Regurgitation and reingestion in captive gorillas: Description and intervention

Gould, Edwin; Bres, Mimi

doi:10.1002/zoo.1430050302

Cited by 63 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…e Bashaw et al (2001): data collected by questionnaire survey. f Gould and Bres (1986): surveyed zoos for 'regurgitation and reingestion' behaviour by questionnaire, following up with telephone interviews/visits. g Unpublished information (Carlstead, personal communication) supplemental to Carlstead et al (1999a,b); keepers were asked to rate their animals on the frequency of 'pacing or stereotypy, i.e.…”

Section: Stereotypic Behaviours/arbs As a Sign Of Probable Poor Welfarementioning

confidence: 99%

Why and how should we use environmental enrichment to tackle stereotypic behaviour?

Mason

Clubb

Latham

et al. 2007

Applied Animal Behaviour Science

425

280

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This paper summarises recent findings on the causation of stereotypic behaviours and other abnormal repetitive behaviours (ARBs) in captive animals: primarily motivational frustration and/or brain dysfunction, with possible contributory roles also being played by habit-formation and 'coping' effects. We then review the extent to which ARBs occur in zoos and similar, estimating that at least 10 000 captive wild animals are affected worldwide. We argue for 'zero tolerance' of such ARBs, because stress and poor welfare raise ethical issues, while abnormal behavioural phenotypes and possibilities of impaired brain development challenge both the indirect (e.g. educational) and the direct, intrinsic conservation value of affected animals. We then consider five potential means by which ARBs may be tackled: genetic selection; pharmacological treatment; the reinforcement of alternative behaviours; punishment; and environmental enrichment. All except punishment have potentially useful roles to play, but enrichment is the preferred approach: it is most likely to tackle the problems underlying stereotypic behaviours, and thence to improve both welfare and behaviour with few unwanted side-effects. Nevertheless, in zoos, environmental enrichment to date has only had partial success, with no study managing to abolish ARBs in all its subjects-suggesting either that the enrichments currently being used are never quite optimal, or that by the time they are tackled, ARBs have become resistant to change. We suggest some ways in which the effectiveness of enrichments may be enhanced; propose that certain properties of ARBs may usefully help evaluate their likely 'treatability'; and emphasise that if improving welfare is more important than just reducing ARB, then additional measures are needed in order to first, reliably identify those individuals most at risk from poor welfare, and then, to fully evaluate the welfare impact of enrichments. This paper also emphasises, with examples, the enormous potential value of zoo-derived data for helping understand

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Section: Stereotypic Behaviours/arbs As a Sign Of Probable Poor Welfarementioning

confidence: 99%

Why and how should we use environmental enrichment to tackle stereotypic behaviour?

Mason

Clubb

Latham

et al. 2007

Applied Animal Behaviour Science

425

280

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Caged wild-caught blue-jays spend more time routetracing than hand-reared birds -but they are less prone to stereotypic spot-pecking than captiveborn animals (Keiper, 1969). Wild-caught apes have shown more regurgitation and re-ingestion than captive-born conspecifics, but here the wild-caught animals were brought into captivity as very young infants and so were prematurely separated from their mothers (Gould and Bres, 1986). Wild-caught grey African parrots are also more prone to feather-picking in captivity than are captive-bred animals -but again, at least some of these birds would have experienced maternal deprivation, having been taken from their parents as nestlings (Schmid, 2004).…”

Section: Comparisons Of Wild-caught and Captive-born Animalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Maternal deprivation and the development of stereotypic behaviour

Latham¹,

Mason

2008

Applied Animal Behaviour Science

149

123

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Many farm, laboratory, zoo and companion animals experience some form of maternal deprivation. This is typically via separation from their mothers earlier than would happen in free-living populations, in some cases even while young are still dependent upon milk. Maternal deprivation may also occur in a qualitative way, via inadequate maternal care, perhaps caused by inexperience or by restrictive environments that limit maternal behaviours. In this paper we review evidence on the link between early separation from the mother and abnormal behaviour from a wide range of sources, including the early primate studies in this field, more recent examples from zoo and commercially reared animals, and human examples from studies of institutionalised children. We discuss factors that seem to influence the magnitude of later effects, such as developmental stage and age at separation, and whether separation is gradual (i.e. more similar to natural separation) or abrupt (as often the case in captivity). In these instances, however, maternal deprivation is just one aspect of a suite of changes that occur when infants are separated from their mothers. In the second part of the paper we therefore review the few cases where maternal loss per se has been investigated, and studies showing lasting affects of qualitative aspects of maternal care. We then look at the possible mechanisms underlying maternal deprivation-induced stereotypic behaviours including potential frustration of specific motivations, and lasting, more pervasive changes for instance in temperament or motor control. Finally, we discuss the practical and welfare implications of the effects of maternal deprivation, and suggest some topics for future research. #

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“…Poor and infrequent environmental enrichment also has negative effects on the animals in captivity (Tarou et al 2005). For example, captive gorillas (Gorilla gorilla) with poor enclosure enrichment have been observed to engage in coprophagy or regurgitation/reingestion (Gould and Bres 1986;Stevenson 1983). Enrichment also includes variation in feeding times, which eliminates predictable temporal cues and helps reduce the stereotypies performed as a result of "boredom" from predictability (Carlstead 1996).…”

Section: Stereotypies In Nonhuman Primatesmentioning

confidence: 98%

Stereotypies in Captive Primates and the Use of Inositol: Lessons from Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder in Humans

Fam

Tan²,

Waitt

2012

Int J Primatol

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Animal stereotypies have long been used in the study of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in humans. These studies have led to the understanding of some of the molecular pathways in the disorder and the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and myo-inositol in the treatment of these conditions. If animal models, especially nonhuman primate models, were used to study human disorders and if the resulting treatments were successful, then conversely one should be able to treat nonhuman primate stereotypies with similar methods. We here summarize animal models of OCD (including nonhuman primate models) and human OCD treatments, and using successful human treatment by myo-inositol as models, recommend the use of myo-inositol in good captive management practice and the treatment of nonhuman primate stereotypies. We believe that this would be particularly useful in the treatment of stereotypies in nonhuman primates because they are physiologically so similar to humans.

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Regurgitation and reingestion in captive gorillas: Description and intervention

Cited by 63 publications

References 11 publications

Why and how should we use environmental enrichment to tackle stereotypic behaviour?

Why and how should we use environmental enrichment to tackle stereotypic behaviour?

Maternal deprivation and the development of stereotypic behaviour

Stereotypies in Captive Primates and the Use of Inositol: Lessons from Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder in Humans

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