Publication
Environmental enrichment for cougars (Puma concolor) in Lisbon Zoo
| dc.contributor.author | Crespo, António Pedro | |
| dc.contributor.author | Ferreira, José D. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Tibério, L. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Pereira, Ana Paula | |
| dc.contributor.author | Carolino, Nuno | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2010-10-21T20:40:13Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2010-10-21T20:40:13Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2010-06-30 | |
| dc.description | Apresentação em painel | por |
| dc.description.abstract | Animals in captivity often show less active behaviors than in nature, compromising their health. So, it is necessary to have processes that can change this issue. Environmental enrichment is a tool that can improve the life quality of certain animals by stimulating their senses, natural instincts, physical activity and domination of its habitat. In order to improve the psychological and physiological well fare of a listless male and female Cougars (Puma concolor, Linnaeus, 1771), at the Lisbon Zoo a study of environmental enrichment (EE) was performed, during a four months period, from March to June 2009, with an overall of 100 hours of EE. This environmental enrichment trial included preliminary observations for the preparation of an ethogram, which were followed by three distinct phases for data collection: base line, enrichment and end line. Several items of environmental enrichment were tested from which three were selected: two food enrichment´s (cardboard box with meat, meat hidden in bushes or buried) and a sensory enrichment (camel fur). Variance analysis was done using the Wilcoxon/Kruskal-Wallis test from the PROC GLM (SAS). The stimulus of EE increased behavioural diversity during the enrichment trials compared to the base line, with the persistence of this effect to the end line trials. During the enrichment trials, they exhibited an increment in activity, such as alert state related and not related to the EE item, interaction with the EE item, allo-grooming, forage, vocalization, and decreased in sleeping and resting, pacing, auto-grooming and abnormal behaviours. The sex of the animals, the period of the day and the area they attend to influenced the behaviours registered. Though female showed more active behaviours than male and, by the opposite male evidenced more inactive behaviours. All the animals were more active in the morning. The type of EE stimulus affected behaviour as well, by increasing their diversity to one of the alimentary enrichment (meat meat hidden in bushes or buried). They preferred to stay outside in the playground which was related to the area where the EE was introduced. In the overall, the cougars benefited from the enrichment by improving behaviour diversity and the interactions skills and by decreasing frustration, boredom, stress and aggressiveness. Finally, the response to the EE by cougars suggests that enrichment programs on this animal should be further explored and the use of other items like objects and sounds should be considered taking into account long repetitions periods to avoid behaviours related to habituation and dullness, aiming the benefits on the animal behavior, on Zoo visitors and on conservation goals. | por |
| dc.identifier.citation | CRESPO, A. P. M.; FERREIRA, J.D.; TIBÉRIO, L.; PEREIRA, A. P. S.; CAROLINO, N. (2010) - Environmental enrichment for cougars (Puma concolor) in Lisbon Zoo. In Recents advances in animal welfare science, UFAW Animal Welfare Conference York Merchant Adventurers’ Hall, 30th June 2010. Poster | por |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10400.15/182 | |
| dc.language.iso | eng | por |
| dc.subject | Puma concolor | por |
| dc.subject | Environmental enrichment | por |
| dc.subject | Lisbon Zoo | por |
| dc.subject | Portugal | por |
| dc.title | Environmental enrichment for cougars (Puma concolor) in Lisbon Zoo | por |
| dc.type | other | |
| dspace.entity.type | Publication | |
| oaire.citation.conferencePlace | York, United Kingdom | por |
| oaire.citation.title | Recent advances in animal welfare science, UFAW Animal Welfare Conference | por |
| person.familyName | Carolino | |
| person.givenName | Nuno | |
| person.identifier.ciencia-id | 5D15-EB0D-1C9B | |
| person.identifier.orcid | 0000-0001-9079-7380 | |
| rcaap.rights | openAccess | por |
| rcaap.type | other | por |
| relation.isAuthorOfPublication | 44550519-b68e-4ff4-956b-b452b962868c | |
| relation.isAuthorOfPublication.latestForDiscovery | 44550519-b68e-4ff4-956b-b452b962868c |