Abnormal Behaviours in Two Captive Brown Bear (Ursus arctos Linnaeus, 1758) Females: Individual Differences and Seasonal Variations

Abstract

Abnormal behaviours are common in captive environments that not supply the physical and psychological needs of animals. There are animals, like brown bears, more susceptible to develop abnormal behaviours due to their seasonal biology related to food, hibernation or reproduction. The two brown bear Ursus arctos females from Barcelona Zoo, Spain, showed two different patterns of abnormal behaviours. The old ♀ displayed episodes of biting a tree trunk while the young ♀ carried out head-tossing events. The studied period was from March to December 2004 divided into seasonal periods: autumn, spring and summer. A total of 63 hours of observations were recorded using a multi-focal continuous method. The time invested on abnormal behaviour was higher in spring followed by summer and autumn in both females. The other variables related to the abnormal behaviour studied were duration, intensity, occurrence and space use which also showed statistically significant differences among seasonal periods. The old ♀ space use during abnormal behaviour was in the same zone meanwhile the young ♀ showed statistically significant differences among seasonal variations and zones of the enclosure. These results should be taken into account to improve the management of bears in zoological institutions.