Environmental Enrichment

Relative response to digital tablet devices and painting as sensory enrichment in captive chimpanzees

Digital devices, including tablet computers and other touchscreens, can potentially serve as flexible and convenient means for providing behavioral enrichment activities to captive primates. Despite increased interest in incorporating technology into enrichment programs, no direct quantitative comparison has previously been...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Chimpanzee, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Grunauer, P. P., Walguarnery, J. W. 2018. Relative response to digital tablet devices and painting as sensory enrichment in captive chimpanzees. Zoo Biology 37(4), 269–273.

Behavioral responses of three lemur species to different food enrichment devices

Environmental enrichment is a tool used to promote the welfare and well‐being of captive animals by encouraging the display of species‐specific behaviors and reducing the stress or boredom induced by captive environments. Lemurs are highly endangered, yet few studies have...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Lemur, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Shapiro, M. E., Shapiro, H. G., Ehmke, E. E. 2018. Behavioral responses of three lemur species to different food enrichment devices. Zoo Biology 37(3), 146–155.

The effects of olfactory stimulation on the behavior of captive ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta)

Ring‐tailed lemurs reside in many animal collections worldwide. Lemur welfare may be a cause of concern due to some captive individuals exhibiting stereotypic behavior. Despite these concerns, there has been little exploration of methods of environmental enrichment for ring‐tailed lemurs....

Year Published: 2018Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Lemur, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Baker, B., Taylor, S., Montrose, V. T. 2018. The effects of olfactory stimulation on the behavior of captive ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta). Zoo Biology 37(1), 16–22.

Moving evidence into practice: Cost analysis and assessment of Macaques’ sustained behavioral engagement with videogames and foraging devices

Environmental enrichment plans for captive nonhuman primates often include provision of foraging devices. The rationale for using foraging devices is to promote species‐typical activity patterns that encourage physical engagement and provide multi‐sensory stimulation. However, these devices have been shown to...

Year Published: 2016Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Bennett, A. J., Perkins, C. M., Tenpas, P. D. et al. 2016. Moving evidence into practice: Cost analysis and assessment of Macaques' sustained behavioral engagement with videogames and foraging devices. American Journal of Primatology 78(12), 1250-1264.

A new method of walking rehabilitation using cognitive tasks in an adult chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) with a disability: A case study

There are few studies of long-term care and rehabilitation of animals which acquired physical disabilities in captivity, despite their importance for welfare. An adult male chimpanzee named Reo at the Primate Research Institute of Kyoto University, developed acute myelitis, inflammation...

Year Published: 2016Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Chimpanzee, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Sakuraba, Y., Tomonaga, M., Hayashi, M. 2016. A new method of walking rehabilitation using cognitive tasks in an adult chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) with a disability: A case study. Primates 57(3), 403-412.

A comparison of two types of running wheel in terms of mouse preference, health, and welfare

Voluntary wheel running occurs in mice of all strains, sexes, and ages. Mice find voluntary wheel running rewarding, and it leads to numerous health benefits. For this reason wheels are used both to enhance welfare and to create models of...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Walker, M., Mason, G. 2018. A comparison of two types of running wheel in terms of mouse preference, health, and welfare. Physiology & Behavior 191, 82-90.

The importance of burrowing, climbing and standing upright for laboratory rats

Standard laboratory cages prevent rats (Rattus norvegicus) from performing many behaviours that they perform in the wild, but little is known about how this may affect their welfare. The aims of this study were (i) to record the propensity to...

Year Published: 2016Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Makowska, I. J., Weary, D. M. 2016. The importance of burrowing, climbing and standing upright for laboratory rats. Royal Society Open Science 3, 160136.

What goes around can come around: An unexpected deleterious effect of using mouse running wheels for environmental enrichment

Environmental enrichment items such as running wheels can promote the wellbeing of laboratory mice. Growing evidence suggests that wheel running simulates exercise effects in many mouse models of human conditions, but this activity also might change other aspects of mouse...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Leduc, R. Y. M., Rauw, G., Baker, G. B. et al. 2017. What goes around can come around: An unexpected deleterious effect of using mouse running wheels for environmental enrichment. JAALAS 56(2), 194-201.

Automated tracking of motion and body weight for objective monitoring of rats in colony housing

Living together in large social communities within an enriched environment stimulates self-motivated activity in rats. We developed a modular housing system in which a single unit can accommodate as many as 48 rats and contains multiple functional areas. This rat...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Brenneis, C., Westhof, A., Holschbach, J. et al. 2017. Automated tracking of motion and body weight for objective monitoring of rats in colony housing. JAALAS 56(1), 18-31.

Effects of nesting material on energy homeostasis in BALB/cAnNCrl, C57BL/6NCrl, and Crl:CD1(ICR) mice housed at 20 °C

Discrepancies exist between the preferred temperature range for mice (26 to 32 °C) and current recommendations (20 to 26 °C), which may alter metabolism and negatively affect studies using mice. Previous research indicates that nesting material can alleviate cold stress...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Johnson, J. S., Taylor, D. J., Green, A. R. et al. 2017. Effects of nesting material on energy homeostasis in BALB/cAnNCrl, C57BL/6NCrl, and Crl:CD1(ICR) mice housed at 20 °C. JAALAS 56(3), 254-259.