Enrichment and Feeding

Question	Answer
Environmental Enrichment	Not a new concept Term coined in 1978 by Hutchings et al.
Wild Behaviour	In zoos we want the animals to display wild or 'natural' or 'normal' behaviours Animals should be active, fit and healthy Enrichment can provide both mental and physical exercise
Stereotyping	Repetitive behaviours that have no function/goal Very noticeable in zoo animals Visitors often pick up these behaviours quickly
Examples of stereotypic behaviours	Pacing, wind sucking Self-mutilation (feather plucking, over grooming, chewing) Regurgitation and ingestion Bar biting, licking walls Swaying, throwing head back
Activity in the wild	Zoos are very keen to ensure animals are active Very little research conducted on direct comparison of wild and captive animals activity levels Maybe active is for visiting public
Food based enrichment Wild animals spend lot of time and energy foraging for food Captive animals are provided with little opportunity to forage/hunt	Successful in motivating animals Proven to reduce abnormal behaviours and aggression Simple or complex Scatter feeding, hiding feed, puzzle feeders, ice blocks, work for it
Physical Enrichment	Good enclosure design - climbing frames, water features, trees Mostly permanent but can be modified Hides/covers should be provided for opportunity to hide from view Changing substrates - depths
Sensory Enrichment Take care as may scare the animal, cannot guarantee good response	Sight, smell, sound, touch Playing sounds into enclosure - birdsong, radio, TV Using different scents - spices, herbs, catnip/nutmeg for cats Touch - humidity, thermal gradients
Social Enrichment	Presence of same or other species Mixed exhibits becoming popular Cage mates of same species (could be problematic)
Cognitive Enrichment	Provision of a mental challenge Puzzle feeders Tool use
Benefits of enrichment	Full impact not been fully researched Preliminary reports suggest beneficial Enhances memory and learning Reduces fearfulness Provides physical exercise Improve reproduction
Legislation	ZLA does not refer to feeding/nutrition in detail SSSMZP Section 2 relates to standards expected for provision of food and water
Provision of Food and Water also controlled by Animal Welfare Act 2006 (5 Freedoms)	Live Feeding Invertebrates can be live fed Vertebrates and cephalods cannot be fed live unless in exceptional circumstances
Food Presentation	Huge differences in way animals eat Alter method of providing food for species/individual Mixed species exhibits will need different food/method Ensure animal has correct diet
Methods of Feeding Complete feed-style feeding: Provision of processed diet that meet nutritional requirements of animal Does not offer any choice	Cafeteria-style feeding: Variety of foodstuffs offered Mixture of fresh fruit and veg Animal allowed to choose what they select and consume
Frequency of feeding	Some animals graze, so food should be available at all times Others fed once/twice day Now thought animals should be fed with high frequency and reduced amount - takes up staff time
Selective feeding	Individual animals and dominant animals may select best parts Reduced nutrition Food may be pelleted, mashed, fed on different days
Scatter feeding	Changes nutritional value of food due to direct contact with soil Often soil consumed - increased iron content or risk of Haemochromatosis (Iron Storage Disease) e.g. Toucans, Hornbills
Carcass feeding	Supplying meat to carnivores e.g. hawks, large cats Require whole prey not pieces Good for dental health Many carnivores will become Ca deficient if not fed bones
Feeding	Feeding zoo animals should: meet the animals nutritional requirements - carefully designed Should provide enrichment

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Enrichment and Feeding

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	Created by serenacutbill over 11 years ago