Environmental Enrichment

Effects of environmental enrichment on the behavior of Octopus vulgaris in a recirculating aquaculture system

Octopus vulgaris is a commercially valuable species. It is overexploited in the natural environment and is considered to be an innovative species for aquaculture. However, large-scale farming is generally designed only based on economic requirements, disregarding any form of enrichment...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Cephalopod, Invertebrate

Citation: Casalini, A., Gentile, L., Emmanuele, P. et al. 2023. Effects of environmental enrichment on the behavior of Octopus vulgaris in a recirculating aquaculture system. Animals 13(11), 1862.

Enriching zoo-housed ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta): Assessing the influence of three types of environmental enrichment on behavior

Environmental enrichment is a management tool used to promote positive animal welfare by stimulating species-specific behaviors and providing animals with opportunities to exert choice and control over the environment. Our study aimed to evaluate the combined effect of three enrichment...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Lemur, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Caselli, M., Messeri, P., Dessì-Fulgheri, F. et al. 2022. Enriching zoo-housed ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta): Assessing the influence of three types of environmental enrichment on behavior. Animals 12(20), 2836.

Rat’s response to a novelty and increased complexity of the environment resulting from the introduction of movable vs

Most animals, including rats, show a preference for more complex environments. This is demonstrated particularly well when complexity increases due to the addition of new elements to the environment. The aim of the study was to investigate the reaction to...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Chrzanowska, A., Modlinska, K., Goncikowska, K. et al. 2022. Rat's response to a novelty and increased complexity of the environment resulting from the introduction of movable vs. stationary objects in the free exploration test. PLOS ONE 17(12), e0279006.

Cognitive foraging enrichment (but not non-cognitive enrichment) improved several longer-term welfare indicators in bottlenose dolphins

Bottlenose dolphins are the most common cetacean kept globally in zoos and aquaria (hereafter zoos), and are gregarious animals with a mostly opportunistic, generalist feeding strategy in the wild. In zoos, they have limited to no opportunities to express natural...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Marine Mammal

Citation: Clegg, I. L. K., Domingues, M., Ström, E. et al. 2023. Cognitive foraging enrichment (but not non-cognitive enrichment) improved several longer-term welfare indicators in bottlenose dolphins. Animals 13(2), 238.

Instraspecific interactions decrease stress affecting welfare in shelter dogs: A comparison of four different housing conditions

Shelters are stressful environments for domestic dogs (Canis familiaris). Evaluating dogs' welfare is crucial to improve their life condition and to promote a better management of shelters. We aimed at verifying which variables improved welfare in 10 shelter dogs ((hosted...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Husbandry & Management, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Corsetti, S., Natoli, E., Palme, R. et al. 2023. Instraspecific interactions decrease stress affecting welfare in shelter dogs: A comparison of four different housing conditions. Animals 13(11), 1828.

Ruff morning? The use of environmental enrichment during an acute stressor in kenneled shelter dogs

The length of stay for some animals has increased with the recent reduction of animals euthanized in US shelters and animal control facilities. Research examining the effectiveness of different types of enrichment on buffering the effects of acute daily stressors...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Dare, P., Strasser, R. 2023. Ruff morning? The use of environmental enrichment during an acute stressor in kenneled shelter dogs. Animals 13(9), 1506.

Promoting good nonhuman primate welfare outside regular working hours

Promoting good primate welfare outside of daylight hours is an important task. The responsibility to provide a complex environment and environmental enrichment is an essential element of primate wellbeing programs that should be approached from a 24-h perspective and planned...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Baboon, Capuchin, Chimpanzee, Lemur, Macaque, Marmoset, Nonhuman Primate, Other Nonhuman Primate, Owl Monkey, Squirrel Monkey, Vervet (African Green Monkey)

Citation: Brando, S., Vitale, A., Bacon, M. 2023. Promoting good nonhuman primate welfare outside regular working hours. Animals 13(8), 1423.

Positive effects of bubbles as a feeding predictor on behaviour of farmed rainbow trout

Occupational enrichment emerges as a promising strategy for improving the welfare of farmed animals. This form of enrichment aims to stimulate cognitive abilities of animals by providing them with more opportunities to interact with and control their environment. Predictability of...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Fish, Trout

Citation: Kleiber, A., Le-Calvez, J. M., Kerneis, T. et al. 2022. Positive effects of bubbles as a feeding predictor on behaviour of farmed rainbow trout. Scientific Reports 12(1), 11368.

Enriched environment causes epigenetic changes in hippocampus and improves long-term cognitive function in sepsis

Sepsis is defined as a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by an inappropriate host response to infection. The presence of oxidative stress and inflammatory mediators in sepsis leads to dysregulated gene expression, leading to a hyperinflammatory response. Environmental conditions play an...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Disease/Experimental Model, Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Córneo, E., Michels, M., Abatti, M. et al. 2022. Enriched environment causes epigenetic changes in hippocampus and improves long-term cognitive function in sepsis. Scientific Reports 12(1), 11529.

Nonhuman Primate Welfare: From History, Science, and Ethics to Practice

This volume reviews the broad topic of welfare in nonhuman primates under human care. Chapters detail the history of primates in captivity, ethical and legal issues surrounding the use of nonhuman primates as entertainment or in research, the different approaches...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Animal Training, Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Husbandry & Management, Personality, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Baboon, Capuchin, Chimpanzee, Lemur, Macaque, Marmoset, Nonhuman Primate, Other Nonhuman Primate, Owl Monkey, Squirrel Monkey, Vervet (African Green Monkey)

Citation: Robinson, L. M., Weiss, A. (Eds.) 2023. Nonhuman Primate Welfare: From History, Science, and Ethics to Practice. Springer, Cham, Switzerland. 671 p.