Abstract
The field of environmental enrichment for zoo animals, particularly great apes, has been revived by technological advancements such as touchscreen interfaces and motion sensors. However, direct animal-computer interaction (ACI) is impractical or undesirable for many zoos. We developed a modular cuboid puzzle maze for the troop of six Western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) at Bristol Zoo Gardens, United Kingdom. The gorillas could use their fingers or tools to interact with interconnected modules and remove food rewards. Twelve modules could be interchanged within the frame to create novel iterations with every trial. We took a screen-free approach to enrichment: substituting ACI for tactile, physically complex device components, in addition to hidden automatic sensors, and cameras to log device use. The current study evaluated the gorillas’ behavioral responses to the device, and evaluated it as a form of “cognitive enrichment.” Five out of six gorillas used the device, during monthly trials of 1 h duration, over a 6 month period. All users were female including two infants, and there were significant individual differences in duration of device use. The successful extraction of food rewards was only performed by the three tool-using gorillas. Device use did not diminish over time, and gorillas took turns to use the device alone or as one mother-infant dyad. Our results suggest that the device was a form of cognitive enrichment for the study troop because it allowed gorillas to solve novel challenges, and device use was not associated with behavioral indicators of stress or frustration. However, device exposure had no significant effects on gorilla activity budgets. The device has the potential to be a sustainable enrichment method in the long-term, tailored to individual gorilla skill levels and motivations. Our study represents a technological advancement for gorilla enrichment, an area which had been particularly overlooked until now. We wholly encourage the continued development of this physical maze system for other great apes under human care, with or without computer logging technology.
Highlights
Environmental enrichment refers to additions or alterations made to the environments of captive animals which enhance their physical and/or psychological well-being (Newberry, 1995; Shepherdson, 2003)
No self-directed behaviors or other abnormal behaviors were observed in individuals as they used the device
Given the high individual differences observed in the current study, and in previous great ape enrichment (Gilloux et al, 1992; Perdue et al, 2012; Clark and Smith, 2013), our findings should be treated conservatively and not generalized to the wider population of zoo-housed gorillas
Summary
Environmental enrichment refers to additions or alterations made to the environments of captive animals which enhance their physical and/or psychological well-being (Newberry, 1995; Shepherdson, 2003). Two notable advancements in enrichment have been (1) an increased focus on cognitive enrichment, and (2) increased incorporation of technology into enrichment, for great apes These two advancements overlap; computer-based tasks are increasingly provided to zoo-housed great apes as a form of cognitive enrichment. Cognitive enrichment is a subset of enrichment which “(1) engages evolved cognitive skills by providing opportunities to solve problems and control some aspect of the environment, and (2) is correlated to one or more validated measures of wellbeing” (Clark, 2011 p.6) It should involve some form of reward for the animal, which could either be internal (such as a mental state of satisfaction), or external (such as food or another valued resource; Clark, 2017). Evidence suggests that animals often prefer to be challenged to acquire food, as long as the challenge can be overcome (Meehan and Mench, 2007; Špinka and Wemelsfelder, 2011)
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