Environmental Enrichment

Primate enrichment categories: A literature review of current trends

Environmental enrichment aims to enhance primate wellbeing by providing physical and mental stimuli to address the biological and psychological needs of individuals. However, lack of knowledge regarding the development of enrichment research hampers implementors and future inquiries. Therefore, a collection...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Baboon, Capuchin, Chimpanzee, Lemur, Macaque, Marmoset, Nonhuman Primate, Other Nonhuman Primate, Owl Monkey, Squirrel Monkey, Vervet (African Green Monkey)

Citation: Richardson, S. 2024. Primate enrichment categories: A literature review of current trends. Animal Behavior and Cognition 11(1), 87–100.

Optimizing environmental enrichment for Sprague Dawley rats: Exemplary insights into the liver proteome

Background Considering the expected increase in the elderly population and the growing emphasis on aging-related biomedical research, the demand for aged laboratory animals has surged, challenging established husbandry practices. Our objective was to establish a cost-effective method for environmental enrichment,...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Disease/Experimental Model, Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Roschke, N. N., Hillebrandt, K. H., Polenz, D. et al. 2024. Optimizing environmental enrichment for Sprague Dawley rats: Exemplary insights into the liver proteome. PLOS ONE 19(4), e0297497.

The dog soundscape: Recurrence, emotional impact, acoustics, and implications for dog observations and dog–human interactions

While numerous dog behavioral studies use environmental sounds, the dog soundscape remains undescribed. We proposed a list of 79 sounds classified into six categories: Dog, Dog accessories, Human, city and vehicles, Garden, countryside and weather, and Household. In a survey,...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Savel, S., Legou, T. 2024. The dog soundscape: Recurrence, emotional impact, acoustics, and implications for dog observations and dog–human interactions. Animals 14(2), 279.

An interactive feeder to induce and assess emotions from vocalisations of chickens

Understanding the emotional states of animals is a long-standing research endeavour that has clear applications in animal welfare. Vocalisations are emerging as a promising way to assess both positive and negative emotional states. However, the vocal expression of emotions in...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Environmental Enrichment, VocalizationAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Golfidis, A., Kriengwatana, B. P., Mounir, M. et al. 2024. An interactive feeder to induce and assess emotions from vocalisations of chickens. Animals 14(9), 1386.

Development and implementation of a Dependable, Simple, and Cost-effective (DSC), open-source running wheel in High Drinking in the Dark and Heterogeneous Stock/Northport mice

Maintaining healthy and consistent levels of physical activity (PA) is a clinically proven and low-cost means of reducing the onset of several chronic diseases and may provide an excellent strategy for managing mental health and related outcomes. Wheel-running (WR) is...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Grigsby, K., Usmani, Z., Anderson, J. et al. 2024. Development and implementation of a Dependable, Simple, and Cost-effective (DSC), open-source running wheel in High Drinking in the Dark and Heterogeneous Stock/Northport mice. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience 17.

Resource choice during ontogeny enhances both the short- and longer-term welfare of laying hen pullets

We hypothesised that resource choice during early life contributes to both current and longer-term beneficial effects on animal welfare. We investigated this hypothesis in a longitudinal cross-over experiment with laying hen pullets (Gallus gallus domesticus) reared in pens with one...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Holt, R. V., Skånberg, L., Keeling, L. J. et al. 2024. Resource choice during ontogeny enhances both the short- and longer-term welfare of laying hen pullets. Scientific Reports 14(1), 3360.

Tactile, auditory, and visual stimulation as sensory enrichment for dairy cattle

Several types of enrichment can be used to improve animal welfare. This review summarizes the literature on the use of mechanical brushes, tactile udder stimulation, music, and visual stimuli as enrichment methods for dairy cows. Mechanical brushes and tactile stimulation...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: Mota-Rojas, D., Whittaker, A. L., Domínguez-Oliva, A. et al. 2024. Tactile, auditory, and visual stimulation as sensory enrichment for dairy cattle. Animals 14(9), 1265.

Life in a fishbowl: Space and environmental enrichment affect behaviour of Betta splendens

The public has expressed growing concern for the well-being of fishes, including popular pet species such as the Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens). In captivity, male Bettas behave aggressively, often causing injuries and death if housed together. As a result,...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Fish, Other Fish

Citation: Oldfield, R. G., Murphy, E. K. 2024. Life in a fishbowl: Space and environmental enrichment affect behaviour of Betta splendens. Animal Welfare 33, e1.

Pebble to the metal: A boulder approach to enrichment for Danio rerio

Zebrafish are an established and widely used animal model, yet there is limited understanding of their welfare needs. Despite an increasing number of studies on zebrafish enrichment, in-tank environmental enrichment remains unpopular among researchers. This is due to perceived concerns...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Fish, Zebrafish

Citation: Byrd, K. A., Theil, J. H., Geronimo, J. T. et al. 2024. Pebble to the metal: A boulder approach to enrichment for Danio rerio. PLOS ONE 19(5), e0298657.

Impact of enriched environment on motor performance and learning in mice

Neuroscience heavily relies on animal welfare in laboratory rodents as it can significantly affect brain development, cognitive function and memory formation. Unfortunately, laboratory animals are often raised in artificial environments devoid of physical and social stimuli, potentially leading to biased...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Dijkhuizen, S., Van Ginneken, L. M. C., IJpelaar, A. H. C. et al. 2024. Impact of enriched environment on motor performance and learning in mice. Scientific Reports 14(1), 5962.