Environmental Enrichment

Animal signals, music and emotional well-being

Playing music or natural sounds to animals in human care is thought to have beneficial effects. An analysis of published papers on the use of human-based music with animals demonstrates a variety of different results even within the same species....

Year Published: 2021Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Snowdon, C. T. 2021. Animal signals, music and emotional well-being. Animals 11(9), 2670.

Rearing enrichments differentially modified hen personality traits and reduced prediction of range use

Domestic fowl have been demonstrated to individually differ in personality, dictating reactions to environmental stimuli. Free-range chickens, Gallus gallus domesticus, show individual range use variation, which may be related to personality differences. Enrichment can also modify behavioural traits. This study...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Campbell, D. L. M., Whitten, J. M., Slater, E. et al. 2021. Rearing enrichments differentially modified hen personality traits and reduced prediction of range use. Animal Behaviour 179, 97-109.

Refinements in head plate mouse nesting: Using composite nests to enhance welfare

When given the opportunity, mice will choose to build nests using multiple different materials. Studies indicate that providing mice with choices which mimic the natural environment allows laboratory mice to build the best quality nests and mice have also been...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Environmental Enrichment, External Bodily EquipmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Windsor, Z. 2021. Refinements in head plate mouse nesting: Using composite nests to enhance welfare. Animal Technology and Welfare 20(2), 135-141.

Laboratory primate enrichment ideas

There are several items we often use in animal facilities that when finished with are thrown away. However, many of these items come in packaging that can be recycled as enrichment for our animals, particularly facilities housing primates. The ideas...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Baboon, Capuchin, Chimpanzee, Lemur, Macaque, Marmoset, Nonhuman Primate, Other Nonhuman Primate, Owl Monkey, Squirrel Monkey, Vervet (African Green Monkey)

Citation: Peploe, J., MacAulay, C. 2021. Laboratory primate enrichment ideas. Animal Technology and Welfare 20(2), 177-183.

A tunnel is not enough: Mice benefit from in-cage provision of a communal shelter as well as a handling tunnel

Mouse shelters can provide mice with security, help them thermoregulate, offer darkness to prevent damage to their eyes and enable climbing and gnawing opportunities. For laboratory mice, there is a vast array of commercially available cage furniture, so choosing which...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Environmental Enrichment, HousingAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Burn, C. C., Popat, R. 2021. A tunnel is not enough: Mice benefit from in-cage provision of a communal shelter as well as a handling tunnel. Animal Technology and Welfare 20(3), 203-210.

An examination of nest-building behaviour using five different nesting materials in C57BL/6J and BALB/c mice

The aim of our study was to assess the nest-building behaviour of two mouse (Mus musculus) strains using different nesting materials and examine possible sex- and housing-specific effects. Adult mice of two strains (C57BL/6J; n = 64 and BALB/cAnNCrl; n...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Obermueller, B., Castellani, C., Till, H. et al. 2021. An examination of nest-building behaviour using five different nesting materials in C57BL/6J and BALB/c mice. Animal Welfare 30(4), 467-477.

Evaluation of an enrichment programme for a colony of long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) in a rescue centre

Long-tailed macaques are highly social primates that are commonly used in biomedical research as animal models. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of different kinds of enrichment on the behaviour and faecal cortisol metabolite (FCM) level...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Albanese, V., Kuan, M., Accorsi, P.A. et al. 2021. Evaluation of an enrichment programme for a colony of long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) in a rescue centre. Primates 62(4), 585-593.

Rearing experience with ramps improves specific learning and behaviour and welfare on a commercial laying farm

To access resources in commercial laying houses hens must move between levels with agility to avoid injury. This study considered whether providing ramps during rear improved the ability of birds to transition between levels. Twelve commercial flocks (2000 birds/flock) on...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Norman, K. I., Weeks, C. A., Tarlton, J. F. 2021. Rearing experience with ramps improves specific learning and behaviour and welfare on a commercial laying farm. Scientific Reports 11(1), 8860.

Assessing preferences of two zoo-housed Aldabran giant tortoises (Aldabrachelys gigantea) for three stimuli using a novel preference test

Recent research has uncovered many complex cognitive traits and affective processes in many reptile species, such as the ability to make choices that are rewarding or pleasurable. The investigation herein was initiated after many years of anecdotal reports, and preliminary...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: Reptile, Turtle & Tortoise

Citation: Learmonth, M. J., Sherwen, S., Hemsworth, P. H. 2021. Assessing preferences of two zoo-housed Aldabran giant tortoises (Aldabrachelys gigantea) for three stimuli using a novel preference test. Zoo Biology 40(2), 98-106.

Can colored object enrichment reduce the escape behavior of captive freshwater turtles?

The effect of environmental enrichment on the behavior and welfare in captivity of reptiles and of freshwater turtles in particular, which are popular aquarium and pet species, is very little studied compared to other taxa. We carried out a small...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Reptile, Turtle & Tortoise

Citation: Bannister, C. C., Thomson, A. J. C., Cuculescu-Santana, M. 2021. Can colored object enrichment reduce the escape behavior of captive freshwater turtles? Zoo Biology 40(2), 160-168.