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Publication
Effects of environmental enrichment on the behaviour of Scarlet Ibis, Eudocimus ruber
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Abstract(s)
O enriquecimento ambiental tem sido muito utilizado em zoos com o intuito de melhorar as condições de bem-estar animal, fornecendo estímulos que respondem às necessidades dos animais, permitindo comportamentos típicos da espécie. Neste estudo é abordado o efeito da implementação de diferentes tipos de enriquecimento num grupo de íbis-escarlate do Zoomarine, Algarve. Para tal, seguiu-se o desenho experimental do tipo ABA, consistindo numa primeira fase de baseline (apenas estudo comportamental), seguida de uma fase de estudo comportamental com enriquecimento (aplicando 4 tipos de enriquecimentos, físico, alimentar, sensorial e táctil, individualmente), e um pós-enriquecimento (estudo comportamental sem enriquecimento). No final procedeu-se a um estudo do comportamento com todos os enriquecimentos em simultâneo (pós-enriquecimento com enriquecimento). A comparação entre contextos revelou que, dos comportamentos analisados, existiu uma semelhança de 50% nos comportamentos exibidos no baseline e no pós-enriquecimento sem enriquecimento, o que sugere que após retirados os enriquecimentos os animais voltam aos seus comportamentos iniciais. Verificou-se ainda que cada tipo de enriquecimento teve um efeito diferente no tipo de comportamentos observados. O enriquecimento físico teve maior influência no preening, exploration e foraging; o nutricional na maintenance e manipulation/play; o sensorial no attentive behaviour e resting; e o enriquecimento táctil no resting, exploration e stationary. O comportamento exploratório surgiu associado à presença de enriquecimento físico, nutricional e táctil, sendo despertado apenas quando aplicado um estímulo novo. No entanto, devido à curta duração do estudo, torna-se também importante verificar se as conclusões obtidas não resultam apenas de um “efeito novidade”.
Environmental enrichment has been increasingly used in zoos to improve animal welfare conditions, providing stimuli that respond to the needs of animals, allowing typical behaviours of a species. This study addresses the effect of implementing different types of enrichment in a group of scarlet ibises from Zoomarine, Algarve. For this purpose, the study followed an ABA-type behavioural experimental design, consisting of a first baseline phase (just behavioural study), followed by a phase with enrichment (applying 4 types of enrichment, physical, nutritional, sensory and tactile, individually), and a phase post-enrichment (without enrichment). In the end, a behavioural study with all enrichments simultaneously was also performed (post enrichment with enrichment). The comparison between contexts revealed that of the behaviours analysed, there was a 50% similarity in the behaviours exhibited in the baseline and in post-enrichment without enrichment, suggesting that after the enrichments removal, the animals returned to their initial behaviours. It was also found that each type of enrichment seemed to have a different effect on the type of behaviour observed. Physical enrichment had the greatest influence on preening, exploration and foraging; nutritional enrichment in maintenance and manipulation/play; sensory enrichment in attentive behaviour and resting; and tactile enrichment in resting, exploration and stationary. Exploratory behaviour was only associated with the presence of enrichment (physical, nutritional and tactile), being triggered when a new stimulus is applied. However, due to the short duration of the study, it is also important to verify whether the conclusions obtained are not just the result of a “novelty effect”.
Environmental enrichment has been increasingly used in zoos to improve animal welfare conditions, providing stimuli that respond to the needs of animals, allowing typical behaviours of a species. This study addresses the effect of implementing different types of enrichment in a group of scarlet ibises from Zoomarine, Algarve. For this purpose, the study followed an ABA-type behavioural experimental design, consisting of a first baseline phase (just behavioural study), followed by a phase with enrichment (applying 4 types of enrichment, physical, nutritional, sensory and tactile, individually), and a phase post-enrichment (without enrichment). In the end, a behavioural study with all enrichments simultaneously was also performed (post enrichment with enrichment). The comparison between contexts revealed that of the behaviours analysed, there was a 50% similarity in the behaviours exhibited in the baseline and in post-enrichment without enrichment, suggesting that after the enrichments removal, the animals returned to their initial behaviours. It was also found that each type of enrichment seemed to have a different effect on the type of behaviour observed. Physical enrichment had the greatest influence on preening, exploration and foraging; nutritional enrichment in maintenance and manipulation/play; sensory enrichment in attentive behaviour and resting; and tactile enrichment in resting, exploration and stationary. Exploratory behaviour was only associated with the presence of enrichment (physical, nutritional and tactile), being triggered when a new stimulus is applied. However, due to the short duration of the study, it is also important to verify whether the conclusions obtained are not just the result of a “novelty effect”.
Description
Dissertação de Mestrado apresentada no ISPA – Instituto Universitário para obtenção de grau de Mestre na especialidade de Biologia Marinha e Conservação.
Keywords
Enriquecimento ambiental Comportamento Íbis escarlate Cativeiro Environmental enrichment Behaviour Scarlet ibis Captivity