Environmental Enrichment - A Guide for Schools (2004)

Stewart, F.

Abstract

The overall goal of this web-based resource is to show how observable behaviour can be described, recorded and interpreted using an environmental enrichment model, and to show how an enriched environment can be beneficial to an animals welfare. .. Environmental enrichment stems from the recognition that in addition to basic needs of food, water, warmth and health, captive animals have a physiological and psychological need to be able to behave naturally. A range of normal behaviour is indicative of a captive animals well being whereas abnormal behaviour is indicative of poor welfare. Most research into environmental enrichment is undertaken in zoos, although research is increasingly being undertaken on farms and in laboratory animal houses. Historically these establishments were only concerned with keeping animals alive and free from disease, not necessarily with their physiological and psychological needs. Nowadays it is essential to strike a balance between the requirements of the owner with the needs of the animal. Captive environments vary enormously and good environments should reflect as many features of the animals natural environment as possible. .. Animals are sentient beings, deserving of humane treatment. This is an important point to put across to students. Laboratory animals, for example, are kept in standardised impoverished cages that only include features to maintain physical health and reproduction, in order to minimise uncontrolled variability in research studies (Olsson et al., 2003). Evidence shows however, that these impoverished environments do not allow the animals to satisfy their behavioural needs, which causes stress and abnormal behaviour, such as stereotypies (Belz et al., 2003; Olsson et al, 2003; Van der Harst et al., 2003; Wurbel, 2001). Research into environmental enrichment for laboratory animals however, stems not from concern over animal welfare, but from the concern over validity and applicability of research results from animals caged in impoverished environments. This research may yield pathological artefacts (Newberry, 1995; Olsson et al., 2003: Schrijver et al., 2003; Wurbel, 2001). Recent research has shown that increasing housing complexity and enriching an animals environment does not appear, as a rule, to increase the variation in experimental results (Olsson et al., 2003; Van de Weerd et al., 1997). In order to minimise uncontrolled variability in results however, enriched environments would have to be standardised both within and across laboratories. There is therefore, something of a paradox in the enrichment of laboratory environments. Greater variability in results of experiments due to environmental enrichment causes difficulties in identifying experimental influences in comparison to standard, homogeneous environments. A heterogeneous environment however, is more realistic so the research should be genuinely applicable.