Social attachment in giraffe: Response to social separation

Abstract

Attachment relationships between animals are often studied by separating a pair of individuals and recording their subsequent behavior. Studies of non‐human primates have shown that separation results in changes that are indicative of both psychological and physiological stress. Similar results have been found in several non‐primate species with differing social structures. This study examined the behavior of two female giraffe at Zoo Atlanta after the removal of the resident male. Data were collected on the giraffe before and after separation, using an instantaneous scan sampling technique to record levels of activity, social behaviors, solitary behaviors, proximity, and habitat utilization. After the removal of the resident male, both giraffe exhibited increased levels of activity, stereotypical behavior, contact behavior (particularly neck‐rubbing), and decreased habitat utilization. These results are similar to those found in earlier primate separation studies, supporting the hypothesis that complex social structure is not necessary for the formation of social attachments. Because social separation is often accompanied by behavioral and physiological indications of stress, an understanding of the variables involved in a species' response to separation is vital to the promotion of the psychological and physical well‐being of captive animals. Zoo Biol 19:41–51, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

The structure of social relationships among captive female giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis).

“…In addition, social bonds have been documented in nursery groups with consistent membership composed of females and offspring (Pratt & Anderson, 1985) in which calves interact and associate frequently with other calves, perhaps forming peer bonds (Langman, 1977;Pratt & Anderson, 1979. Finally, experimental social separation of captive giraffe in a previous study resulted in increased stereotypic and contact behaviors (Tarou, Bashaw, & Maple, 2000), implying that the separation disrupted a social bond. The study of females provides a logical starting point for investigating giraffe social structure, as adult females are typically social in the wild and adult males are generally solitary.…”

Behavior and adrenal activity in a group of zoo golden snub-nosed monkeys, Rhinopithecus roxellana, following social structure change

“…This is an interesting finding helpful to the management of primates that tend to form close social bonds with each other under captive and field conditions [27,28]. Group members remaining in the enclosure did not demonstrate signs of stress, protest or despair [4,6], suggesting that they had little attachment to the monkeys removed from the enclosure within 1 year cohabitation [5]. The animals removed from the group consisted of a subordinate female (daughter of the dominant female), a male (unrelated to the other animals) and a sub-adult male (coefficient of kinship with the dominant female is 1/4).…”

“…As to the remaining individuals, the frequency and percentage of time engaged in these behaviors both changed. This change may be related to despair at the loss of their peers LL and XZZ, and in DIAN and DD's case, in the loss of each other [5], as they frequently played together before separation (data not shown). Adverse early experiences such as separation can compromise behavioral and psychological adjustment in primates, and can lead to stress-related behavioral deficiencies [33,34].…”

“…Limitations in the scope of this study and small sample size may have contributed to a lack of statistical significance throughout these data. A larger sample size, prolonged observations [4] and a consideration of longerterm change [5] should be incorporated into future studies. However, a discussion of the trends observed while acknowledging the statistical caveats will be of value to the understanding of the effect of this change on individual captive primates.…”

“…For example, diseased animals may be isolated from the rest of their group by keepers, or animals may be removed for exhibition elsewhere [1][2][3]. Previous studies on the effects of group change show that the effects of individual removal on zoo animals vary greatly according to species, social context and individuals [4][5][6]. These differing results raise interesting questions about whether the social dynamics and behavior are affected by the decisions of zoo managers.…”