How does the zoo environment affect the behaviour of captive primates?

Hosey, Geoff

doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2004.08.015

Cited by 295 publications

(274 citation statements)

References 152 publications

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“…In 2013, Geoff Hosey proposed a model of how animals could interpret these relationships, with the caretaker being seen as a friend or enemy, as part of the inanimate environment, as a conspecific, and/or as a source of stimulation. Further, the presence of humans, and thus the nature of the human-animal relationship, has been demonstrated to impact behavior (Davey, 2007;Fernandez, Tamborski, Pickens, & Timberlake, 2009;Hosey, 2000;2005;2008;. In this study, several personality traits, and two lions, were excluded from the analyses because the caretakers each had their own, very distinct, ideas of how the lions rated on the behavioral traits.…”

Section: The Human-animal Relationship As a Measure Of Behavioral Plamentioning

confidence: 99%

Rating Methodology, Personality Axes, and Behavioral Plasticity: A Case Study in African Lions

Torgerson-White¹,

Bennett²

2014

ABC

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-Animal personality refers to individual differences in behavior that are consistent across time and across contexts. As it plays an ecological and evolutionary role for many animals by affecting fitness, it is likely to play a role in how both species and individuals fare in captivity. Assessment of animal personality by caretaker ratings has been validated using behavioral coding methods in a number of species and has thus become the most common method for assessing personality of captive animals. Whereas the reliability of rating methodology is arguable, the reality of working in a captive setting makes assessment of animal personality by caretaker ratings an easy and practical way to investigate questions related to personality. We used a case study in African lions to investigate the use of rating methodology to uncover personality traits. We then related dimensionality of those traits to fecal glucocorticoid metabolite values taken before, during, and after habitat renovation. The end goal was to devise a method by which individual welfare can be considered and improved by considering personality traits. Interobserver reliability scores revealed that only 11 out of 18 traits and four out of six lions were reliably rated. From those traits, we uncovered a sociability-neuroticism axis, whereby lions that were more social and less neurotic had lower glucocorticoid metabolite levels (GCM). In addition, we found that more vocal animals had higher GCM levels and more active animals had lower GCM levels, findings that suggest that vocalizing and activity level may be part of the way these individuals cope with stressors. These results suggest that a better understanding of a lion's sociability and neuroticism may inform management decisions during stressful times. Further investigation into the two lions who did not pass reliability testing, revealed that they had the lowest number of extreme trait ratings which suggests that they may have been the most behaviorally plastic, a characteristic that was not expressly measured by the surveys. The inability of rating methodology to measure plasticity and the role of the human-animal relationship in contributing to low reliability scores are discussed. We suggest that the most widely used personality surveys may work well for animals who exhibit low levels of plasticity and whose behavior falls closer to the extremes of a continuum, but may be less helpful for more plastic animals whose personality traits fall in the mid-range.

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Section: The Human-animal Relationship As a Measure Of Behavioral Plamentioning

confidence: 99%

Rating Methodology, Personality Axes, and Behavioral Plasticity: A Case Study in African Lions

Torgerson-White¹,

Bennett²

2014

ABC

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“…This important area of work includes many more studies than those reviewed here (e.g. There has also been considerable debate regarding the effect of zoo visitors on animal behavior and welfare, with some studies reporting neutral or positive effects and others reporting behavior indicative of increased stress (Claxton, 2011;Davey, 2007;Farrand, Hosey, & Buchanan-Smith, 2014;Fernandez, Tamborski, Pickens, Timberlake, 2009;Hosey, 2000Hosey, , 2005Kuhar, 2008;Ross, Londsdorf, Stoinski, 2007;Smith & Kuhar, 2010;Stoinski, Jaicks, Drayton, 2012;Wells, 2005). Davey (2007) suggested that more study is needed before strong conclusions may be drawn, and called on zoo staff to monitor stress indicators in animals as a means of assessing visitor effects at specific exhibits.…”

Section: Enrichment Goals Strategies and Measuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Alligood¹,

Leighty²

2015

AB&C

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“…Caution is needed that we are not merely conducting releases for the purpose of human gratification (Albrecht 2003). Although issues of welfare in the context of captivity and euthanasia are often raised in the literature (see Glatston 1998, Clubb & Mason 2003, Hosey 2005, Mallapur 2005, Broom 2007), these issues rarely appear in association with translocations. For organisations conducting translocations, release of an animal can yield a sense of success and fulfilment.…”

Section: Translocationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Compassionate conservation, rehabilitation and translocation of Indonesian slow lorises

Moore¹,

Wihermanto²,

Nekaris³

2014

Endang. Species. Res.

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With the number of threatened species in rescue centres rising, scientific reports on the functioning and success of such centres is essential. Compassionate conservation tries to bridge the gap between animal welfare advocates and conservation biologists, recognising the benefits of preserving a species and its individuals. A case in point is that of Indonesia's threatened slow lorises Nycticebus spp., where illegal trade is decimating wild populations of these primates. We present 4 yr of data from Ciapus Primate Centre in Indonesia, which received 180 slow lorises between 2008 and 2011. We show that > 85% of these primates were unsuitable for reintroduction; 23 slow lorises that were deemed suitable for reintroduction were released to the wild between 2010 and 2013 and were followed with radio tracking. Eleven of them died (on average 76 d post-release), 1 was recaptured (148 d post-release), 6 are no longer being monitored (after, on average, 263 d post-release) and their status is unknown, and 5 are still being monitored (average 226 d post-release, as of December 2013). The challenges posed by work with slow lorises in the Ciapus Primate Centre over these 4 yr, with release success highly variable, show that even with concerted effort, rescue centres need to consider alternative options. We review such options, considering the pros and cons of euthanasia, life in captivity and reintroduction to the wild. We conclude that in today's global conservation crisis, it can only be beneficial to combine the expertise of animal welfare practitioners and conservation biologists.

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How does the zoo environment affect the behaviour of captive primates?

Cited by 295 publications

References 152 publications

Rating Methodology, Personality Axes, and Behavioral Plasticity: A Case Study in African Lions

Rating Methodology, Personality Axes, and Behavioral Plasticity: A Case Study in African Lions

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

Compassionate conservation, rehabilitation and translocation of Indonesian slow lorises

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