This study tested 3 food enrichment items mentioned in a laboratory primate newsletter with 6 adult Eulemur macaco and 3 adult Lemur catta to examine whether the items would affect the behavior of the lemurs. The results suggest that Food Enrichment Item 3 (a wire box filled with whole grapes, apples, or both hidden in straw hung from a branch within the enclosure) caused a significant decrease in the incidence of resting and a significant increase in the incidences of playing and grooming, with no significant effect on the incidence of feeding or foraging. The lemurs' behavior appeared to be most affected by the food enrichment item that required the most manipulation, closely followed by an enrichment that required a moderate amount of manipulation. The order of the exposure to the food enrichment items and the day of the week appear to have an attenuation effect on these behaviors and did affect the incidence of 3 stereotypic behaviors exhibited by a male L. catta such that 3 behaviors declined in occu...

Effects of three food enrichment items on the behavior of black lemurs (Eulemur macaco macaco) and Ringtail Lemurs (Lemur catta) at the Henson Robinson Zoo, Springfield, Illinois.

Wild animals invariably obtain their nutrient requirements, regulate their ingestion of toxins and even self-medicate This review suggests that, while size and morphology dictate gross diet, the ability to select a diet is learnt Animals learn to distinguish nutritious foods from less beneficial or toxic items through the positive and negative consequences of ingestion In this process, early life experiences appear to be critically important Zoo animals can rarely be provided with their wild diets and caretakers substitute nutrients from other sources Thus, a suitable range of ingredients should be provided to give the animals a stimulating and nutritious diet that ensures excellent health

/pdf/taught-by-animals-how-understanding-diet-selection-leads-to-1kylmhhhap.pdf

Taught by animals: how understanding diet selection leads to better zoo diets

CHAPTER 14 – Environmental Enrichment and Refinement of Handling Procedures

There is a growing need for non-human primate populations in captivity to be managed using techniques based on scientific principles, to be able to maintain self-sustaining populations, to educate our burgeoning human population about current conservation issues and for some zoological parks, to successfully reintroduce these populations into their wild habitats. It is thus recognized that captive primate groups should be housed in environments in which their welfare is not compromised and where they can exhibit most, if not all of their natural social and behavioral characteristics. In order to design and maintain ideal captive environments such as these for primates, it would be imperative to incorporate applied animal behavior and welfare research in the mandate of conservation breeding programs in zoos. In this paper, the need to include applied animal behavior and welfare research in the conservation breeding program set up for lion-tailed macaques in Indian zoos has been addressed and the significance of long-term behavior and welfare monitoring of breeding groups along with the provision of environmental enrichment has been emphasized.

Animal Welfare research and its implications to non-human primate breeding programs: A Case Study of the Lion-tailed macaque conservation breeding program from India

A questionnaire survey was conducted to compare husbandry and management protocols for Lion-tailed macaques Macaca silenus in 42 zoos in various parts of the world. A relatively higher number of zoos outside India compared with those in India reported foraging behaviour in their individuals, whereas abnormal behaviour was rare. The reproductive success of macaques in these zoos was also significantly higher than that in Indian zoos. The results of this study suggest that group composition, enclosure design, dietary preparation and nutrition, as well as visitor–animal interaction influence the welfare and breeding success of Lion-tailed macaques in Indian zoos. Also, poor management is a problem in the Indian-zoo scenario. Hence, we emphasize the need for good zoo management through proper record-keeping, regularized behaviour monitoring and administration of environmental enrichment, and a well-established marking/tagging method to identify individual animals.

A. T. Feistner

Papers

Effects of feeding enrichment on ruffed lemurs Varecia variegata variegata and Varecia v. rubra