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Animal Behavior in Captivity
Why should we care?
Obvious reasons (health, welfare, safety etc.)
Not-so-obvious
Influences studies
Understand what is a wild condition and a captive condition
Economic implications
How is captivity different?
Static environments
Regimented care
Little to no inter-species interaction
Closely monitored health
What changes in captivity?
Stereotypic (Abnormal) behavior- A repetitive behavior with no apparent goal or function
Pacing, eye-rolling, car biting etc.
Sometimes harmful
Hair/feather plucking, regurgitation and reingestion
Often called Zoochosis
Why?
General consensus is poor psychological health
Animals in captivity evolved in dynamic, rich environments
Captivity does not provide this in many circumstances
Hard to determine because we can't ask animals
How can we fix this?
DRUGS!
Enrichment works too
Seriously thoughDrugs have widespread use in zoos
“Johari the gorilla is on antidepressants. It eases her PMS.”
“Valium calmed the silverback gorilla when one of the females had a doctor visit.”
“Prozac helped a female orangutan negotiate life in her group.”
“Zoo staffers tried to soothe wildebeests with antipsychotic medication for eight months”
When is this okay?
EnrichmentDoing a larger talk on this next meeting. Additionally, we will be making enrichment devices from recycled material
Fun reads!!http://www.slate.com/blogs/wild_things/2014/06/20/animal_madness_zoochosis_stereotypic_behavior_and_problems_with_zoos.html
https://www.wired.com/2014/07/animal-madness-laurel-braitman/
https://www.toledoblade.com/frontpage/2005/09/12/Zoos-using-drugs-to-help-manage-anxious-animals.html
