Environmental Enrichment

Environmental enrichments and data-driven welfare indicators for sheltered dogs using telemetric physiological measures and signal processing

Shelters are stressful environments for domestic dogs which are known to negatively impact their welfare. The introduction of outside stimuli for dogs in this environment can improve their welfare and life conditions. However, our current understanding of the influence of...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Travain, T., Lazebnik, T., Zamansky, A. et al. 2024. Environmental enrichments and data-driven welfare indicators for sheltered dogs using telemetric physiological measures and signal processing. Scientific Reports 14(1), 3346.

Cage enrichment to minimize aggression in part-time group-housed female breeding rabbits

In most rabbit farms, breeding does kindle and nurse their kits in single-litter cages throughout their entire reproduction cycle. However, the protective behavior can lead to aggressive displays and injuries when the does are housed in groups. This study aimed...

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

Citation: Van Damme, L. G. W., Ipek, N., Verwaeren, J. et al. 2024. Cage enrichment to minimize aggression in part-time group-housed female breeding rabbits. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 11.

Health and welfare benefits of computerized cognitive enrichment in California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) at the US Navy Marine Mammal Program

Cognitive enrichment is becoming more prevalent in professional marine mammal facilities. Research with dolphins has suggested that such enrichment provides more welfare benefits than enrichment that does not incorporate cognitive challenge. However, there is little research supporting the use of...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Marine Mammal

Citation: Winship, K., McClain, A., Ramos, A. et al. 2024. Health and welfare benefits of computerized cognitive enrichment in California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) at the US Navy Marine Mammal Program. Animals 14(7), 1120.

Laboratory animal welfare meets human welfare: A cross-sectional study of professional quality of life, including compassion fatigue in laboratory animal personnel

Laboratory animal personnel may experience significant stress from working with animals in scientific research. Workplace stress can be assessed by evaluating professional quality of life, which is comprised of compassion fatigue (i.e., burnout and secondary traumatic stress) and compassion satisfaction....

Year Published: 2020Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Euthanasia, Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: LaFollette, M. R., Riley, M. C., Cloutier, S. et al. 2020. Laboratory animal welfare meets human welfare: A cross-sectional study of professional quality of life, including compassion fatigue in laboratory animal personnel. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 7, 114.

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.