Environmental Enrichment

Tailored enrichment strategies and stereotypic behavior in captive individually housed macaques (Macaca spp.)

The welfare of nonhuman animals in captivity is widely dependent on the natural psychological, physical, and behavioral needs of the animals and how adequately these needs are met. Inability to engage in natural behaviors can lead to chronic stress and...

Year Published: 2016Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Cannon, T. H., Heistermann, M., Hankison, S. J. et al. 2016. Tailored enrichment strategies and stereotypic behavior in captive individually housed macaques (Macaca spp.). Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 19(2), 171-182.

PhenoWorld: Addressing animal welfare in a new paradigm to house and assess rat behaviour

The use of animals is essential in biomedical research. The laboratory environment where the animals are housed has a major impact on them throughout their lives and influences the outcome of animal experiments. Therefore, there has been an increased effort...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Environmental Enrichment, HousingAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Castelhano-Carlos, M. J., Baumans, V., Sousa, N. 2017. PhenoWorld: Addressing animal welfare in a new paradigm to house and assess rat behaviour. Laboratory Animals 51(1), 36-43.

Use of the RatLoft decreases pup mortality in lactating mice

Lactating mice in laboratory conditions are thought to be under considerable stress. Dams may manifest this stress through a decrease in milk yield and/or increase in infanticide. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of access to...

Year Published: 2016Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Rearing & WeaningAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Weaver, S. R., Cronick, C. M., Prichard, A. P. et al. 2016. Use of the RatLoft decreases pup mortality in lactating mice. Laboratory Animals 50(5), 370-378.

Sorting it out: Bedding particle size and nesting material processing method affect nest complexity

As part of routine husbandry, an increasing number of laboratory mice receive nesting material in addition to standard bedding material in their cages. Nesting material improves health outcomes and physiological performance in mice that receive it. Providing usable nesting material...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Robinson-Junker, A., Morin, A., Pritchett-Corning, K. et al. 2017. Sorting it out: Bedding particle size and nesting material processing method affect nest complexity. Laboratory Animals 51(2), 170-180.

Partial cage division significantly reduces aggressive behavior in male laboratory mice

Aggression in mice often results in injury leading to unplanned euthanasia or the initiation of protocols to isolate animals, thereby increasing research costs and straining resources. Here, we tested if adding a partial cage divider into existing mouse cages affected...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Environmental Enrichment, HousingAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Tallent, B. R., Law, L. M., Rowe, R. K. et al. 2018. Partial cage division significantly reduces aggressive behavior in male laboratory mice. Laboratory Animals 52(4), 384 - 393.

Use of a translucent refuge for Xenopus tropicalis with the aim of improving welfare

Xenopus tropicalis is an increasingly important animal model in a variety of biological research fields. In many countries legislation exists to promote and increase welfare wherever possible, including the ability to view animals during daily husbandry with minimal stress to...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Environmental Enrichment, HousingAnimal Type: Amphibian, Frog & Toad

Citation: Cooke, G. M. 2018. Use of a translucent refuge for Xenopus tropicalis with the aim of improving welfare. Laboratory Animals 52(3), 304-307.

Should cages of laboratory rats be enriched physically or socially?

Experiments of environmental enrichment usually compare between group-housed rats in enriched and unenriched cages or between group-housed rats in enriched cages and single-housed rats in unenriched cages. This bias is mainly to maximize the chance of enrichment both socially and...

Year Published: 2014Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Abou-Ismail, U. A., Darwish, R. A., Ramadan, S. G. A. 2014. Should cages of laboratory rats be enriched physically or socially? Global Veterinaria 13(4), 570-582.

Does mirror enrichment improve primate well-being? Animal Welfare 25(2), 163-170

Primates are highly social animals and appropriate enrichment is required to ensure their psychological well-being. Mirrors are sometimes used as social or sensory environmental enrichment. In this paper we investigate the suitability of mirrors as enrichment for captive primates, by...

Year Published: 2016Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Baboon, Capuchin, Chimpanzee, Lemur, Macaque, Marmoset, Nonhuman Primate, Other Nonhuman Primate, Owl Monkey, Squirrel Monkey, Vervet (African Green Monkey)

Citation: de Groot, B., Cheyne, S. M. 2016. Does mirror enrichment improve primate well-being? Animal Welfare 25(2), 163-170.

The effect of environmental provisioning on stress levels in captive green anole (Anolis carolinensis)

In response to an increased awareness concerning the welfare of captive animals, several studies have investigated the effect of provisions on stress levels in model species, such as small mammals, birds and fish. In contrast, reptiles have received less attention....

Year Published: 2018Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Lizard, Reptile

Citation: Borgmans, G., Palme, R., Sannen, A., et al. 2018. The effect of environmental provisioning on stress levels in captive green anole (Anolis carolinensis). Animal Welfare 27(1), 35-46.

Hang on: An evaluation of the hemp rope as environmental enrichment in C57BL/6 mice

When introducing environmental enrichment in laboratory animals, positive and/or negative effects on behavioural and physiological parameters should be evaluated. This three-step randomised controlled trial in male C57BL/6 mice investigated the effect of supplementing the environment with one or more hemp...

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

Citation: Gjendal, K., Sørensen, D. B., Kiersgaard, M. K. et al. 2017. Hang on: An evaluation of the hemp rope as environmental enrichment in C57BL/6 mice. Animal Welfare 26(4), 437-447.