Environmental Enrichment

Environmental enrichment enhances inter-individual variability in nest-building behavior in male mice

Environmental enrichment (EE) affects brain function and behavior in laboratory animals. In this study, we investigated the behavioral and physiological effects of short-term EE exposure on male C57BL/6J mice. Juvenile mice were housed for 2 weeks under either EE or...

Year Published: 2026Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Iwasaki, M., Kurokawa, S., Suzuki, H. et al. 2026. Environmental enrichment enhances inter-individual variability in nest-building behavior in male mice. Physiology & Behavior 308, 115265.

Nile tilapia prefer water hyacinth as structural enrichment regardless of stocking density

In this study, we investigated whether Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), a commonly farmed species worldwide, prefer artificial water hyacinth – easy-to-build and inexpensive – as a structural enrichment by investigating if different common farm stocking densities affect such response. We...

Year Published: 2026Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Fish, Tilapia

Citation: Favero Neto, J., Maia, C. M., de Oliveira, R. et al. 2026. Nile tilapia prefer water hyacinth as structural enrichment regardless of stocking density. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 29(2), 279–293.

Types of environmental enrichments offered for cats and their association with housing features and cat personality

Environmental enrichment designed in accordance with the cats’ individuality and household characteristics is one of the most effective and widely used tools to enhance feline welfare. This study aimed to evaluate the types of environmental enrichments provided by cat guardians...

Year Published: 2026Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Cat

Citation: da Silva Gonçalves, L., de Souza Machado, D., de Castro Travnik, I. et al. 2026. Types of environmental enrichments offered for cats and their association with housing features and cat personality. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 29(1), 129–143.

Environmental enrichment increases foraging duration in Chilean flamingos under human care

Animal welfare is a priority for modern zoos, with environmental enrichment playing a key role in promoting natural behaviors. We studied a captive flock of Chilean flamingos (Phoenicopterus chilensis) at the Chilean National Zoo, which was normally fed in a...

Year Published: 2026Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Bird, Other Bird

Citation: Contardo, J., Labra, A., Cubillos, G. 2026. Environmental enrichment increases foraging duration in Chilean flamingos under human care. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 29(1), 144–159.

Assessing nest-building performance in mice: A multifactorial study of strain, age, sex, and environmental factors

Providing nesting material is one of the main forms of environmental enrichment for laboratory mice. Nest building is an innate behavior, widely observed in wild mice, which construct complex, dome-shaped, multi-layered structures. Although various materials can be used in microisolator...

Year Published: 2026Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Cintra, L., Hernandes, C. F., Alexandre-Ribeiro, S. R. et al. 2026. Assessing nest-building performance in mice: A multifactorial study of strain, age, sex, and environmental factors. Journal of Veterinary Behavior 83, 98–105.

Use of artificial shelter structures by individual Penaeus monodon broodstock prawns

Optimising the housing and management conditions for aquaculture species is becoming increasingly important. Determining what resources animals prefer can inform captive management decisions for positive impacts on the individual’s welfare. The black tiger prawn (Penaeus monodon) aquaculture industry is prominent...

Year Published: 2026Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Crustacean, Invertebrate

Citation: Campbell, D. L. M., Coman, G. J., Stratford, C. et al. 2026. Use of artificial shelter structures by individual Penaeus monodon broodstock prawns. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 296, 106896.

Environmental enrichment with aquatic plants: Impact of the environment of choice on performance of bettas

This study aimed to evaluate the choice between environments with aquatic plants and the impact of the environment of choice on the performance of bettas (Betta splendens). First, the choice between environments with natural and artificial plants was evaluated. Adult...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Fish, Other Fish

Citation: Bender, M., Oliveira dos Santos Neves, N., Regina Delziovo, F. et al. 2025. Environmental enrichment with aquatic plants: Impact of the environment of choice on performance of bettas. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 28(4), 740–749.

Environmental enrichment improves behavior and welfare in captive cockatiels

Environmental enrichment is widely used to enhance the welfare of captive animals, particularly in cognitively complex species such as parrots. This study experimentally evaluated the behavioral effects of two enrichment categories: object-based items and food-based enrichment on captive cockatiels (Nymphicus...

Year Published: 2026Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Bird, Parrot

Citation: Aguiar, R. M., Châline, N., de Azevedo, C. S. 2026. Environmental enrichment improves behavior and welfare in captive cockatiels. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 295, 106888.

Opportunities for refinement of non-human primate vaccine studies

Non-human primates (NHPs) are used extensively in the development of vaccines and therapeutics for human disease. High standards in the design, conduct, and reporting of NHP vaccine studies are crucial for maximizing their scientific value and translation, and for making...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Disease/Experimental Model, Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Humane Endpoint, Husbandry & Management, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Baboon, Capuchin, Macaque, Marmoset, Nonhuman Primate, Vervet (African Green Monkey)

Citation: Prescott, M. J., Clark, C., Dowling, W. E. et al. 2021. Opportunities for refinement of non-human primate vaccine studies. Vaccines 9(3), 284.

Environmental enrichment increases aquatic animal welfare: A systematic review and meta-analysis

With the rapid development of aquaculture and the gradual decrease in fishery resources, aquatic animal welfare (AAW) has received increasing attention from animal protection organisations, government departments, biologists, fish culturists and consumers. Although environmental enrichment (EE) can potentially benefit AAW,...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Fish, Other Fish, Salmon, Tilapia, Trout, Zebrafish

Citation: Zhang, Z., Gao, L., Zhang, X. 2022. Environmental enrichment increases aquatic animal welfare: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Reviews in Aquaculture 14(3), 1120–1135.