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Abstract
Environmental enrichment is a technique applied to enhance welfare of captive animals by introducing items that create a complex and stimulate enclosure. In poor environments, animals can exhibit abnormal and stereotypic behaviors due to boredom and stress. Animals behaving normally and with high levels of welfare are suitable and preferred to participate in conservation efforts such as reintroductions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of environmental enrichment items on the behavior of the endangered Lear's Macaws held at the Belo Horizonte Zoo, Brazil. Ninety hours of behavioral data were collected, divided into three equal-length treatments: baseline, enrichment and post-enrichment. Data were collected using focal sampling with instantaneous recordings every minute. Environmental enrichment decreased the expression of abnormal behaviors and increased macaw activities. Thus, environmental enrichment proved to be effective in the maintenance of normal behaviors and should be continually used to increase the welfare of Lear's Macaws.
Highlights
Animal welfare can be defined as the maintenance of good physical and mental health of animals by attending their needs (Young 2003)
Animal welfare can be compromised in captivity due mainly to stress caused by the limited space, high number of individuals at the same cage or loneliness, and lack of stimulation (Newberry 1993, Morgan & Tromborg 2007, Borges et al 2011)
Animals can exhibit abnormal and stereotypic behaviors (Mason & Rushen 2006, Mason 2010); the most common abnormal behaviors recorded for birds are feather plucking, pacing, self-mutilation, and bar or/and wall pecking (Engebretson 2006, Speer 2014)
Summary
Animal welfare can be defined as the maintenance of good physical and mental health of animals by attending their needs (Young 2003). Animal welfare can be compromised in captivity due mainly to stress caused by the limited space, high number of individuals at the same cage or loneliness, and lack of stimulation (Newberry 1993, Morgan & Tromborg 2007, Borges et al 2011). In such situations, animals can exhibit abnormal and stereotypic behaviors (Mason & Rushen 2006, Mason 2010); the most common abnormal behaviors recorded for birds are feather plucking, pacing, self-mutilation, and bar or/and wall pecking (Engebretson 2006, Speer 2014). It is important to provide environmental enrichment for captive animals, as the reduction of stress levels is normally followed by an increase in reproduction success, which helps in species conservation efforts (Pizzutto et al 2009)
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