Examination of enrichment using space and food for African elephants (Loxodonta africana) at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park

Abstract

Concern for elephant welfare in zoological facilities has prompted a number of exhibit and management modifications, including those involving enrichment. Knowledge of how these changes impact measures of health and wellbeing, such as elephant movement and behavior, is crucial as the effects of multiple enrichment types and their interactions are largely understudied. The present study used observations and GPS unit collected data to determine the effects of space and food on the walking distance and behavior of thirteen African elephants, whose dominance structure was ascertained by the handlers at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park (SDZSP). This facility has two exhibits of approximately equal size. Three treatments were created to assess the effects of food and space enrichment: (1) access to half of the exhibit with food (Half); (2) access to both yards with food in one yard, or half the total exhibit space (Both/Half); and (3) access to both yards with food in both (Both). To account for mirrored effects, the reverse for Half and Both/Half were also completed. Significant differences across treatments were revealed for average total walking distances, which varied among elephants belonging to different dominance groups. Overall, treatment Both evoked the most diverse behavior. Walking and behavioral data were related, as were walking distances and elephant dominance rank. No such relationships were found between dominance and behavioral measures. The information obtained from this study has direct viii implications for the management of the SDZSP elephants and could be applicable for elephants at other facilities that consider the choices between increasing the size of exhibits and the use of other forms of enrichment.

Behavioral Diversity as a Potential Indicator of Positive Animal Welfare

“…Species that experienced an increase in behavioral diversity following enrichment or an enhanced habitat included big cats [ 27 , 45 , 46 ], leopard geckos [ 38 ], parakeets [ 33 ], capuchins [ 40 ], African cichlid males [ 47 ], pigs [ 21 , 48 , 49 , 50 ], wombats [ 39 ], red foxes [ 51 ], bottlenose dolphins [ 52 ], ghost bats [ 53 ], bears (spectacled [ 30 ], Andean, sloth, brown, and black [ 54 ]), rats [ 55 ], African elephants [ 32 ], small felids [ 26 ], hognose snakes [ 56 ], giant pandas [ 28 , 29 ], and chimpanzees [ 31 ]. Species where enrichment or improved habitat was not found to significantly change behavioral diversity include armadillos, bush babies, and two toed sloths [ 57 ], wolves [ 58 ], African elephants [ 59 ], zebra fish and checker barbs [ 60 ], and lions [ 41 ]. However, some of the species where enrichment did not increase behavioral diversity overlap with species were enrichment did increase behavioral diversity, so it could be the type or timing of the enrichment that is impacting the significance of results [ 61 ].…”

Monitoring the behavioral and adrenal activity of giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) to assess welfare during seasonal housing changes.

“…Previous research has also demonstrated an inverse relationship between behavioral diversity and FGM concentrations (Miller, Pisacane, & Vicino, 2016). Behavioral diversity was calculated using the Shannon-Wiener diversity index because of its ability to evaluate both the richness (number of behavioral states) and the evenness (distribution of behavioral states) in a dataset (Hacker, 2015;Shannon & Weaver, 1949).…”

The behavioral effects of exhibit size versus complexity in African elephants: A potential solution for smaller spaces

“…We predicted that habitat complexity—but not necessarily space availability—would have significant behavioral consequences in two female African elephants housed together at the Dallas Zoo, as has been suggested by other studies (e.g., Greco, Meehan, Miller et al, ; Hacker, Miller, & Schulte, ). Specifically, we expected to observe increased activity and behavioral diversity in the more complex spaces compared to the smaller, simple exhibit.…”

“…An ideal experimental design would include observations conducted in a large, simple exhibit, but the permanence of the exhibit features included here prevented us from doing this. Hacker et al () provided experimental evidence that space availability does not seem to affect captive elephant walking distance or behavioral diversity, a result supported by an epidemiological approach employed by Greco, Meehan, Hogan, et al (). Combined with our results, these studies suggest that exhibit complexity plays a more important role than space availability in promoting positive behavioral changes among captive elephants.…”

“…To measure both the abundance and distribution of behaviors during an observation session, behavioral diversity was calculated for each observation using a modified version of the Shannon‐Weaver diversity index, as has been described in other studies of animals in human care (Catapani, Pires, & Vasconcellos, ; Hacker et al, ; Shepherdson, Carlstead, Mellen, & Seidensticker, ; Wemelsfelder, Haskell, Mendl, Calvert, & Lawrence, ). Because behaviors indicative of both positive and negative welfare carry equal weight using this method, we only used behaviors indicative of positive welfare to calculate behavioral diversity: forage, investigate, locomotion, manipulate, self‐maintenance, and social behavior.…”