The Effects of Exposure to an Expanded Environmental Enrichment Program on Select Individual Behaviors in Baboons (2009)

Goodwin, A. K., James, S. A., Lane, K. E. et al.

Abstract

In our laboratory, we had often discussed our desire to create an area in which our singly housed, adult male baboons could be released to exercise. The opportunity to do so arose when an environmental enrichment grant from the Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing at Johns Hopkins University provided funding for such a project. Thus, the goals of the present study were to create an area large enough for baboons to safely engage in species-specific behavior (i.e., free movement, exploratory behavior, foraging) and to learn whether exposure to this environment would be correlated with changes in target behaviors considered indicators of psychological well-being. The objective of the present study was to improve the quality of life for baboons in our lab through exposure to an expanded environmental enrichment program. We could not simply assume, however, that exposure to the enrichment room would result in an improvement in the psychological well-being of our subjects. Thus, we identified three baboons with maladaptive behaviors in their home cages and compared the frequency of these behaviors prior to enrichment room exposure to the frequency of the same behaviors after exposure, and found significant decreases in their frequency.In addition, we found that two baboons would more readily enter the transport shuttle after exposure to the enrichment room. That is, the stress resulting from cranking the back wall forward and "forcing" baboons out of the cage and into the shuttle for transport no longer occurs for these baboons, since they now readily enter the shuttle. This is important because baboons must be transported out of their home cages for regular cage washes. Thus, our data support the idea that exposure to the enrichment room improved the psychological well-being of the baboons. In addition, while only one of the baboons showed an increase in the use of toys in his home cage, it is possible the baboons experienced significant increases in their psychological well-being that were undetected by our outcome measures. Moreover, by documenting the smaller objects manipulated (e.g., Kong toys, balls made of different materials, plastic chains, mirrors) while the baboons were in the enrichment room, we also were able to identify individual toy preferences for individual baboons. This has resulted in more effective enrichment being provided in the home cages.Another goal was simply to increase the amount of activity in which the baboons were able to engage. Technicians consistently noted in the records that baboons spend a majority of time in the enrichment room moving around and "exploring."