Space use as an indicator of enclosure appropriateness: A novel measure of captive animal welfare (2009)

Ross, S. R., Schapiro, S. J., Hau, J. et al.

Abstract

Empirical measures of animal behavior and space use within the captive environment can provide critical information about animals' requirements, preferences and internal states. Chimpanzees showed significant differences in how they used structural elements (P = 0.021), mesh barriers (P = 0.009) and corners (P = 0.016) in the new facility. Gorillas' environmental selections were similarly altered in the new facility, as selections of areas adjacent to doorways (P = 0.003), glass barriers (P = 0.005), structural elements (P < 0.001), and mesh barriers (P = 0.012) were all significantly affected by the transfer. This approach is useful for understanding how captive animals utilize their enclosures and we advocate that electivity indices can be added to a growing list of tools to assess the effect of captive environments on animal welfare.