Abstract
Simple SummaryAs animal ambassador programs increase across zoos, it is important to assess the impact they may have on animal welfare. We investigated possible behavioral impacts of a penguin encounter program at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, Illinois, on a colony of 15 African penguins. We also investigated whether individual characteristics, including temperament, related to penguins’ voluntary participation in the program. We collected 16 weeks of behavioral data, during which 43 Penguin Encounters occurred, which allowed zoo guests to enter part of the penguins’ enclosure. We found no significant differences in colony affiliative or aggressive behavior between days with or without encounter programs, suggesting that offering encounters did not disrupt social behavior in the colony. We also measured penguin temperament on a shy-bold continuum by recording birds’ responses to novel objects and found that temperament, as well as age and sex were predictive of their voluntary participation. We concluded that this program had a neutral or positive impact on penguin welfare, possibly due to aspects of the ambassador program that provided penguins with control over their involvement.Animal ambassador programs are increasingly prevalent in zoos, yet few studies have investigated their impact on animal welfare. We assessed the effects of an ambassador program on the behavior of a colony (N = 15) of zoo-housed African penguins (Spheniscus demersus) and evaluated whether individual characteristics were predictive of participation. Behavioral data were collected for 16 weeks and included 43 “penguin encounters”, during which zoo visitors entered a designated portion of the penguins’ enclosure. When comparing colony behavior following encounters to behavior during a matched control period lacking an encounter, we found no significant difference between affiliative or aggressive behaviors, suggesting that the encounters did not disrupt interactions in the colony. The same was true when comparing behavior preceding the encounter to a matched control period, indicating that any anticipatory period was similarly non-disruptive. Space use during encounters suggested comfort near visitors. We also measured penguin temperament on the shy-bold continuum by recording the birds’ response to novel objects and found that penguins’ temperament, sex, and age were predictive of participation. We concluded that this program had a neutral or positive impact on penguin welfare and considered the findings in relation to aspects of the ambassador program that provided penguins with control over their involvement.
Highlights
A primary objective for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) is to encourage public action to protect wildlife through engagement with conservation issues, as stated in the AZA StrategicPlan
We analyzed affiliative behavior and aggressive behaviors to understand if the ambassador program impacted colony interactions
We found no evidence that offering the program impacted behavioral interactions in the colony, with no significant difference between rates of affiliative or aggressive behaviors in relation to whether an encounter program took place on a given day
Summary
A primary objective for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) is to encourage public action to protect wildlife through engagement with conservation issues, as stated in the AZA StrategicPlan. AZA describes animal ambassadors as animals that have been trained by zoo or aquarium staff for public interaction, to support the educational and conservation goals of AZA institutions. The emotional response generated by ambassador programs may be key to their potential success as a conservation tool, as the emotional connections visitors form can promote learning and knowledge retention and further enable visitors to extend empathy to animals [3,4] This emotional connection may result in visitors being more open and able to relate to conservation issues facing the animals’ wild counterparts [1,3]. This connection between experience and emotion, which may be fostered through various means, may elevate both the level of educational benefit and the public perception of zoos [5,6,7]
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