Environmental Enrichment
Sensory stimulation as a means of sustained enhancement of well-being in leopard geckos, Eublepharis macularius (Eublepharidae, Squamata)
Although the private keeping of reptiles has boomed in most western countries since the millennium, studies dealing with the recognition and promotion of welfare in these reptiles seem to represent a blind spot of scientific attention. The vast majority of...
Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Lizard, Reptile
Citation: Krönke, F., Xu, L. 2023. Sensory stimulation as a means of sustained enhancement of well-being in leopard geckos, Eublepharis macularius (Eublepharidae, Squamata). Animals 13(23), 3595.
Read MoreEffects of enclosure and environmental enrichment on the behaviour of ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta)
Environmental enrichment is widely used to improve the quality of life of animals under human care. To successfully implement enrichment programs, it is important to evaluate their effect in different enclosure types since housing conditions may change depending on external...
Year Published: 2021Topics: Environmental Enrichment, HousingAnimal Type: Lemur, Nonhuman Primate
Citation: Laméris, D. W., Verspeek, J., Depoortere, A. et al. 2021. Effects of enclosure and environmental enrichment on the behaviour of ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta). Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens 2(2), 164–173.
Read MoreEnvironmental enrichment factors associated with the activity level of bottlenose dolphins under professional care
Environmental enrichment can be used to improve the welfare of dolphins in zoos and aquariums. Bottlenose dolphins under professional care are typically provided with a range of enrichment that has a variety of features and levels of complexity at various...
Year Published: 2022Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Marine Mammal
Citation: Lauderdale, L. K., Shorter, K. A., Zhang, D. et al. 2022. Environmental enrichment factors associated with the activity level of bottlenose dolphins under professional care. Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens 3(1), 44–55.
Read MoreSelected acoustic frequencies have a positive impact on behavioural and physiological welfare indicators in thoroughbred racehorses
(1) Background: Since antiquity, it is considered that sounds influence human emotional states and health. Acoustic enrichment has also been proposed for domestic animals. However, in both humans and animals, effects vary according to the type of sound. Human studies...
Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Equine
Citation: Gueguen, L., Henry, S., Delbos, M. et al. 2023. Selected acoustic frequencies have a positive impact on behavioural and physiological welfare indicators in thoroughbred racehorses. Animals 13(18), 2970.
Read MoreChoice, control, and animal welfare: Definitions and essential inquiries to advance animal welfare science
The ways in which humans can support good welfare for animals in their care is an ongoing subject of debate: some place emphasis on the animals' physical health; others, on animals' ability to live “natural lives”; and others on animals'...
Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: All/General, Macaque, Nonhuman Primate
Citation: Englund, M. D., Cronin, K. A. 2023. Choice, control, and animal welfare: Definitions and essential inquiries to advance animal welfare science. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 10.
Read MoreSex, age, and individual differences in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in response to environmental enrichment
Application of environmental enrichment, as a means to successfully decrease undesired behaviors (e.g., stereotypic) and improve animal welfare, has been documented in a variety of zoological species. However, a dearth of empirical evidence exists concerning age, sex, and individual differences...
Year Published: 2015Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Marine Mammal
Citation: Eskelinen, H., Winship, K., Borger-Turner, J. 2015. Sex, age, and individual differences in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in response to environmental enrichment. Animal Behavior and Cognition 2(3), 241–253.
Read MoreReaction to novel objects and fecal glucocorticoid metabolite levels in two species of nocturnal geckos
Many reptiles are maintained in captivity and heavily traded, although welfare measures for many species are not well established and are under-researched compared to other animals. In this study, we focused on two of these species: crested geckos (Correlophus ciliatus)...
Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Lizard, Reptile
Citation: Fernández-Lázaro, G., Latorre, R., Fontanillas Pérez, J. C. et al. 2023. Reaction to novel objects and fecal glucocorticoid metabolite levels in two species of nocturnal geckos. Animals 13(21), 3384.
Read MoreA practical approach to providing environmental enrichment to pigs and broiler chickens housed in intensive systems
In Europe, regulations contain guidance to maintain high standards of animal welfare. In many parts of the world, large buyers for supermarkets or restaurants are the main enforcers of basic animal welfare standards. They can have considerable influence on improving...
Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken, Pig
Citation: Grandin, T. 2023. A practical approach to providing environmental enrichment to pigs and broiler chickens housed in intensive systems. Animals 13(14), 2372.
Read MoreBridging pure cognitive research and cognitive enrichment
Cognitive enrichment is a growing subset of environmental enrichment for captive animals. However, it has been difficult for practitioners to design, implement, and evaluate relevant and appropriate cognitive challenges. Even though pure comparative cognition researchers focus on fundamental evolutionary questions,...
Year Published: 2022Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: All/General
Citation: Clark, F. E. 2022. Bridging pure cognitive research and cognitive enrichment. Animal Cognition 25(6), 1671–1678.
Read MoreIn the zone: Towards a comparative study of flow state in primates
Flow is an altered state of feeling ‘in the zone' when fully absorbed in a challenge and is associated with positive affective state (feelings). Despite almost five decades of research, Flow has not yet been recognized in nonhuman animals, despite...
Year Published: 2023Topics: Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Chimpanzee, Macaque, Nonhuman Primate
Citation: Clark, F. E. 2023. In the zone: Towards a comparative study of flow state in primates. Animal Behavior and Cognition 10(1), 62–88.
Read More