Fortunately, that image of the animal sadly caged in tiny enclosures is, little by little, dissipating, at least in the most developed countries. Either because they are being banned or because the captivity form is different.
Currently, many zoos carry out species conservation work, by themselves or in collaboration with other entities, such as zoos of recovery or breeding centers for animals in danger of extinction.
Many of the specimens that today reach zoos, come from trafficking and the illegal possession of exotic animals. Given the impossibility of returning to their natural habitat, they are kept in specialized centers or zoos.
Zoos, in addition to having to keep the different animals properly fed, provide them with adequate veterinary care, clean the enclosures and keep them free from fear or anguish, must also be allowed to carry out theirnatural behavior This requires environmental enrichment. In this article on our site, we will talk about environmental enrichment and its application in zoos
What is environmental enrichment?
environmental enrichment is a technique used to stimulate and improve the behavior of animals kept in captivity, allowing them to develop theirnatural ethology and behaviors they would perform in nature.
Therefore, enrichment must be a dynamic process, which is periodically modified, favoring that all the natural behaviors of a animal manifest. The ultimate goal of environmental enrichment is to promote the welfare of captive animals.
Types of environmental enrichment
There are several types of enrichment, depending on the species, the type of enclosure and the resources available, one, some or all may be used.
Enrichment Through Food
The variety of food fed to captive animals is often more limited than what you would find in their natural habitats. For example, geese of wild species in captivity are fed with one or two types of seeds, when in the wild the diversity would be much greater, first of all because they migrate and, in each region, they would find many different types. So, if we tried to provide a more varied diet depending on the time of year, we would enrich the lives of these animals.
For carnivorous animals, the ideal would be to give a wide range of meat types, including non-muscular tissues, from different prey.
This type of enrichment particularly favors animals with an omnivorous diet, such as raccoons. Giving a general diet benefits them and prevents the onset of certain diseases.
On the other hand, hiding the food, placing it every day in different areas of the shelter, promotes foraging and keeps the animal entertained, getting food while exercising.
Environmental enrichment
Sometimes, the enclosures where the animals are are characterized by having smooth floors and walls, without internal structures. We can increase environmental complexity by adding different types of substrates to the ground, building levels at different heights and adding biological features, ie naturalize the environment by placing trees, bushes, logs, places to hide, areas of water, etc. All this depending on the species in captivity.
Allowing them access to alternative enclosures inside or outside favors their exploratory capacity, being able to walk or hide and choose social partners.
Enrichment of the "outside world"
Within the sensory range of animals, we have to take into account what they perceive beyond their enclosure. For wild animals in recovery, it is best to isolate them visually from us, as we could increase their stress and the recovery time would be much longer, also, the ideal is that they do not get used to our presence
Animals that live in zoos are accustomed to dealing with humans, and it must be so to reduce handling stress and the odds of a sudden attack.
There are studies that support the theory that certain animals prefer to be able to observe the outside from a certain height, so this type of enrichment must be linked to that of the interior environment in some cases.
Other studies show that monkeys housed in enclosures with views to the outside develop fewer negative behaviors Although, sometimes, the human presence in zoos disturbs them. Therefore, they must always have an escape route and not be constantly subjected to the presence of the public. They should be the ones to decide if they want to be exhibited or not.
Toys
The use of toys has been shown to be a good environmental enrichment, being a source of entertainmentA "toy" can be just about anything, including rubber hoses, chains, strips of cloth, car tires, metal bars, dangling plastic objects, flavored chewsand food inside ice blocks. However, not all toys have the same functional value for all animals. Likewise, playing the same toy every day can be monotonous and have no effect.
When thinking about the best toy to use, we must take into account the objectives. The destructible toys with nutritional value are more enriching. Using a substrate to encourage foraging is better than non-destructible, non-edible toys. Lightweight objects that can be easily moved are more likely to encourage play.
It should be noted that "toys" is an anthropomorphic term, they are not a "panacea" and not everyone has positive responses.
Environmental enrichment to avoid or correct stereotypes
Stereotypes are unnatural repetitive behaviors carried out by animals kept in captivity. But what exactly causes stereotypical behaviors?
According to a study, the causes are:
- Internal states induced by the environment or by stimuli external to the animal, which trigger or motivate a specific response.
- The environment creates a state of continued stress that affects specific regions of the brain that trigger and sequence behavior, resulting in abnormal perseverance.
- An early weaning of offspring affects the development of the central nervous system, also causing abnormal sequencing of behavior.
In all cases, it has been shown that environmental enrichment reduces the appearance of stereotypes and increases cognitive, spatial and of individuals.
Environmental enrichment according to species
When choosing the best type of environmental enrichment, the species to which it is directed must be taken into account. Not all animals have the same needs.
Placing a lagoon in a parrot enclosure has no greater function than to provide a pleasant view. For parrots, enrichment is more important through a varied diet, the placement of perches strategically so that they can both fly and climb, and the use of certain toys.
Installing small pools in the modules of certain felines, such as tigers, is a good enrichment of the environment.
Finally, you must take into account the keepers, who must feed and care for these animals. An enclosure full of logs and hiding places does not make the work of these people any easier.
Environmental enrichment for captive breeding of protected species
Environmental enrichment for captive animals of species that are within a "captive breeding" program is different from that of animals in zoos.
In the first place, the enclosure of these animals must be totally naturalized and be as similar as possible to their natural habitat. It must have the objects that this species would find in its place of origin, whether they are water areas, wooded areas, thickets, etc.
The contact with the human being must be minimal, they must not get used to our presence or lose our fear. Unlike activities in zoos, in these breeding centers visitors are not allowed or, if they are allowed, they are under full surveillance and sporadically.
The diet should be equally varied. Herbivores must learn to differentiate which vegetables are food and which are not. This is usually taught by parents. Hunting carnivores, by their nature, must learn to hunt. Freeing an animal that does not know how to find its food is not ethical, we would be sentencing it to death.
