Behavioural Enrichment and Captive Animals

Introduction

The provision of mechansims for behavioural enrichment for wild species in captivity is an issue that is often neglected in animal welfare debates.  What is behavioural enrichment? It is the provision of facilties that can enable a captive animal to occuy itself and not get bored.  It is important not to anthropomorphise in discussions on animal welfare, but there is adequate evidence to suggest that "occupy" and "bored" are the correct words in this context.  This is because bored captive animals (wild or domestic) exhibit stereotypical behaviour that is an alteration from the norm. The study of animal behaviour is a science: ethology. Evidence does exist of bored big cats pacing their enclosures and brown bears (Ursus arctos) banging their heads against walls. Awareness-raising of such unnecessary behaviour was publicised on a regular basis when I was in my teens. A result was the programme on British television called "State of the 'Ark'.  One of the unfortunate effects of such awareness raising, or occurring concomitant with it, was a public call for zoos to be closed.

Reasons for zoos.

Good zoos provide an enormous public service.  There are things about animals that can only be studied in captivity and which would be impossible to study in the wild, and there are learned journals containing the results of such research.  Techniques used by zoos to breed animals have resulted in significant advances in understanding the conservation biology of endangered species. Zoos play an importart role in education.  Where else would an urban-dwelling young person have the opportunity to see an endangered species if not in a zoo? Zoos are big employers.  Most zoo stock is now bred in captivity and reputable zoos are part of stud book schemes for the breeding of enadangered species. Most zoos do not acquire their animals from wild sources or traders. And zoos are also great places to work out behavioural enrichment protocols for animals.  The opportunties for this are limited only by the ingenuity of those responsible for the animals, and costs.  Recently in the UK I took my family to visit a zoological Garden in Cumbria.  The tigers had to climb immense telegraph poles in order to feed. This exercised them, occupied them, impressed the public and pleased the keeprs. 
In additon, many zoos have contributed significantly to endangered species conservation. Endangered species that have had their populations enhanced include the

Mauritius Kestrel Falco punctatus
Przewalski's Horse Equus ferus
Golden-Headed Lion tamarin Leontopithecus chrysomelas
Califórnia Condor Gymnogyps californianus
Snails of the genus Partula spp.

and many others.

Conclusion

I wrote this article because I have been pro-zoo for years and wanted to raise awareness of some of the good that zoos do.  What is really interesting to examine what they do for behavioural enrichment.  Another example of this is the throwing of raisins into primates' bedding. This is also an excellent way to prevent boredom and I would welcome hearing about others.  I tried it with a Capuchin Monkey  Sapajus apella when one was brought in to the veterinary hospital where I study. I and a colleague inserted raisins into a polystyrene ball. The monkey loved it, but ripped the ball apart in minutes.  So much for sustainable behavioral enrichment! I just want to add the work of Temple Grandin, whose research has done much to address welfare of cattle prior to slaughter.