measured through direct observations of seal activity (i.e., ethogram behavioral observations) and visitor activity (i.e., crowd size and visitor length of stay) before and after new seal introductions. This study consisted of two experiments: Experiment 1 (Harbor seal exhibit) and Experiment 2 (Northern fur seal exhibit). In Experiment 1, we found that the introduction had few impacts on the existing harbor seals or on visitor activity. In Experiment 2, the introduction of a new fur seal had significant positive impacts on the existing fur seal, as was seen through increased social behaviors and decreased stereotypic behaviors, as well as a significant increase in crowd size post-introduction. Based on these findings, new animal introductions were associated with neutral to positive changes in both seal and visitor activity. Findings from this study suggest that studying new animal introductions can result in better understanding and promoting positive interactions with existing animals (introduction effects) and likewise positive experiences for zoo and aquarium visitors (introduction experiences).

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Section: Effects Of New Seal Introductions On Conspecific and Visitor...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of New Seal Introductions on Conspecific and Visitor Activity

Northey

Craft

Fernández

2022

Animals

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Proximity patterns of female western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) during the six months after parturition

Stoinski

Hoff

Maple

2003

American J Primatol

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Studies of wild mountain gorillas have demonstrated strong preferences among new mothers for the silverback. Protection against infanticide has been theorized to be the primary cause for this attraction. We examined social partner preferences in captive western lowland mothers during the 6 mo after parturition and found that juveniles and females were the primary members of the new mothers' social network. Mothers spent significantly more time in close proximity with both of these subgroups than with the silverback. Proximity patterns changed over time: new mothers spent more time near females in the month after parturition than in the month prior to parturition, and spatial proximity increased again in months 2-6 postparturition. These findings differ from those reported for wild mountain gorillas, which may reflect the lack of infanticide risk in captivity. Given current hypotheses that infanticide may be a limited in western lowland gorillas, the social partner preferences observed here may be indicative of patterns in wild populations.

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Behavioral response of captive western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) to the death of silverbacks in multi‐male groups

et al. 2009

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In both free-ranging and captive western lowland gorillas, a silverback provides protection and leadership, mediating conflict within a group. In the wild, when a dominant silverback dies the group will disperse or transfer to a solitary male, unless a subsequent male is present to inherit the group. In captivity, studies have focused on groups containing one male and therefore it is unclear how gorillas respond to the death or removal of a silverback in multi-male groups. This study examined the behavior of a bachelor group (Cleveland Metroparks Zoo) and a multi-male, mixed-sex group (Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium) following the death of two older silverbacks in 2005. Both of the younger but dominant males maintained their same level of dominance after the death. We predicted that agonism would increase after the death as groups struggled for social stablility. We did observe an increase in both agonism and displacements among the bachelor group, but only observed an increase in displacements among the mixed-sex group. Although we predicted that there would be no change in solitary behavior, both groups decreased feeding and the mixed-sex group increased self-directed behavior post-death. In the bachelor group, self-directed behavior decreased and undesirable behavior increased. We also observed a difference in spatial distance after the death with members of the mixed-sex group becoming more dispersed and members of the bachelor group more converged. This study demonstrates that there is a period of transition for multi-male groups after the death or removal of the oldest silverback. Future research could integrate physiological measures with behavioral analyses before and after the death or removal of a prominent member of the group.

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Behavioral effects of changing group membership among captive lowland gorillas

Cited by 19 publications

References 9 publications

Effects of New Seal Introductions on Conspecific and Visitor Activity

Effects of New Seal Introductions on Conspecific and Visitor Activity

Proximity patterns of female western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) during the six months after parturition

Behavioral response of captive western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) to the death of silverbacks in multi‐male groups

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