High-Tech and Tactile: Cognitive Enrichment for Zoo-Housed Gorillas

Abstract

The field of environmental enrichment for zoo animals, particularly great apes, has been revived by technological advancements such as touchscreen interfaces and motion sensors. However, direct animal-computer interaction (ACI) is impractical or undesirable for many zoos. We developed a modular cuboid puzzle maze for the troop of six Western lowland gorillas ( Gorilla gorilla gorilla ) at Bristol Zoo Gardens, United Kingdom. The gorillas could use their fingers or tools to interact with interconnected modules and remove food rewards. Twelve modules could be interchanged within the frame to create novel iterations with every trial. We took a screen-free approach to enrichment: substituting ACI for tactile, physically complex device components, in addition to hidden automatic sensors, and cameras to log device use. The current study evaluated the gorillas’ behavioral responses to the device, and evaluated it as a form of “cognitive enrichment.” Five out of six gorillas used the device, during monthly trials of 1 h duration, over a 6 month period. All users were female including two infants, and there were significant individual differences in duration of device use. The successful extraction of food rewards was only performed by the three tool-using gorillas. Device use did not diminish over time, and gorillas took turns to use the device alone or as one mother-infant dyad. Our results suggest that the device was a form of cognitive enrichment for the study troop because it allowed gorillas to solve novel challenges, and device use was not associated with behavioral indicators of stress or frustration. However, device exposure had no significant effects on gorilla activity budgets. The device has the potential to be a sustainable enrichment method in the long-term, tailored to individual gorilla skill levels and motivations. Our study represents a technological advancement for gorilla enrichment, an area which had been particularly overlooked until now. We wholly encourage the continued development of this physical maze system for other great apes under human care, with or without computer logging technology.

An evaluation of interactive projections as digital enrichment for orangutans

“…However, presence or use of the device did not affect time spent engaged in the majority of behaviors of the individuals studied. This reflects work by Perdue et al (2012) and Clark et al (2019) who similarly found no negative or positive effects of such enrichment strategies. There was a trend towards an increased time spent engaged in all play behavior in Dewi and Kiani who were also the two individuals in the study with the highest number of bouts of interactions with the device and the highest number of bouts of prolonged interaction.…”

“…A further point of difference for this enrichment design has been the lack of food reinforcement associated with use of the device, as employed in prior similar studies with orangutans (e.g., Perdue et al 2012). In the current study, engagement with the digital enrichment (with a few exceptions) was typically ad‐hoc and intermittent; rather than a focused activity as evidenced by the few interactions with the wall‐based system that lasted more than 10 s. While food‐based cognitive challenges such as puzzle feeders can engage orangutans in focused tasks for several minutes at a time, as Clark et al (2019) note, “there has never been a duration or proportion of time proposed as an ‘acceptable’ level of enrichment use” (p. 10–11). More general observations of orangutan behavior when engaging in foraging and non‐digital play highlight how orangutan interactions with most sources of enrichment, (such as forage, objects, and other orangutans), are similarly intermittent and of short duration.…”

“…Digital technologies are increasingly being incorporated into the provision of enrichment for captive primates (Clay et al, 2011; Clark et al, 2019). Digital enrichment offers numerous benefits and opportunities alongside traditional forms of enrichment, such as being more flexible and customizable to individuals, not requiring the time of keepers, and providing an increased sense of control to captive animals (Carter et al, 2015; Kim‐McCormack et al, 2016).…”

Use of Interactive Technology in Captive Great Ape Management

“…Despite this perception, there are benefits of technology on ape welfare, for example, it can provide apes with a wide range of activities with varying levels of complexity, which allows it to be individually customizable and has the potential to be resistant to habituation on repeated exposure [5,[29][30][31]. Apes are able to engage directly and indirectly with technology [27,37,38] and therefore may provide a long-term solution to the need for cognitive stimulation [5], which would see an improvement in mental welfare. Additionally, through active participation, technology could benefit ape physical health [5].…”

Simple but Complex—A Laying Hen Study as Proof of Concept of a Novel Method for Cognitive Enrichment and Research

“…Importantly, the MAB approach allows diverse behavioral engagement with a single relatively small apparatus-an aspect of interest for lowmaintenance enrichment devices. Another approach to diversity and flexibility in cognitive enrichment is a modular maze idea of the "Gorilla Game Lab" (Gray et al, 2018;Clark et al, 2019). Different problem-solving modules can be connected and flexibly arranged to create a changing enrichment device that is challenging in the long term.…”