Environmental Enrichment

Mirror, mirror on the wall… How tank material and the presence of “enrichments” affect competition and agonism in zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Despite generations of rearing in a laboratory environment, zebrafish (Danio rerio) retain innate preferences for environmental features that mimic their natural habitat (e.g. plants and gravel), but the effects of such preferred housing conditions on agonism are poorly understood. In...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Fish, Zebrafish

Citation: Lavery, J. M., Mason, G. J. 2023. Mirror, mirror on the wall… How tank material and the presence of “enrichments” affect competition and agonism in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Applied Animal Behaviour Science 266, 106005.

Predictors of the use of enrichment items in colony housed shelter cats

Colony rooms provide cats with many opportunities to use enrichment, but animal shelters usually have finite resources to provision items. This study examined how cats select enrichment items when given a variety of options. Our goal was to identify whether...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Cat

Citation: Libonate, S. T., Suchak, M. 2023. Predictors of the use of enrichment items in colony housed shelter cats. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 26(3), 300–312.

Preference of dogs towards feeding toys made of natural rubber, and their potential to improve canine behaviour: A study based on owners’ observations

Improper feeding methods can be linked to canine behaviour problems, as the conventional bowl-feeding approach fail to mimic natural behaviour and is associated with obesity. Feeding toys can potentially contribute to the enhancement of dog behaviour by mimicking natural hunting...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Boonhoh, W., Saramolee, P., Sriphavatsarakom, P. et al. 2024. Preference of dogs towards feeding toys made of natural rubber, and their potential to improve canine behaviour: A study based on owners' observations. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 270, 106142.

Which form of environmental enrichment is most effective in rodent models of autism?

Environmental enrichment (EE) is known to produce experience-dependent changes in the brains and behaviors of rodents, and it has therefore been widely used to study neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism. Current studies show significant protocol variation, such as the presence of...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Disease/Experimental Model, Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Caires, C. R. S., Bossolani-Martins, A. L. 2023. Which form of environmental enrichment is most effective in rodent models of autism? Behavioural Processes 211, 104915.

Evaluation of disinfection methods for artificial plants in zebrafish (Danio rerio) recirculating water systems

The use of artificial plants as environmental enrichment for zebrafish (Danio rerio) in biomedical research facilities has been shown to provide benefits in animal welfare and care. Despite the benefits of artificial plants to zebrafish welfare, some research facilities are...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Fish, Zebrafish

Citation: Camson, C. T., Palillo, J. A., Fehrenbach, L. A. et al. 2023. Evaluation of disinfection methods for artificial plants in zebrafish (Danio rerio) recirculating water systems. JAALAS 62(6), 512–517.

Environmental enrichment for pig welfare during transport

This study aimed to assess the effects of environmental enrichment for pigs during transportation in different phases of their productive cycle. Two trials were conducted, the first during transportation of pigs from the piglet production unit (PPU) to the nursery...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Relocation & TransportAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Crone, C., Caldara, F. R., Martins, R. et al. 2023. Environmental enrichment for pig welfare during transport. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 26(3), 393–403.

Don’t use it? Don’t lose it! Why active use is not required for stimuli, resources or “enrichments” to have welfare value

Current frameworks for designing and evaluating good enclosures and “enrichments” typically focus on animals' active interactions with these features. This has undoubtedly improved the welfare of zoo-housed animals over the last 30 years or more. However, literature reviews from this...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Decker, S., Lavery, J. M., Mason, G. J. 2023. Don't use it? Don't lose it! Why active use is not required for stimuli, resources or “enrichments” to have welfare value. Zoo Biology 42(4), 467–475.

Comparison of three environmentally friendly enrichments in single-housed Sprague Dawley rats

Numerous studies have shown the negative side effects the lack of enrichment has on the overall health of animals in research. This lack in data may lead to unnecessary risks for welfare issues, like the single housed lab rats that...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Strickland, B. 2023. Comparison of three environmentally friendly enrichments in single-housed Sprague Dawley rats. Laboratory Animal Science Professional 11(5) (September/October), 56-57.

Increasing the psychological wellbeing of zebrafish (Danio rerio) and African clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis) at the Cleveland Clinic

With the increased use of aquatic animals in research, especially zebrafish and African clawed frogs, there has been an increased interest in how to best address their psychological wellbeing. In this article, we have shown various ways to improve the...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Amphibian, Fish, Frog & Toad, Zebrafish

Citation: Wood, H., Voros, G. B. 2023. Increasing the psychological wellbeing of zebrafish (Danio rerio) and African clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis) at the Cleveland Clinic. Laboratory Animal Science Professional 11(6) (November/December), 38-40.

Enriching the lives of zebra finches

Zebra finches are an uncommon animal model in the biomedical industry but are widely used in language development, memory, and learning studies. Native to Australia, they are desert birds that like warm days and 40%+ relative humidity. As a social...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Bird, Finch

Citation: Warner-Hough, M. 2024. Enriching the lives of zebra finches. Laboratory Animal Science Professional 12(1) (January/February), 28-30.