Behavioural Study of Captive Sloth Bears Using Environmental Enrichment Tools
Effects of environmental enrichment on behavioural changes were studied in five captive sloth bears kept in confined enclosure at Zoological Park, Chennai, India. Behavioural categories like active, passive, and abnormal behaviours were taken for the study. The activity budget was recorded as a sing...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2013-01-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Zoology |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/526905 |
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| author | M. Veeraselvam R. Sridhar M. G. Jayathangaraj P. Perumal |
| author_facet | M. Veeraselvam R. Sridhar M. G. Jayathangaraj P. Perumal |
| author_sort | M. Veeraselvam |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Effects of environmental enrichment on behavioural changes were studied in five captive sloth bears kept in confined enclosure at Zoological Park, Chennai, India. Behavioural categories like active, passive, and abnormal behaviours were taken for the study. The activity budget was recorded as a single animal scan. The detailed baseline data of 150 hours, over a period of 30 days, were collected. At baseline, bears exhibited passive and more abnormal behaviours. Similarly, after application of the environmental tools like honey-log, underground food pipes, and wobbling box in the enclosure, the data were collected for 150 hours (30 days). Increased active behaviours and decreased abnormal behaviours were observed and showed highly significant changes in the abnormal behaviour as a whole when compared to the baseline level. During the postenrichment period, the data that were collected for 150 hours (30 days) showed no significant differences statistically between the behavioural categories. But certain level of difference was evident from the percentage of abnormal behaviours exhibited by individual bears. Among the enrichment devices, honey-log was the most preferred enrichment tool as revealed by the percentage of time spent by individual animal. The results show that application of enrichment tool continuously may bring long term effect in stereotypic behaviour. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c93c207c3c9e4d099da0f71a42814580 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1687-8477 1687-8485 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2013-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Zoology |
| spelling | doaj-art-c93c207c3c9e4d099da0f71a428145802025-08-20T03:24:11ZengWileyInternational Journal of Zoology1687-84771687-84852013-01-01201310.1155/2013/526905526905Behavioural Study of Captive Sloth Bears Using Environmental Enrichment ToolsM. Veeraselvam0R. Sridhar1M. G. Jayathangaraj2P. Perumal3Department of Wildlife Science, Madras Veterinary College, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chennai 600 051, IndiaDepartment of Wildlife Science, Madras Veterinary College, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chennai 600 051, IndiaDepartment of Wildlife Science, Madras Veterinary College, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chennai 600 051, IndiaNational Research Center on Mithun, ICAR, Jharnapani, Nagaland 797106, IndiaEffects of environmental enrichment on behavioural changes were studied in five captive sloth bears kept in confined enclosure at Zoological Park, Chennai, India. Behavioural categories like active, passive, and abnormal behaviours were taken for the study. The activity budget was recorded as a single animal scan. The detailed baseline data of 150 hours, over a period of 30 days, were collected. At baseline, bears exhibited passive and more abnormal behaviours. Similarly, after application of the environmental tools like honey-log, underground food pipes, and wobbling box in the enclosure, the data were collected for 150 hours (30 days). Increased active behaviours and decreased abnormal behaviours were observed and showed highly significant changes in the abnormal behaviour as a whole when compared to the baseline level. During the postenrichment period, the data that were collected for 150 hours (30 days) showed no significant differences statistically between the behavioural categories. But certain level of difference was evident from the percentage of abnormal behaviours exhibited by individual bears. Among the enrichment devices, honey-log was the most preferred enrichment tool as revealed by the percentage of time spent by individual animal. The results show that application of enrichment tool continuously may bring long term effect in stereotypic behaviour.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/526905 |
| spellingShingle | M. Veeraselvam R. Sridhar M. G. Jayathangaraj P. Perumal Behavioural Study of Captive Sloth Bears Using Environmental Enrichment Tools International Journal of Zoology |
| title | Behavioural Study of Captive Sloth Bears Using Environmental Enrichment Tools |
| title_full | Behavioural Study of Captive Sloth Bears Using Environmental Enrichment Tools |
| title_fullStr | Behavioural Study of Captive Sloth Bears Using Environmental Enrichment Tools |
| title_full_unstemmed | Behavioural Study of Captive Sloth Bears Using Environmental Enrichment Tools |
| title_short | Behavioural Study of Captive Sloth Bears Using Environmental Enrichment Tools |
| title_sort | behavioural study of captive sloth bears using environmental enrichment tools |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/526905 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mveeraselvam behaviouralstudyofcaptiveslothbearsusingenvironmentalenrichmenttools AT rsridhar behaviouralstudyofcaptiveslothbearsusingenvironmentalenrichmenttools AT mgjayathangaraj behaviouralstudyofcaptiveslothbearsusingenvironmentalenrichmenttools AT pperumal behaviouralstudyofcaptiveslothbearsusingenvironmentalenrichmenttools |