Hostname: page-component-7dd5485656-7jgsp Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-10-31T08:35:09.521Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

An Enrichment Device for Great Apes

Part of: Primates Collection Zoo Animals Collection

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 January 2023

I Gilloux ,
J Gurnell  and
D Shepherdson
I Gilloux
Affiliation:
Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London
J Gurnell
Affiliation:
Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London
D Shepherdson
Affiliation:
Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The influence of an environmental enrichment feeding device (puzzle feeder), on activity and behaviour patterns of captive orang-utans, gorillas and chimpanzees was studied at London Zoo. General activity levels and behaviours directed towards the feeder increased for all species when the feeder was filled with food Chimpanzees used the feeder significantly more (18% of observation periods) than either gorillas (10%) or orang-utans (9.4%). There was considerable individual variation of puzzle use by individuals within each group and time of day also affected use. In some instances abnormal behaviours were reduced. These results are discussed in relation to the management of captive great apes and it is suggested that the use of puzzle feeders can improve the welfare of these animals.

Keywords

animal welfareenvironmental enrichmentprimatespuzzle feeder

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 1 , Issue 4 , November 1992 , pp. 279 - 289
Copyright
© 1992 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

Footnotes

Present address: Metro Washington Park Zoo, 4001 SW Canyon Rd, Portland, Oregon 97221, USA

References

Anderson, J R, Chamove, A S 1984 Allowing captive primates to forage. In Standards in Laboratory Animal Management, pp 253-256. Proceedings of a Symposium. Universities Federation for Animal Welfare: Potters BarGoogle Scholar
Bayne, K, Dexter, S, Mainzer, H, Mc Cully, C, Campbell, G, Yamada, F 1992 The use of artificial turf as a foraging substrate for individually housed rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta). Animal Welfare 1: 39–53CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beck, B 1980 Animal Tool Use. Garland STPM Press: New YorkGoogle Scholar
Bloomsmith, M A, Alford, P L, Maple, T L 1988 Successful feeding enrichment for captive chimpanzees. American Journal of Primatology 16: 155–164CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bloomstrand, K, Riddle, K, Alford, P, Maple, T L 1986 Objective evaluation of a behavioral enrichment device for captive chimpanzees. Zoo Biology 5: 293–300CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boccia, M L 1989 Preliminary report on the use of a natural foraging task to reduce aggression and stereotypies in socially housed pigtailed macaques. Laboratory Primate Newsletter 28(1): 3–4Google Scholar
Boysen, S, Frisch, D 1987 Extractive tool use in captive lowland gorillas. American Journal of Primatology 12: 332Google Scholar
Brent, L, Eichberg, J W 1991 Primate puzzleboard: a simple environmental enrichment device for captive chimpanzees. Zoo Biology 10: 353–360CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Broom, D M 1983 Stereotypies as animal welfare indicators. Current Topics in Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science 23: 81–87Google Scholar
Cole, M 1987 How we keep our gorillas occupied. Proceedings of the 13th National Conference of the American Association of Zoo Keepers. Animal Keepers Forum (special edition): 401-403 Daman F J 1990 Effects of the addition of browse on the feeding behaviour (time budget and coprophagy) in captive bonobos. Scientific Papers, 45th IUDZG Conference. Copenhagen Zoo: Denmark 180–182Google Scholar
Dow, S M 1986 Behavioural enrichment for captive animals. Proceedings of the 25th Anniversary Symposium of the British Veterinary Zoological Society: 67–77Google Scholar
Goodall, J 1968 The behaviour of free-living chimpanzees in the Gombe Stream Reserve. Animal Behaviour Monographs 1: 165–311Google Scholar
Gould, E, Bress, M 1986 Regurgitation and reingestion in captive gorillas: description and intervention. Zoo Biology 5: 241–250CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hancocks, D 1980 Bringing nature into the zoo: inexpensive solutions for zoo environments. International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems 1: 170–177Google Scholar
Harcourt, A H, Stewart, K J 1978 Coprophagy by wild mountain gorilla. African Wildlife Journal 16: 223–225CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harcourt, A H, Stewart, K J 1984 Gorillas time feeding: aspects of methodology, body size, competition and diet. African Journal of Ecology 22: 207–215CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harvey, P H, Clutton-Brock, T H 1981 Primate home-range size and metabolic needs. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 8: 151–155CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hughes, B O, Duncan, I J H 1988 The notion of ethological ‘needs’, models of motivation and animal welfare. Animal Behaviour 36: 1696–1707CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hutchins, M, Hancocks, D, Crockett, C 1984 Naturalistic solutions to the behavioural problems of captive animals. Zoologische Garten 54: 28–42Google Scholar
Maki, S, Alford, P L, Bloomsmith, M A, Franklin, J 1989 Food puzzle device simulating termite fishing for captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). American Journal of Primatology Supplement 1: 71–78Google Scholar
Martin, P, Batcson, P 1986 Measuring Behaviour. Cambridge University Press: CambridgeGoogle Scholar
Meyer-Holzapfel, M 1968 Abnormal behavior in zoo animals. In Fox, M W (ed) Abnormal Behavior in Animals, pp 476–503. W B Saunders: Philadelphia.Google Scholar
Morris, D 1964 The response of animals to a restrained environment. Symposium of the Zoological Society of London 13: 99–118Google Scholar
Murphy, D E 1976 Enrichment devices for orangutans and chimpanzees. International Zoo News 23(137): 24–26Google Scholar
Nash, V J 1982 Tool use by captive chimpanzees at an artificial termite mound. Zoo Biology 1: 211–221CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Natale, F, Poti, P, Spinozzi, G 1988 Development of tool use in a macaque and a gorilla. Primates 29(3): 413–416CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Poulsen, H 1975 Keeping chimpanzees occupied in captivity. International Zoo News 22 (1): 19–20Google Scholar
Seymour, S, Shepherdson, D J 1991 Puzzle Feeder for Orang utans. Environmental Enrichment Report 3. Universities Federation for Animal Welfare: Potters BarGoogle Scholar
Shepherdson, D J 1988 The application of behavioural enrichment in zoos. Primate Report No 22: 35–42Google Scholar
Toovey, J, Brambell, M 1976 The Michael Sobell pavilions for apes and monkeys. International Zoo Yearbook 16: 212–217CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tripp, J K 1985 Increasing activity in captive orangutans: provision of manipulable and edible materials. Zoo Biology 4: 225–234CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wood, R J 1988 Spontaneous use of sticks as tools by gorillas at Howletts Zoo Park, England. International Zoo News 35(185): 13–18Google Scholar