Applying behavior-analytic methodology to the science and practice of environmental enrichment in zoos and aquariums.

Faces are highly emotive stimuli and we find smiling or familiar faces both attractive and comforting, even as young babies. Do other species with sophisticated face recognition skills, such as sheep, also respond to the emotional significance of familiar faces? We report that when sheep experience social isolation, the sight of familiar sheep face pictures compared with those of goats or inverted triangles significantly reduces behavioural (activity and protest vocalizations), autonomic (heart rate) and endocrine (cortisol and adrenaline) indices of stress. They also increase mRNA expression of activity-dependent genes (c-fos and zif/268) in brain regions specialized for processing faces (temporal and medial frontal cortices and basolateral amygdala) and for emotional control (orbitofrontal and cingulate cortex), and reduce their expression in regions associated with stress responses (hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus) and fear (central and lateral amygdala). Effects on face recognition, emotional control and fear centres are restricted to the right brain hemisphere. Results provide evidence that face pictures may be useful for relieving stress caused by unavoidable social isolation in sheep, and possibly other animal species, including humans. The finding that sheep, like humans, appear to have a right brain hemisphere involvement in the control of negative emotional experiences also suggests that functional lateralization of brain emotion systems may be a general feature in mammals.

Research into the conditions that promote good animal welfare is essential to equip zoos and aquariums with the knowledge to create environments in which animals thrive. In order to collate the empirical information that is available regarding animal welfare in zoos and aquariums with regard to topics, methods and species, a systematic literature review was conducted of the primary peer-reviewed journals publishing zoo-based and welfare-based research. Journals included Animal Welfare, Animals, Applied Animal Behaviour Science, International Zoo Yearbook, Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, Journal of Zoo and Aquarium Research, and Zoo Biology. The literature review spanned 2008–2017 and revealed that 7.6% (n=310) of reviewed publications (n=4,096) in these journals were zoo- or aquarium-based and animal-welfare focused. The main topics studied included enrichment, social conditions and enclosure design, while understudied topics included the welfare of ambassador animals, and the welfare impacts of sound and light. Behaviour was by far the dominant welfare parameter used and the use of hormonal measures declined over this period. Taxonomic representation in these publications was notably skewed. Mammals were the focus of 75% of studies, and 82% of studies were vertebrate-focused (great apes being the dominant taxa). This study considers potential reasons for these patterns and highlights research areas for future emphasis that could serve to fill gaps in current knowledge regarding zoo and aquarium animal welfare, including more research into affective states that underlie an animal’s welfare status.

“Use it or lose it.” It is common wisdom that a healthy body and mind require physical and mental exercise. Numerous studies suggest that “exercising” an animal's nervous system by housing it in an environment “enriched” with additional sensory and motor cues has beneficial effects on a

EFSA Supporting PublicationsVolume 12, Issue 11 902E External scientific reportOpen Access The use of animal-based measures to assess animal welfare in the EU – state of art of the last 10 years of activities and analysis of the gaps. Preparatory work Flaviana Gottardo, Flaviana Gottardo Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health – University of PadovaSearch for more papers by this authorBarbara Contiero, Barbara Contiero Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health – University of PadovaSearch for more papers by this authorMarta Brscic, Marta Brscic Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health – University of PadovaSearch for more papers by this author Flaviana Gottardo, Flaviana Gottardo Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health – University of PadovaSearch for more papers by this authorBarbara Contiero, Barbara Contiero Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health – University of PadovaSearch for more papers by this authorMarta Brscic, Marta Brscic Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health – University of PadovaSearch for more papers by this author First published: 13 November 2015 https://doi.org/10.2903/sp.efsa.2015.EN-902Citations: 2 The present document has been produced and adopted by the bodies identified above as authors. This task has been carried out exclusively by the authors in the context of a contract between the European Food Safety Authority and the authors, awarded following a tender procedure. The present document is published complying with the transparency principle to which the Authority is subject. It may not be considered as an output adopted by the Authority. The European Food Safety Authority reserves its rights, view and position as regards the issues addressed and the conclusions reached in the present document, without prejudice to the rights of the authors. Published date: 13 November 2015 AboutPDF ToolsExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL References Anderson US, Kelling AS and Maple TL, 2008. Twenty-five years of zoo biology: a publication analysis. Zoo Biology, 27, 444– 457. doi: 10.1002/zoo.20177. EFSA Panel on Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW), 2012. Statement on the use of animal-based measures to assess the welfare of animals. EFSA Journal 2012; 10(6):2767, 29 pp. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2012.2767. Goulart VD, Azevedo PG, Van de Schepop J A, Teixera CP, Barcante L, Schetini de Azevedo C and Young RJ, 2009. GAPs in the study of zoo and wild animal welfare. Zoo Biology, 28, 561– 573. doi: 10.1002/zoo.20285. Keeling L and Veissier I, 2005. Developing a monitoring system to assess welfare quality in cattle, pigs and chickens. Proceedings Conference on Welfare Quality. Science and Society Improving Animal Welfare, Brussels, Belgium, 46– 50. Main DJC, Kent JP, Wemelsfelder F, Ofner E and Tuyttens FAM, 2003. Applications for methods of on-farm welfare assessment. Animal Welfare, 12, 523– 528. Main D, Whay H, Leeb C and Webster A, 2007. Formal animal-based welfare assessment in UK certification schemes. Animal Welfare, 16, 233– 236. Schetini de Azevedo C, Fernandes Cipreste C and Young R. J, 2007. Environmental enrichment: a GAP analysis. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 102, 329– 343. doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2006.05.034. Webster AJF, Main DCJ and Whay HR, 2004. Welfare assessment: indices from clinical observation. Animal Welfare, 13, S93– S98. Welfare Quality®, 2009. Welfare Quality® assessment protocol for cattle, pigs and poultry. Welfare Quality® Consortium, Lelystad, The Netherlands. Whay HR, Main DCJ, Green LE and Webster AJF, 2003. Animal-based measures for the assessment of welfare state of dairy cattle, pigs and laying hens: consensus of expert opinions. Animal Welfare, 12, 205– 217. Winckler C, Capdeville J, Gebresenbet G, Hörning B, Roiha U, Tosi M and Waiblinger S, 2003. Selection of parameters for on-farm welfare-assessment protocols in cattle and buffalo. Animal Welfare, 12, 619– 624. Citing Literature Volume12, Issue11November 2015902E ReferencesRelatedInformation

La Superstition raisonnable est titre qui apparait contradictoire, mais il donne en deux mots l'ensemble de la pensee des Lumieres sur la culture et la civilisation pharaoniques. Les philosophes et les ecrivains du XVIIIe siecle considerent que l'Egypte ancienne est le berceau des arts et des sciences, mais aussi elle est l'origine des cultes irrationnels. Cependant, la production litteraire et philosophique des Lumieres ne se contente pas a etudier cette question d'origine des cultes en evoquant le pharaonisme, mais elle s'y inspire aussi dans certains romans tels Le Taureau blanc, Semeramis. Et Durant tout le XVIIIe siecle, le sujet Egyptien est present, chez les franc-macons, les antiquaires, les historiens d'arts, les erudits les historiens, comme chez certains poetes et romanciers. C'est pourquoi, une des difficultes qui surgit est de trouver un fil conducteur pour etudier la representation de l’Egypte antique dans la pensee du XVIIIe siecle en raison de la diversite de la representation de l’Egypte, non pas seulement au cours du siecle, mais aussi a l’interieur d’un meme ouvrage. C’est en raison de ces diverses approches du pharaonisme par les ecrivains des Lumieres que cette these emprunte des chemins interdisciplinaires, qui se refletent dans la diversite de la bibliographie. Ainsi Cette etude essaie de donner quelques eclaircissements sur des textes qui n’ont pas fait l’objet de reflexion suffisante de la part des dix-huitiemistes alors qu’ils le meritent, car ces textes sont representatifs de l’inquietude philosophique.

Mating Behavior and the Social Hierarchy in Small Flocks of White Leghorns

In many sexually dimorphic mammal species, the sexes live outside the mating season in separate social groups ('social segregation'). Social segregation occurs in a wide range of environmental conditions, but its cause in unknown. I suggest that social segregation is caused by a lower level of activity synchrony between individuals in mixed-sex groups than in single-sex groups, owing to sex differences in activity rhythm. As a consequence, mixed-sex groups are more likely to break up than single-sex groups, resulting in a predominance of single-sex groups at equilibrium. To test this hypothesis in red deer (Cervus elaphus L.), I developed an index of activity synchronization and showed that deer in mixed-sex groups were significantly less synchronized in their activity than deer in single-sex groups. Thus, low intersexual synchrony in activity can lead to social segregation. However, a lower level of intrasexual (female-female and male-male) activity synchrony within mixed-sex than within single-sex groups implies that additional factors (other than sex differences in foraging rhythm) contribute to the higher degree of instability of mixed-sex groups.

Little is known about to what extent the sensitivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis may be state dependent and vary in the same species between environments. Here we tested whether the faecal corticosteroid concentrations of matrilineal adult female spotted hyenas are influenced by social and reproductive status in adjacent ecosystems and whether they vary between periods with and without social stress. Females in the Serengeti National Park frequently become socially subordinate intruders in other hyena territories by undertaking long-distance foraging trips to migratory herds, whereas in the Ngorongoro Crater they usually forage inside their own small territories on resident prey. The faecal corticosteroid concentrations in Serengeti females were significantly higher than in Ngorongoro females. Energy expenditure by lactation is exceptionally high in spotted hyenas and this may be reflected in their corticosteroid levels. The faecal corticosteroid levels in both populations were higher in lactating than in non-lactating females. During periods of social stability, faecal corticosteroid concentrations increased in non-lactating females but not in lactating females as social status declined. Lactating Serengeti females had significantly higher faecal corticosteroid concentrations during periods with acute severe social stress than during periods without, indicating that the HPA axis is sensitive to social stimuli even in lactating females. So far few studies have used non-invasive monitoring methods for assessing social stress in freeranging animals. This study demonstrates for the first time, to the authors' knowledge, that corticosteroid concentrations may differ between periods with and without social stress for a free-ranging female mammal and that the modulating effect of social status may depend on reproductive status.

Social Factors Influencing the Hierarchies of Small Flocks of the Domestic Hen: Interactions between Resident and Part-Time Members of Organized Flocks

This report provides a summary of four systematic reviews on the impact of perch height on laying hen keel bone fractures, deformation and injuries, bone strength, foot lesions and perching behavior. After conducting a scoping review and identifying outcomes of interest, the review protocols were developed. An extensive literature search was conducted in information sources such as CABI, PUBMED and relevant conference proceedings. 1518 abstracts were assessed for relevance and 9 studies reported perch use and 1 reported keel injuries. No studies reported summary effect sizes; therefore it was not possible to conduct a meta-analysis. In lieu of a formal meta-analysis, a descriptive analysis was conducted, which plotted reported perch height against metrics of perch use. This descriptive analysis was not able to account for lack of independence, differences in sample size and other importance sources of heterogeneity such as cage height. The descriptive analysis suggested a positive association with metrics that measured perch use and height, i.e., increased usage was associated with increased height. © European Food Safety Authority, 2015

The ability of fish to recognize and preferentially associate with familiar conspecifics has been well documented in a series of laboratory experiments. In this paper we investigate the schooling preferences of wild female guppies, Poecilia reticulata, in the Upper Tunapuna River in Trinidad and confirm that they do indeed prefer to associate with familiar individuals. The guppies in this river occur in a series of pools that become isolated during the dry season. These fish interact solely with other individuals in their pool for periods of several months at a time and thus have ample opportunity to become accustomed to one another. Our study also reveals that the tendency of female guppies to school with familiar fish declines as the group size in which they naturally live increases. Preferences are strong when there are small numbers of females in a pool, but diminish thereafter. This indicates that the expression of familiarity is constrained by group size. The basis of recognition and the consequences of schooling preferences for familiar individuals are discussed.

The current research conducted a systematic review on sample size and the use of inferential statistics in basic and applied behavioral research by assessing all experimental studies from 2009 to 2018 in the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior (JEAB) and the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis (JABA) which was 1,155 articles. The use or non-use of inferential statistics in behavioral research remains controversial as visual inspection has deep historical roots. JEAB had a median number of eight subjects and JABA had a median number of four subjects, which was statistically different using Mood’s median test. In addition, articles in JEAB were more likely to use inferential statistics compared to JABA. In general, inferential statistics were used in the presence of larger sample sizes, however, the use of animal subjects was associated with smaller sample sizes. Although patterns of the use of inferential statistics varied across journal, sample size, and species, this does not preclude the use of statistical methods by applied behavioral researchers, which should be used to support and confirm visual inspections of data. Keywords: sample size, inferential statistics, behavioral research, systematic review.

The impact of applied ethologists and the International Society for Applied Ethology in improving animal welfare

Article Details: Received: 2020-10-20 | Accepted: 2020-11-27 | Available online: 2021-01-31 https://doi.org/10.15414/afz.2021.24.mi-prap.62-66 Abstract Attractivity of two different enrichment objects was investigated in paper. Eight piglets were housed in pen with slatted floor. Pen environment was enriched with two hanging objects – PET bottle and horseshoe. Interactions with enrichment objects were evaluated during two consecutive days. PET bottle was more attractive, total number of interactions was 600 on day 1 and 451 on day 2. Horseshoe has very low attractiveness, number of interactions on day 1 was only 64 and 74 on day 2. Exploration of more attractive object was decreasing between days. Exploration of less attractive object was increasing. We recommend use of different enrichment objects for prolonged duration of exploration and occupation by manipulation, but both objects should be attractive for piglets. Keywords: environment, enrichment, piglets, keyword, keyword References Averós, X., et al. (2010). A meta-analysis of the combined effect of housing and environmental enrichment characteristics on the behaviour and performance of pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science , 127(3-4), 73–85. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2010.09.010 Bolt, S. L. and George, A. J. (2019). The use of environmental enrichment on farms benefits animal welfare and productivity. Livestock, 24(4), 183–188. https://doi.org/10.12968/live.2019.24.4.183 Buijs, S. and Muns, R. (2019). A Review of the Effects of Non-Straw Enrichment on Tail Biting in Pigs. Animals , 9(10), 824. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani9100824 Chen, Ch. et al. (2020). A computer vision approach for recognition of the engagement of pigs with different enrichment objects. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture , 175, 105580. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compag.2020.105580 Council directive 2008/120/EC of 18 December 2008 laying down minimum standards for the protection of pigs. Available online: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2008/120/2019-12-14 (accessed on 15 October 2020). Elkmann, A. and Hoy, S. (2009). Frequency of occupation with different simultaneously offered devices by fattening pigs kept in pens with or without straw. Livestock Science, 124(1-3), 330–334. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2008.12.008 Ernst, K. et al. (2018). Play behavior and environmental enrichment in pigs. Available online: https://www.wur.nl/upload_mm/e/f/b/6af2e2db-430e-4771-8f7d-6f5b974eab5e_final%20report%20ACT%202060%20juli%202018%20op%20website%20.pdf (accessed on 10 October 2020). Godyń, D. et al. (2019). Effects of environmental enrichment on pig welfare-A Review. Animals , 9(6), 383. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani9060383 Jensen, P. (2002). The ethology of domestic animals . New York: CABI Publishing. Wood-Gush, D. G. M. and Beilharz, R. G. (1983). The enrichment of a bare environment for animals in confined conditions. Applied Animal Ethology , 10(3), 209–217. https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-3762(83)90142-6 Young, R. J. (2003). Enrichment for captive animals . Oxford, UK: Blackwell Science Ltd.

In 1966 in Edinburgh, Scotland, a group of far-sighted veterinarians formed the Society for Veterinary Ethology with the aim of improving knowledge about the behaviour of domesticated animals. The findings of a UK government committee, investigating intensive livestock production methods, published in 1965, had made it clear that such information was urgently needed. In this chapter we describe the development of this society and how it changed from a group of 37, mostly Scottish, founder member veterinarians to an international society with about 550 members, the majority of whom are not veterinarians. This evolution in the interests of the membership led the society in 1991 to change its name to the International Society for Applied Ethology (ISAE). The Society has had a special relationship with the journal 'Applied Animal Behaviour Science' (formerly 'Applied Animal Ethology') since 1974 and it is now the official journal of the Society. The Society has had, and continues to have representation on committees and boards relating to animal behaviour and animal welfare throughout the world, and continues to evolve and work to raise both its profile and that of applied ethology globally; a bright future for the Society and applied ethology seems assured.