Environmental Enrichment

Novel enrichment item for non-human primates

Wheat grass kits are available from multiple sources (e.g. wheatgrasskits.com) and usually come with enough seeds and other materials to grow 5 flats. The instructions are very simple and the grass grows quickly, only taking about a week to reach...

Year Published: 2013Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Shuster, K. 2013. Novel enrichment item for non-human primates. Enrichment Record 16, 24.

Compassion Makes a Difference – Discussions by the Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum [LAREF], Volume III

This is the third volume of discussions that took place on the Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum (LAREF). This forum is dedicated to the exchange of personal experiences of refining the conditions under which animals are housed and handled...

Year Published: 2013Topics: Animal Training, Drug/Substance Administration, Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Amphibian, Baboon, Cat, Chimpanzee, Dog, Fish, Frog & Toad, Goat, Macaque, Marmoset, Mouse, Nonhuman Primate, Owl Monkey, Pig, Rabbit, Rat, Reptile, Rodent, Sheep, Snake, Squirrel Monkey, Vervet (African Green Monkey), Zebrafish

Citation: Reinhardt, V. (ed.) 2013. Compassion Makes a Difference - Discussions by the Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum [LAREF], Volume III. Animal Welfare Institute, Washington, DC.

Environmental enrichment – what works best and do animals need it?

Year Published: 2013Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Phillips, S., Miller, P., Rudling, B. et al. 2013. Environmental enrichment - what works best and do animals need it? Animal Technology and Welfare 11, 49-51.

Colony-wide assessment of the foraging devices: Refinement of delivery practices, cost and the caloric content delivered via foraging devices

Foraging opportunities are a key component of enrichment in captive nonhuman primates (NHP) providing manipulative opportunities in which animals can engage in species-typical behaviors. Recent studies suggest captive NHP populations have increased body weight over time leading to negative health...

Year Published: 2013Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Baboon, Capuchin, Chimpanzee, Lemur, Macaque, Marmoset, Nonhuman Primate, Other Nonhuman Primate, Owl Monkey, Squirrel Monkey, Vervet (African Green Monkey)

Citation: Pierre, P. J., Torres, N. A., Rosga, M. D. et al. 2013. Colony-wide assessment of the foraging devices: Refinement of delivery practices, cost and the caloric content delivered via foraging devices. American Journal of Primatology 75(S1), 82. (36th Meeting of the American Society of Primatologists Scientific Program, Abstract #163)

The role and responsibilities of the enrichment coordinator

The challenges with being an Enrichment Coordinator can be as variable as your roles and responsibilities. But the rewards are just as great. As an Enrichment Coordinator, I am able to be part of bettering the research community. I support...

Year Published: 2013Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Neeb, K. 2013. The role and responsibilities of the enrichment coordinator. Enrichment Record 15, 17-20.

Is training zoo animals enriching?

Husbandry training of zoo animals (training) has been associated with many benefits, and indisputably is a valuable tool; training facilitates movement of animals within their environment, and participation in husbandry and medical procedures. Training has also been considered to be...

Year Published: 2013Topics: Animal Training, Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Amphibian, Baboon, Capuchin, Chimpanzee, Crocodile & Alligator, Frog & Toad, Gibbon, Lemur, Lizard, Macaque, Marine Mammal, Marmoset, Nonhuman Primate, Other Animal, Other Nonhuman Primate, Owl Monkey, Reptile, Salamander, Snake, Squirrel Monkey, Turtle & Tortoise, Vervet (African Green Monkey)

Citation: Melfi, V. 2013. Is training zoo animals enriching? Applied Animal Behaviour Science 147, 299-305.

An aquarium as a passive enrichment item and its effect on locomotor stereotypy in a group of singly housed rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta)

Locomotor stereotypies are behaviors often seen in singly housed rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) and are considered to represent a maladaptive response to captive environments. Social housing is the most effective means for decreasing abnormal behaviors but is sometimes unrealistic as...

Year Published: 2013Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Meade, T. M., Krall, C., Hutchinson, E. K. et al. 2013. An aquarium as a passive enrichment item and its effect on locomotor stereotypy in a group of singly housed rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 619 (Abstract #PS58).

Effects of housing condition and cage change on characteristics of sleep in mice

Although human subjects are widely used to study sleep and sleep disorders, animals have been invaluable in developing our understanding of the physiology of sleep and underlying mechanisms of sleep disorders. Environmental stimuli are likely to modify sleep in both...

Year Published: 2014Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Febinger, H.Y., George, A., Priestley, J. et al. 2014. Effects of housing condition and cage change on characteristics of sleep in mice. JAALAS 53(1), 29-37.

Untangling the influences of voluntary running, environmental complexity, social housing and stress on adult hippocampal neurogenesis

Environmental enrichment (EE) exerts powerful effects on brain physiology, and is widely used as an experimental and therapeutic tool. Typical EE paradigms are multifactorial, incorporating elements of physical exercise, environmental complexity, social interactions and stress, however the specific contributions of...

Year Published: 2014Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Gregoire, C., Bonenfant, D., Le Nguyen, A. et al. 2014. Untangling the influences of voluntary running, environmental complexity, social housing and stress on adult hippocampal neurogenesis. PLOS ONE 9(1), e86237.

The effects of environmental enrichment on depressive and anxiety-relevant behaviors in socially isolated prairie voles

Social isolation is associated with depression, anxiety and negative health outcomes. Environmental enrichment, including environmental and cognitive stimulation with inanimate objects and opportunities for physical exercise, may be an effective strategy to include in treatment paradigms for affective disorders as...

Year Published: 2014Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Other Rodent, Rodent

Citation: Grippo, A. J., Ihm, E., Wardwell, J. et al. 2014. The effects of environmental enrichment on depressive and anxiety-relevant behaviors in socially isolated prairie voles. Psychosomatic Medicine 76(4), 277-284.