Enrichment

1. Enrichment With New World Primates

2. What is enrichment: The AZA Behavior Scientific Advisory Group(BAG) defines enrichment as a dynamic process for enhancing animal environments within the context of the animals’ behavioral biology and natural history. Environmental changes are made with the goal of increasing the animal’s behavioral choices and drawing out their species-appropriate behaviors, thus enhancing animal welfare.

3. Photo courtesy of Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s www.animalenrichment.org

4. The overall goal of enrichment is typically to encourage species-appropriate behaviors, give animals some choices within their environment, or to prevent/reduce the occurrence of stereotypic behaviors – all to ensure that the animals experience good welfare. (DAK enrichment website)

5. Before doing anything else, we should consider the animal’s natural history. New World Primates are a diverse group. We have to think of both their similarities and differences: Similarities: Arboreal Tropical Group living Differences: Nails vs claws Different levels in canopy Fruit vs insects vs saps/gums Young vs old Diurnal vs nocturnal vs crepuscular On exhibit vs off exhibit Comfort behaviors Ways they communicate with conspecifics Social structure Individual animal history

6. But what situations do we have that might make these things difficult and how does that effect the development of a comprehensive enrichment program? Is the animal low on the social hierarchy? Does it have any physical or mental challenges? Does it have dietary limitations that others in the group do not? Can’t live in a group due to space limitations? Small zoo populations, limited availability to pair animals

7. Setting goals: What is the purpose of the enrichment: Mental stimulation? Physical stimulation? Reduce abnormal behavior/stereotypies? Enhance reproduction? Reducing stress? Are there any gaps in your husbandry that can be filled with appropriate enrichment initiatives? We need to be goal based in developing our programs. What do they do all day in the wild? We have to ask lots of questions!

8. Planning: • The Enrichment Approval Process • Paper trail • Curators • Veterinarians • Keepers • Others?? • Safety considerations • Cost to make • Facility limitations- • naturalistic vs. non-natural • Time investment to make

9. Implementation: Who is putting it in? Who is responsible for observations? How long will you be observing? Does your facility allow for keeper flexibility? Do you need to follow a strict calendar? Contra-free-what? Giving choices

10. Documentation: One of the most important parts of the process is the documentation. This is the best tool for tracking how an animal interacts with an item and whether this item succeeded at the specified goal. Direct Evidence (keeper observes animal and assess its level of interaction with enrichment initiative) : 0 = no observed interaction with enrichment; 1 = animal orients towards enrichment, but does not physically contact enrichment; 2 = 1-5 visits/minutes of interaction; 3 = 5-15 visits/minutes of interaction; 4 = greater than 15 visits/minutes of interaction. Indirect Evidence(keeper is unable to observe animal’s response to enrichment, and so uses indirect evidence of the animal’s use of enrichment, e.g., cardboard box all ripped up versus untouched): 1 = no evidence of interaction (e.g., pristine, untouched cardboard box); 2 = moderate evidence of interaction (e.g., box moved and urine marked); 3 = substantial evidence of interaction (e.g., box ripped into pieces, and scattered around holding area). 

11. Documentation: Assessments are subjective! Make sure that the animal care team has an agreed upon interpretation of what it means for an animal to interact with an item. It may be helpful to set up specific behaviors for each species that would demonstrate understanding of positive interactions with enrichment. Everyone does it differently.

12. Evaluation: Did the enrichment provided do what it was intended to do? This is the most overlooked step. Your notes in the enrichment logs may be the best way to determine if an item was truly a successful enrichment.

13. Readjusting: Think about and discuss the animal’s responses to specific enrichment. Did the enrichment encourage the behavior it was intended to encourage? Were you trying to reduce a stereotypy but it increased? Are there any changes to that enrichment should be made in both design and presentation? Did they have a hard time getting into it? Are you offering it too frequently?

14. Welfare: Where does welfare come in? One of our goals is to meet or exceed the needs of the animals by providing them with the opportunity to exhibit species-appropriate behaviors. Animal welfare involves both the physical health of the animals, as well as their psychological well-being. Can the animal: Perform its highly motivated behaviors; Respond to environmental conditions using its evolutionary adaptations; Develop and use its cognitive abilities; Effectively cope with challenges in its environment.

15. The Process vs. The Application Time constraints To make a calendar or not to make a calendar?

16. Sensory: Visual, Olfactory, Auditory, Gustatory, Tactile

17. Environment:

18. Manipulation:

19. Foraging:

20. Behavioral:

21. Thanks to the following for the great pictures of enrichment in action! Ellen Gallagher Anita Yantz Brian Goleman Heather Jensen Martyna Zmijewska Anne-Marie Plante Stephanie Watkins Nikki Jennings Maginness T’Noya Gonzalez Maxine Jenkins Abby Varela Joey Hone Jenny Walker Tori Miller Lauren Amos Angela Marie Langston And special thanks to Hilda Tresz- Phoenix Zoo

22. Helpful references: www.animalenrichment.org – Disney’s Animal Kingdome