Public Feeding Interactions as Enrichment for Three Zoo-Housed Elephants.

Eduardo J Fernandez,Nancy C Hawkes,Bruce Upchurch

doi:10.3390/ani11061689

Eduardo J Fernandez, Nancy C Hawkes + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11061689

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Abstract

Simple SummaryHuman–animal interactions are an important focus of modern animal welfare research. A subset of this interest includes animal–visitor interactions that occur in zoos. One understudied aspect of animal–visitor interactions involves public feedings, where visitors can directly feed the zoo animals. We examined the effects of public feedings compared with nonpublic feed days on the general activity of three zoo-housed elephants. In addition, we examined the general activity of the elephants in the months prior to public feedings, as well as their general activity on public feed days before, during, and after a public feeding. Public feedings were effective at increasing social activity and decreasing stereotypies for two of the elephants when compared with nonpublic feed days. Additionally, all three elephants showed increased foraging and decreased inactivity following a public feeding. Our results suggest that public feedings can be an effective form of environmental enrichment for zoo-housed elephants.The past few decades have seen increased interest in studies examining the welfare of elephants and animal–visitor interactions. One understudied area for both pursuits is the impact of public feeding interactions. Our study examined the effects of public feedings on the general activity of three zoo-housed elephants. Prior to public feedings, we developed and assessed a 21-behavior ethogram split into six classes of behavior. Comparisons between the elephants demonstrated that only one of the elephants engaged in stereotypies with regularity (>30%), and that the stereotypies occurred in place of most foraging. During public feedings, we compared the general activity of each elephant independently and across both public feeding and nonpublic feeding days, as well as the general activity before, during, and after a public feeding. Public feedings increased social activity and decreased stereotypies when compared with nonpublic feeding days for two of the elephants. In addition, all three elephants showed increased foraging and decreased inactivity in the period after a public feeding session. These results demonstrate that public feedings can be a useful tool for enriching the welfare of zoo-housed elephants and are among the first sets of data to demonstrate positive welfare outcomes associated with public feedings.

Highlights

Over the past several decades, zoos have considerably increased their efforts to assess and improve the welfare of their animals through research and management practices [1,2,3]
Bamboo spent much of her foraging time eating food delivered by the keepers (Feeding), Watoto spent much of her foraging time eating food delivered in enrichment devices (Enrichment Feeding), and both elephants would otherwise spend much of their time foraging from trees or bushes found in and around their exhibit (Foraging Other)
While caution is warranted in extrapolating these findings beyond this limited context, the results suggest that some aspect of public feeding interactions may function as enrichment for some zoo elephants

Summary

Introduction

Over the past several decades, zoos have considerably increased their efforts to assess and improve the welfare of their animals through research and management practices [1,2,3]. Numerous epidemiological, multi-institutional studies on zoo-housed elephants have examined various welfare-related factors, including the use of environmental enrichment, social grouping and conspecific contact, housing, feeding and foraging activity, elephant–keeper interactions, husbandry training and management, and stereotypic activity [20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27]. These efforts have allowed accredited zoos to create exhibits and practices that are presumed to improve the housing and management of both African and Asian elephants. Only two published studies to date have experimentally examined the effects of public feeding interactions compared with a nonpublic feeding control condition on any zoo-housed species, finding increased keeper interactions and no detrimental welfare effects on crowned lemurs (Eulemur coronatus) and few behavioral differences in domestic chickens (Gallus gallus), respectively [46,47]

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