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urbpanI'm posting something I wrote for work, here. It's pretty painfully dry, but if you are interested in animal husbandry/zookeeping/animal behavior, etc., let me know what you think.
Enrichment Notebook
I. What is "enrichment"? (definition)
"Environmental enrichment is an animal husbandry principle that seeks to enhance the quality of captive animal care by identifying and providing the environmental stimuli necessary for optimal psychological and physiological well-being. In practice, this covers a multitude of innovative, imaginative, and ingenious techniques, devices, and practices aimed at keeping captive animals occupied, increasing the range and diversity of behavioral opportunities, and providing more stimulating and responsive environments." (Shepherdson, p.1)
“Enrichment” is the implementation of devices and practices that provide captive animals with behavioral opportunities and mental stimulation. (My short version.)
II. What is the purpose of enrichment? (as pertains to Drumlin Farm)
Enrichment increases the well-being of captive animals by reducing stress, inducing exercise, and providing stimulation. The expectation is that properly enriched animals will be healthier, require less veterinary expenses, and live longer.
Enrichment for the exhibit animals results in more natural animal behavior and less “stereotype” behavior (for example: pacing), which improves the educational quality of the exhibits.
Also, some forms of enrichment allow “positive interaction with caregivers” and can “facilitate routine husbandry activities.” (See “training” below.) In particular, enrichment could help with the “ease of use” of our program animals by education staff.
"[An] important goal of enrichment is education and enlightenment of ... visitors by means of exhibits that are 'enriched' and therefore more informative and interesting." (Shepherdson, pp.2-3)
III. What counts as enrichment?
a. feeding
Most wild animals spend a good part of their life searching for food. Captive animals are generally deprived of this experience. "Scattering an animal's daily ration around its exhibit, freezing its food into blocks of ice, or hiding it, rather that simply placing it in a bowl, [constitute] effective form[s] of enrichment." (Shepherdson, p.1)
b. novel objects
c. environmental enrichment
d. olfactory/auditory enrichment
e. training
"The training of animals can ... be viewed as an enrichment activity because it engages the animals on a cognitive level, allows positive interaction with caregivers, and facilitates routine husbandry activities." (Shepherdson, p.1)
IV. what are we doing now to provide enrichment?
a. Mammals 1-4 program, 5-8 exhibit (Drumlin Underground)
1. Carrier covers (shelter)
2. Shredded newspaper (mammal can gather for bedding)
3. Paper bags (mammal can use as shelter, also treats can be hidden in paper bag full of shredded newspaper to induce foraging.)
4. “Treat logs” (small logs with holes drilled in them—food items can be stuffed into holes to induce gnawing and foraging.)
5. Hollow logs (mammal can use as shelter or run-through)
6. Hay (mammal can use for bedding)
7. Natural substrate (concrete enclosures are lined with soil and dead leaves—mammal can dig in soil and leaves, gather leaves for bedding, etc. Also provides olfactory stimulation.
8. Food scattering (food items are scattered around enclosure, inducing foraging. In the case of the skunk, mealworms are buried in soil, inducing naturalistic foraging behavior.)
b. Birds
1. Natural wood perches of varied diameters and in varied locations (bird can choose where to perch.)
2. Whole carcass feeding (birds of prey are given whole dead mice, inducing naturalistic carcass dissecting behavior.)
3. During daytime, waterfowl are provided with swimming pools (children’s pools) and are kept in outdoor enclosures with soil and/or grass substrates.
c. herps
1. Herps all have hiding places of some kind.
2. Turtles are put in outdoor enclosures during some parts of some warm weather days.
V. Recommendations.
a. All wildlife care staff should come to agreement on the subject of animal enrichment, and review enrichment techniques together. Especially novel enrichment techniques should be reviewed by a veterinarian, for safety reasons. Enrichment techniques should be evaluated for their effect on animal behavior (whether the technique induces normal behavior, and whether the technique affects how easy the animal is to work with and around), their expense (in terms of money, materials, and staff time), and safety.
b. Enrichment techniques should be integrated into daily chores. Simple, diet-related enrichment techniques (eg: food puzzles) can be accomplished without contact with the animals (meaning that volunteers can be utilized) and without adding much extra time to the daily chores.
c. Enrichment techniques could also be integrated into the wildlife care staff’s visitor education duties. Animal enrichment can be very interesting to watch, and the potential for visitor education programs relating to enrichment is vast and relatively untapped.
d. New enrichment techniques should be documented when introduced. The enrichment notebook should include photographs and descriptions of various techniques, as well as recommendations of which animals to use which techniques, and a history of what techniques have been tried, etc.
e. Daily enrichment should be tracked, so that animals receive enrichment based on need rather than other considerations.
f. Our enrichment program should be known to all staff, and promoted in visitor information (and the web site?). The fact that we are structuring a new program to improve our animals’ well-being is an opportunity for positive public relations. Likewise, publicizing that enrichment techniques are being used for our animals could draw visitors interested in animal behavior, and raise awareness of our wildlife exhibits and ark programs.
g. Animal training techniques should be investigated. How can we use the training techniques we currently utilize more effectively, and what new techniques could we learn. How are we unintentionally training behaviors, and how could we become more aware of “passive training?”
VI. What references and resources are available for enrichment ideas and concerns?
a. websites:
1. http://www.animalenrichment.org/ (Disney)
2. http://www.enrichmentonline.org/browse/index.asp (Fort Worth Zoo)
3. http://www.honoluluzoo.org/enrichment_activities.htm
b. publications:
1. Second Nature: Environmental Enrichment for Captive Animals. David J. Shepherdson et al, eds. Smithsonian Institution Press, 1998.
2. Wild Mammals in Captivity; Principles and Techniques. Devra G. Kleiman et al, eds. University of Chicago Press, 1997.
cross-posted to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
animal_behavior, zookeepers
Enrichment Notebook
I. What is "enrichment"? (definition)
"Environmental enrichment is an animal husbandry principle that seeks to enhance the quality of captive animal care by identifying and providing the environmental stimuli necessary for optimal psychological and physiological well-being. In practice, this covers a multitude of innovative, imaginative, and ingenious techniques, devices, and practices aimed at keeping captive animals occupied, increasing the range and diversity of behavioral opportunities, and providing more stimulating and responsive environments." (Shepherdson, p.1)
“Enrichment” is the implementation of devices and practices that provide captive animals with behavioral opportunities and mental stimulation. (My short version.)
II. What is the purpose of enrichment? (as pertains to Drumlin Farm)
Enrichment increases the well-being of captive animals by reducing stress, inducing exercise, and providing stimulation. The expectation is that properly enriched animals will be healthier, require less veterinary expenses, and live longer.
Enrichment for the exhibit animals results in more natural animal behavior and less “stereotype” behavior (for example: pacing), which improves the educational quality of the exhibits.
Also, some forms of enrichment allow “positive interaction with caregivers” and can “facilitate routine husbandry activities.” (See “training” below.) In particular, enrichment could help with the “ease of use” of our program animals by education staff.
"[An] important goal of enrichment is education and enlightenment of ... visitors by means of exhibits that are 'enriched' and therefore more informative and interesting." (Shepherdson, pp.2-3)
III. What counts as enrichment?
a. feeding
Most wild animals spend a good part of their life searching for food. Captive animals are generally deprived of this experience. "Scattering an animal's daily ration around its exhibit, freezing its food into blocks of ice, or hiding it, rather that simply placing it in a bowl, [constitute] effective form[s] of enrichment." (Shepherdson, p.1)
b. novel objects
c. environmental enrichment
d. olfactory/auditory enrichment
e. training
"The training of animals can ... be viewed as an enrichment activity because it engages the animals on a cognitive level, allows positive interaction with caregivers, and facilitates routine husbandry activities." (Shepherdson, p.1)
IV. what are we doing now to provide enrichment?
a. Mammals 1-4 program, 5-8 exhibit (Drumlin Underground)
1. Carrier covers (shelter)
2. Shredded newspaper (mammal can gather for bedding)
3. Paper bags (mammal can use as shelter, also treats can be hidden in paper bag full of shredded newspaper to induce foraging.)
4. “Treat logs” (small logs with holes drilled in them—food items can be stuffed into holes to induce gnawing and foraging.)
5. Hollow logs (mammal can use as shelter or run-through)
6. Hay (mammal can use for bedding)
7. Natural substrate (concrete enclosures are lined with soil and dead leaves—mammal can dig in soil and leaves, gather leaves for bedding, etc. Also provides olfactory stimulation.
8. Food scattering (food items are scattered around enclosure, inducing foraging. In the case of the skunk, mealworms are buried in soil, inducing naturalistic foraging behavior.)
b. Birds
1. Natural wood perches of varied diameters and in varied locations (bird can choose where to perch.)
2. Whole carcass feeding (birds of prey are given whole dead mice, inducing naturalistic carcass dissecting behavior.)
3. During daytime, waterfowl are provided with swimming pools (children’s pools) and are kept in outdoor enclosures with soil and/or grass substrates.
c. herps
1. Herps all have hiding places of some kind.
2. Turtles are put in outdoor enclosures during some parts of some warm weather days.
V. Recommendations.
a. All wildlife care staff should come to agreement on the subject of animal enrichment, and review enrichment techniques together. Especially novel enrichment techniques should be reviewed by a veterinarian, for safety reasons. Enrichment techniques should be evaluated for their effect on animal behavior (whether the technique induces normal behavior, and whether the technique affects how easy the animal is to work with and around), their expense (in terms of money, materials, and staff time), and safety.
b. Enrichment techniques should be integrated into daily chores. Simple, diet-related enrichment techniques (eg: food puzzles) can be accomplished without contact with the animals (meaning that volunteers can be utilized) and without adding much extra time to the daily chores.
c. Enrichment techniques could also be integrated into the wildlife care staff’s visitor education duties. Animal enrichment can be very interesting to watch, and the potential for visitor education programs relating to enrichment is vast and relatively untapped.
d. New enrichment techniques should be documented when introduced. The enrichment notebook should include photographs and descriptions of various techniques, as well as recommendations of which animals to use which techniques, and a history of what techniques have been tried, etc.
e. Daily enrichment should be tracked, so that animals receive enrichment based on need rather than other considerations.
f. Our enrichment program should be known to all staff, and promoted in visitor information (and the web site?). The fact that we are structuring a new program to improve our animals’ well-being is an opportunity for positive public relations. Likewise, publicizing that enrichment techniques are being used for our animals could draw visitors interested in animal behavior, and raise awareness of our wildlife exhibits and ark programs.
g. Animal training techniques should be investigated. How can we use the training techniques we currently utilize more effectively, and what new techniques could we learn. How are we unintentionally training behaviors, and how could we become more aware of “passive training?”
VI. What references and resources are available for enrichment ideas and concerns?
a. websites:
1. http://www.animalenrichment.org/ (Disney)
2. http://www.enrichmentonline.org/browse/index.asp (Fort Worth Zoo)
3. http://www.honoluluzoo.org/enrichment_activities.htm
b. publications:
1. Second Nature: Environmental Enrichment for Captive Animals. David J. Shepherdson et al, eds. Smithsonian Institution Press, 1998.
2. Wild Mammals in Captivity; Principles and Techniques. Devra G. Kleiman et al, eds. University of Chicago Press, 1997.
cross-posted to
animal_behavior, zookeepers
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no subject
Date: 2005-07-20 08:51 pm (UTC)That made me snicker. :)
no subject
Date: 2005-07-20 08:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-07-20 08:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-07-20 09:23 pm (UTC)Your animals must be smarter than my animal.
We (lightly) wadded a paper towel around a (BIG!) piece of bacon and gave it to the dog, thinking he'd enjoy the challenge. 2 minutes later, he sighed and walked away, frustrated.
Apparently, I'm the stepmother to the sweetest, but not the brightest, schnauzer in the world.
no subject
Date: 2005-07-20 11:12 pm (UTC)Although the wife hastens to add that our dogs would devour the bacon, paper towel and all.
Enrichment. MMmmm!
Date: 2005-07-20 10:19 pm (UTC)Does this mean the animals get to read, say, the Harry Potter books or is it restricted only to the classics?
[snort!]
This document makes perfect sense to me. Animal enrichment was a big part of the program at the National Zoo when I used to go there to work on projects. It was fascinating to see the techniques, objects and materials the staff and curators came up with.
I'm happy to see the material in Section V, Parts D, E, and G in particular. Any unexpected, negative effects are particularly important to track and assess.
If possible, you might consider suggesting or recommending regular, periodic field trips for the primary staff to other facilities within a reasonable distance to view, firsthand, enrichment techniques in use and to encourage dialogue and exchange of ideas/experiences with staff at other facilities.
Just a couple of thoughts.
- Diane H K
no subject
Date: 2005-07-20 10:40 pm (UTC)I wish I felt comfortable leaving treats and things for the dogs to find. Unfortunately they're pretty food possessive and I don't want to come home to torn up dogs. Horrible creatures!
Maybe we could start feeding them differently though. Maybe paper bags or something. That could be fun for them. Or hand feeding, for training purposes so they have to work for it.
Sorry, I started thinking in here instead of in my head or my lj.
no subject
Date: 2005-07-21 01:53 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-07-21 11:05 am (UTC)Of course the great thing about dogs (the reason I own them) is that the best form of enrichment for them--the social bond you share, the playtime, and the training, are rewarding for the owner as well.
no subject
Date: 2005-07-21 12:09 pm (UTC)A lot of people feed their dogs out of kongs - you could do this if you keep them separate when you're doing it.
no subject
Date: 2005-07-21 02:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-07-21 03:29 am (UTC)Well, as the sanctuary supervisor always says (literally): "Hay is what you eat, straw is where you sleep." Unless you are a rabbit, in which case, you will eat both (because rabbits are weird).
I found the read informative, though my anthropomorphic, and scientifically unaccepted perception on enrichment is that it makes the animal happy, not frustrated. :) (We can't have people thinking animals can experience happiness - that would be uncouth).
And sleep on both.
Date: 2005-07-21 11:08 am (UTC)Our program rabbit gets the run of the building during morning chores, but if you don't give him his diet he goes and eats the brooms.
no subject
Date: 2005-07-21 05:17 pm (UTC)Anyway, I read this with great interest as I spent a great deal of my life studying these types of things (got my B.S. in Animal Behavior). That said, there's a few things I'd like to say and please feel free to comment, disagree, whatever. I'm also pretty immensely scatterbrained right now, so I apologize in advance if I make no sense :).
First, I wouldn't call pacing or improper behavior "stereotype." If you call it stereotype, that would imply that it is a correct, and often observed behavior. I would hope that pacing, weaving, rubbing, or any other of these "bad" behaviors aren't observed often, as they represent stress or unhappiness. For example, a bored horse will often weave at their stall door, or they might paw at the stall door. These behaviors are bad, and certainly not stereotypical of "normal" behavior. I'd be more inclined to call these behaviors maladaptive.
The big enrichment tool at the museum I worked at was out-of-cage time. For example, small mammals (skunks, rabbit, ferrets, etc.) each had one whole day that they spent in a dedicated room. The room was fairly large, had lots of hides and play type things, and the floor was covered in bedding. The space was pretty huge in comparison to the animal, and they were free to romp around/sleep/do whatever they wished for the day. Of course, the room was *thoroughly* cleaned, disinfected, etc. before another animal was allowed in.
Each raptor had their day in a big flight room, which was equipped with perches, trees, etc. Gave them the opportunity for them to get out and stretch their wings (those of 'em that had wings!).
Tortises were allowed free roam of the entire reptile room all day. There wasn't anything dangerous they could get into, and they had their typical spots they hung out in -- they also had access to food, water, and a basking light. Mainly they were more concerned with "tasting" peoples' toes, though.
Parrots were allowed out-of-cage all day. Both had their wings clipped, and they would hang out on their cages all day, playing with various things (one would also throw paper towels at the ferret cage incessantly!).
Our ducks (mallards, female named "Duck duck" and male named "Duck" -original, huh?) spent the entire day in a big pool we had for them. It was built into the floor, and actually right between the two parrot cages. The one parrot used to throw things at the ducks too.
One place I worked gave Nylabones to their rats/mice/guinea pigs. I'd imagine that they would also be safe for other mammals, but I'm honestly not sure on that one.
When I used to work with horses, a favorite was empty milk jugs or empty laundry detergent bottles (thorougly cleaned) hung inside their stall. They would bash them around 'til they were pretty much destroyed.
When I worked with lemurs in school, I did a whole study trying to determine if novelty seeking behavior was a correlate of "personality." For the novel object, I gave them baby play gyms (you know the things you lay an infant under, and they bat about at the things above their head). Lemurs are very tactile, and they handled it, and examined it all over. You wouldn't want such a thing in a cage with very chew-y type animals, however. Plus, the whole thing was videotaped, so we could intervene if necessary (I was in another room, watching the feed).
I'd approach the topic of promoting enrichment to the public *very* carefully. The last thing you want is some idiot planting treat-filled logs or similar things in their lawn because it will enrich the OMGKUTE! wildlife.
I'd say that enrichment serves the purpose of enhancing captive life. It can't replicate wild life, but it can help improve mood and general well-being. A happy animal is going to have proper coat quality, and improved condition, which will, as you said, help increase well-being and hopefully cut down on vet expenses!
All that said, you're at Drumlin?! I could walk there! I work right in Weston center, on B.P. Road.
no subject
Date: 2005-07-21 08:41 pm (UTC)Thanks for the long response. I really appreciate it.
I used the term "stereotype behavior," partly because I love jargon (see above sentence), and party because that's the term used for undesirable behaviors like pacing and stall chewing in "Second Nature" (my primary source). I can change it if you think that it's confusing (and just say "undesirable behaviors").
Out of cage time is actually one of the current enrichment techniques used by my coworkers. Unfortunately, we don't really have a good place to do it. We are working on constructing an enrichment area (a bigger cage, with "toys" in it), but right now my coworkers just let the monsters run around and destroy our office. (This has cured me of the delusion that woodchucks are cute. Well, that, and my trip to the emergency room to get my rabies shots...) The walking birds (unflighted waterfowl, turkey, turkey vulture) are allowed to roam around some too.
We are pretty good about communicating to the public that these are wild animals, not our pets, and that they wouldn't make good pets. Drumlin Farm and Mass Audubon has a pretty good mission statement, and we are good at delivering our message, I think. People will always be stupid about wildlife: feeding raccoons, "rescuing" babies, etc. If someone wants to set out a treat log for their wild woodchucks, they can knock themselves out for all I care. Anyway, bitter ranting aside, ideally we would make it crystal clear that enrichment is for captive animals, not wild ones.
I'd love to continue the conversation! It's always nice to talk to professionals. (even if you aren't in the profession right now.)
You're over on rt. 20, I'm up on 117! I'm the one riding his bike home on 117 through Weston and Waltham--without spandex.
no subject
Date: 2005-07-22 03:34 pm (UTC)That stinks that you don't have a great place for out-of-cage time. I'm not sure of your setup, but would it be possible to allow the animals out-of-cage time during cage cleanings? Or do they all go into carriers for cleaning time? If it's feasible, maybe just letting them run about while their cage is cleaned would help (obviously only applicable to small mammals). Of course, staff would have to be extra careful if animals were out to make sure no on got stepped on or hurt.
I love the pic of the woodchuck on the desk -- cute, but I'm sure also horrifically destructive!
no subject
Date: 2005-07-22 02:47 pm (UTC)http://www.livejournal.com/users/urbpan/28580.html