A Comparison of Food and Non-Food Enrichment with Zoo-Housed African Lions (<i>Panthera leo</i>)
Ongoing research on the effectiveness of enrichment at the species, group, and individual levels is beneficial to our growing understanding of animal welfare and behaviour for animals housed in human care. Diversifying the enrichment opportunities offered to animals in facilities such as zoos and aq...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-5636/6/2/25 |
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| author | Peggy Cremers Max Norman Sabrina Brando Eduardo J. Fernandez |
| author_facet | Peggy Cremers Max Norman Sabrina Brando Eduardo J. Fernandez |
| author_sort | Peggy Cremers |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Ongoing research on the effectiveness of enrichment at the species, group, and individual levels is beneficial to our growing understanding of animal welfare and behaviour for animals housed in human care. Diversifying the enrichment opportunities offered to animals in facilities such as zoos and aquariums helps to encourage a wide repertoire of species-typical, naturalistic, and rewarding behaviours. The present study aimed to examine the behavioural impact of novel food (ice blocks, gelatine, eggs) and non-food (lavender, clean sheets, mirrors) enrichment strategies on two zoo-housed prides of African lions (<i>Panthera leo</i>) housed in a rotation-based enclosure system at Orana Wildlife Park, New Zealand. The results of the study indicate that, while both forms of enrichment had a behavioural impact, the effects on behaviour varied with the type of enrichment used, both between and within the two categories. Different enrichment strategies varied in their impacts on resting behaviour, locomotion, and exploration levels in the lions. An increased focus on the specific behavioural outcomes of various novel enrichment strategies is essential to expand the efficacy of enrichment programs for future efforts to improve the wellbeing of zoo-housed animals. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-5fa30c2d169f4a8a84cc5cdef36d356d |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2673-5636 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens |
| spelling | doaj-art-5fa30c2d169f4a8a84cc5cdef36d356d2025-08-20T02:21:03ZengMDPI AGJournal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens2673-56362025-04-01622510.3390/jzbg6020025A Comparison of Food and Non-Food Enrichment with Zoo-Housed African Lions (<i>Panthera leo</i>)Peggy Cremers0Max Norman1Sabrina Brando2Eduardo J. Fernandez3Animal Management, Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences, 8934 CJ Leeuwarden, The NetherlandsSchool of Animal Management and Saddlery, Capel Manor College, London EN1 4RQ, UKAnimalConcepts, 03725 Teulad, SpainSchool of Animal and Veterinary Science, University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, SA 5371, AustraliaOngoing research on the effectiveness of enrichment at the species, group, and individual levels is beneficial to our growing understanding of animal welfare and behaviour for animals housed in human care. Diversifying the enrichment opportunities offered to animals in facilities such as zoos and aquariums helps to encourage a wide repertoire of species-typical, naturalistic, and rewarding behaviours. The present study aimed to examine the behavioural impact of novel food (ice blocks, gelatine, eggs) and non-food (lavender, clean sheets, mirrors) enrichment strategies on two zoo-housed prides of African lions (<i>Panthera leo</i>) housed in a rotation-based enclosure system at Orana Wildlife Park, New Zealand. The results of the study indicate that, while both forms of enrichment had a behavioural impact, the effects on behaviour varied with the type of enrichment used, both between and within the two categories. Different enrichment strategies varied in their impacts on resting behaviour, locomotion, and exploration levels in the lions. An increased focus on the specific behavioural outcomes of various novel enrichment strategies is essential to expand the efficacy of enrichment programs for future efforts to improve the wellbeing of zoo-housed animals.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-5636/6/2/25enrichmentlionswelfarezoosfood |
| spellingShingle | Peggy Cremers Max Norman Sabrina Brando Eduardo J. Fernandez A Comparison of Food and Non-Food Enrichment with Zoo-Housed African Lions (<i>Panthera leo</i>) Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens enrichment lions welfare zoos food |
| title | A Comparison of Food and Non-Food Enrichment with Zoo-Housed African Lions (<i>Panthera leo</i>) |
| title_full | A Comparison of Food and Non-Food Enrichment with Zoo-Housed African Lions (<i>Panthera leo</i>) |
| title_fullStr | A Comparison of Food and Non-Food Enrichment with Zoo-Housed African Lions (<i>Panthera leo</i>) |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Comparison of Food and Non-Food Enrichment with Zoo-Housed African Lions (<i>Panthera leo</i>) |
| title_short | A Comparison of Food and Non-Food Enrichment with Zoo-Housed African Lions (<i>Panthera leo</i>) |
| title_sort | comparison of food and non food enrichment with zoo housed african lions i panthera leo i |
| topic | enrichment lions welfare zoos food |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-5636/6/2/25 |
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