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© 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

Simple Summary

Environmental enrichment for chimpanzees is important in order to minimize boredom and stress in captivity and to provide opportunities to engage in species-typical behaviors. However, few studies have investigated potential associations between enrichment objects, manipulation behaviors, and social contexts, nor have they examined if individual chimpanzees vary in their enrichment object preferences. In the current study, three ethograms were used to code the use of enrichment objects, engagement in manipulation behaviors, and social contexts of enrichment use of captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Data mining from a video archive consisting of 2054 videos collected over a decade allowed the ethograms to be applied to 732 min and 58 s of videos. Some enrichment objects were more often associated with specific manipulation behaviors and social contexts, indicating that enrichment objects might serve distinct social and behavioral purposes. The chimpanzees differed in their enrichment object preferences, suggesting that caregivers of captive chimpanzees should consider individual needs when providing enrichment in order to improve chimpanzees’ experiences in captivity. Finally, the majority of enrichment object use and manipulation behaviors were able to be categorized, indicating that our ethograms were largely effective in coding enrichment use.

Abstract

Environmental enrichment provides mental stimulation and minimizes abnormal behaviors in captive animals. In captive chimpanzees, individual animals may vary in the ways in which they benefit from enrichment or use enrichment devices, so investigating nuances in enrichment use may improve the welfare of captive chimpanzees. In the current study, three ethograms measuring distinct features of enrichment use (i.e., enrichment object, manipulation behavior, and social context) were evaluated by coding videos of captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest in Cle Elum, WA. A total of 732 min and 58 s of video footage was coded from a larger video archive (i.e., 2054 videos) of enrichment use that spanned a decade. A principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that different categories of enrichment objects were more often associated with specific manipulation behaviors and social contexts, suggesting that enrichment objects might fulfill different behavioral and social needs in captivity. Specifically, toy objects were associated with active tactile behaviors in affiliative contexts while oral behaviors were used with foraging objects in solitary contexts. Additionally, individual chimpanzees showed unique preferences for enrichment objects, indicating that caregivers of captive chimpanzees should consider individual needs instead of a “one size fits all” approach to enrichment provisions.

Details

Title
An Evaluation of Ethograms Measuring Distinct Features of Enrichment Use by Captive Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)
Author
Greeson, Julia L 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Gabriel, Kara I 2 ; Mulcahy, J B 3 ; Bonnie King Hendrickson 1 ; Lonborg, Susan D 4 ; Holloway, Jay C 5 

 Primate Behavior Master’s Program, Central Washington University, Ellensburg, WA 98926, USA 
 Department of Psychology, Central Washington University, Ellensburg, WA 98926, USA; Faculty of Primate Behavior & Ecology Program, Central Washington University, Ellensburg, WA 98926, USA 
 Faculty of Primate Behavior & Ecology Program, Central Washington University, Ellensburg, WA 98926, USA; Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest, Cle Elum, WA 98922, USA 
 Department of Psychology, Central Washington University, Ellensburg, WA 98926, USA 
 Psychology Program, Central Washington University, Ellensburg, WA 98926, USA 
First page
2029
Publication year
2022
Publication date
2022
Publisher
MDPI AG
e-ISSN
20762615
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2706065026
Copyright
© 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.