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Environmental enrichment is a tool to stimulate species-specific behaviour. Animals have a wide diversity in behaviours which can and need to be stimulated. In the same way, there is an extensive diversity of enrichment devices that can be used to stimulate these different behaviours. When searching on the internet there are hundreds of examples of various…
In most animals, food is a powerful motivator of behaviour, so it will be no surprise that the manner and timing of feeding affect behaviour in captive animals. Appetitive behaviours are also strongly influenced by how food is presented. Food timing and presentation influence appetitive and consummatory behaviours, but also (food) aggression, abnormal behaviours and…
Environmental enrichment, also known as behavioural enrichment or behavioural husbandry, is provided for a different number of reasons in zoos and aquariums, mainly to support good animal welfare. Environmental enrichment is a qualified practice to enhance the physical and mental health of animals in captivity. Providing stimulating environments it has become a key component in…
Many enrichment has been developed and implemented on a ‘trial and error’ basis, whereby stimuli is added without knowing its effectiveness. Without the resultant behaviour being observed, it is not visible whether changes to the animals’ environment have a positive or negative effect, or, any effect at all. It is of great significance to evaluate…
The environmental enrichment concept is known for some decades now. It has been around at least since the early part of the 20th century when Robert Yerkes (1925) wrote: “The greatest possibility for improvement in our provision for captive primates lies with the invention and installation of apparatus which can be used for play or work.” …
For a lot of species, we try to mimic or recreate the natural biotope of where the species live in the wild. This is also the same within the watery worlds of fish, amphibians and aquatic reptiles. But sometimes it is difficult to get the right esthetics to mimic this natural biotope. In this snippet,…
It is known and also shown in multiple articles that a large and important part of our communication is non-verbal and vocal. Training our animals is all about communication and understanding. When we train our animals, we have to communicate in a way that we and animals understand. It is about conveying what we desire…
There are several models and frameworks for writing a training plan. Where some are very extensive and complex, it can also be preferable to have a simple model. Mostly you have to deviate from your original plan, continuously adjusting your plan according to how your training develops. In this snippet are some tips & tricks…
Animal training is often seen as luxury and a common concern is that there is not enough time to include animal training in the daily routine of zookeepers. Especially for zoo institutions or other animal facilities that just get started it is difficult to find the time, and together with all the other challenges within…
To set up and maintain a well-thought animal behavioural enrichment program, you need a decent layout for such a program. The S.P.I.D.E.R. framework is a helpful tool to fulfil this. So let’s take a look at how the framework works and how to implement it in your zoo. The S.P.I.D.E.R. model allows institutions to set up,…
