Animal-Visitor Interactions in Zoos and Aquariums: A Systematic Review.

There is increasing recognition of the importance of human-animal interaction (HAI) research in the assessment of animal welfare. This is partly reflected by the appearance of increasing animal-visitor interaction (AVI) publications in zoos. Early AVI publications primarily focused on primates and the impact of visitors on animals (visitor effects), with most identifying negative welfare impacts.

Pigeon in a Box: as Subject in Behavioral Research.

Pigeons () have played a central role as subjects in the experimental analysis of behavior since the 1940s. This review considers the use of pigeons by humans across several domains: (1) their early use as a domesticated species and in early psychology laboratory experiments; (2) their rise, and recent decline relative to the use of other species, as a subject in behavior-analytic research published in the ; and (3) their influence in research extending beyond behavior analysis. In addition, in the latter two sections, quantitative data are presented to document the frequency of use of laboratory pigeons and their impact outside of the lab, respectively.

Incorporating the Enclosure MonitoR Use (EMU) App to ZooMonitor Observations Technical Report.

Welfare audits that contain behavior and enclosure use assessments are commonly used in zoos and aquaria. However, the two components are often used separately from one another, and many enclosure use studies are limited by analytical problems, despite the fact that enclosure use indices such as Entropy, modified Spread of Participation Index, and Electivity Index are available. The dawning of behavior monitoring apps has facilitated zoo behavioral research, but some of the original challenges experienced when analyzing enclosure use remain.

Attitudes of Australian Veterinary Professionals to Diagnosing and Managing Canine Cognitive Dysfunction.

Canine cognitive dysfunction (CCD) is a neurodegenerative disease likely to affect 14% to 35% of dogs over the age of eight years. Although it can be associated with a high burden of care in owners of affected dogs, there is a lack of knowledge of how veterinarians diagnose and manage the disease. The aim of this study was to determine how veterinary professionals (veterinarians and veterinary nurses/technicians) manage CCD and their attitudes towards the disease using an anonymous online survey.

Future Aviary Design: The Science of Circular Flight Aviaries for Avian Welfare.

Birds are kept in captive settings globally, and many of these birds are not flight-restrained. It is generally considered more ethical to house birds in aviaries than to practice flight restraint through wing clipping or pinioning, which means that aviaries are needed to prevent birds from escaping. Traditionally, rectangular aviaries are commonly used; these aviaries may not be well designed for bird flight, especially for large-bodied species.

An Examination of Visitor and Tiger Activity Between Two Zoo Tiger Groups.

Sumatran tigers (Panthera tigris sumatrae) are currently listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List. In modern zoos, the need to balance the welfare of tigers while maintaining visitor interest presents a significant challenge. The aim of this study was to assess the behaviour of five Sumatran tigers housed in two separate groups and habitat areas (male housed alone; female with three cubs), as well as in relation to visitor crowd size and sound intensity (dB) near the habitats.

A novel missense mutation in the AIRE gene underlying autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type 1.

The immune regulator gene AIRE plays an essential role in the establishment of immune tolerance and the prevention of autoimmunity. This transcription factor plays a critical role in promoting self-tolerance in the thymus by regulating the expression of a large number of self-antigens that share the common feature of being tissue-restricted in their expression pattern in the periphery. Dysfunction of AIRE in humans causes a rare disease, autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type 1 (APS1), characterized by an autoimmune response against peripheral tissues, particularly endocrine tissues.

The Science and Social Validity of Companion Animal Welfare: Functionally Defined Parameters in a Multidisciplinary Field.

Social validity refers to the social significance and acceptability of intervention goals, procedures, and outcomes. Animal practitioners, who are often guided by the principles of ABA, lack the benefit of verbal participants (at least with respect to target animals) with which to assess a client's needs and preferences. The study of a learner's welfare is useful for determining areas where intervention is needed or how the learner feels about an intervention that is underway.

Development of genomic markers associated to growth-related traits and sex determination in lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus).

Cleaner fish species have gained great importance in the control of sea lice, among them, lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus) has become one of the most popular. Lumpfish life cycle has been closed, and hatchery reproduction is now possible, however, current production is reliant on wild caught broodstock to meet the increasing demand. Selective breeding practices are called to play an important role in the successful breeding of most aquaculture species, including lumpfish.

Evaluation of an automated response-independent schedule on the behavioral welfare of shelter dogs.

Response-independent schedules involve the delivery of an item independent of a response requirement. Often described in the applied behavior analytic literature as "noncontingent reinforcement," they have also frequently been used to reduce undesired or problematic behaviors. The current study examined the use of an automated response-independent food schedule on the behaviors and sound levels of shelter dogs.

A comparison of staff presence and signage on zoo visitor behavior.

Many zoos favor the use of signage to encourage learning and positive visitor experiences as well as discourage negative behaviors by visitors because of its simplicity, relatively low maintenance needed, and low cost. However, current literature suggests that conventional signage has limited impact on visitors in zoos. This study hypothesized that visitors would be less likely to exhibit negative behaviors (e.

Applied behavior analysis and the zoo: Forthman and Ogden (1992) thirty years later.

The field of applied behavior analysis has been directly involved in both research and applications of behavioral principles to improve the lives of captive zoo animals. Thirty years ago, Forthman and Ogden (1992) wrote one of the first papers documenting some of these efforts. Since that time, considerable work has been done using behavioral principles and procedures to guide zoo welfare efforts.

Bridging the gap between laboratory and applied research on response-independent schedules.

In 1948, Skinner described the behavior of pigeons under response-independent schedules as "superstitious," and proposed that the responses were reinforced by contiguous, adventitious food deliveries. Subsequently, response-independent schedules have been of interest to both basic and applied researchers, first to understand the mechanisms involved, and later, as "noncontingent reinforcement" (NCR) to reduce undesirable behavior. However, the potential superstitious effects produced by these schedules have been challenged, with some researchers arguing that antecedent variables play a significant role.

Investigating Unused Tools for the Animal Behavioral Diversity Toolkit.

Behavioral diversity is a commonly used tool used to quantify the richness and evenness of animal behaviors and assess the effect of variables that may impact an animal's quality of life. The indices used in behavioral diversity research, and the study subjects, have not been formally reviewed. This paper aims to identify which indices are being used in behavioral diversity research, and under which scenarios, and uncover novel indices from other disciplines that could be applied to behavioral diversity.

Effects of New Seal Introductions on Conspecific and Visitor Activity.

Modern zoos and aquariums are defined by several primary goals, which include improving the welfare of their animals, public education, and inspiring visitors to develop an interest in conservation. Animal-Visitor Interactions (AVIs) (i.e.

Grounding applied animal behavior practices in the experimental analysis of behavior.

Some of the earliest applications outside the laboratory of principles derived from the experimental analysis of behavior (EAB), such as the pioneering work of Keller and Marian Breland, involved animals. This translational tradition continues to the present as EAB-related behavior principles are applied with increasing frequency to behavior management and training practices with animals in nonlaboratory settings. Such translations, and those populations to which they are applied, benefit from a rigorous experimental analysis of practices that are promulgated in popular outlets.

A simulated comparison of behavioural observation sampling methods.

Behavioural research requires the use of sampling methods to document the occurrence of responses observed. Sampling/recording methods include ad libitum, continuous, pinpoint (instantaneous), and one-zero (interval) sampling. Researchers have questioned the utility of each sampling method under different contexts.

Public Feeding Interactions as Enrichment for Three Zoo-Housed Elephants.

The past few decades have seen increased interest in studies examining the welfare of elephants and animal-visitor interactions. One understudied area for both pursuits is the impact of public feeding interactions. Our study examined the effects of public feedings on the general activity of three zoo-housed elephants.

Appetitive search behaviors and stereotypies in polar bears (Ursus maritimus).

Stereotypies in captive animals have been defined as repetitive, largely invariant patterns of behavior that serve no obvious goal or function. Stereotypies are commonly attributed to boredom or stress and are typically treated by enriching captivity with distracting, appealing stimuli. These stimuli often include food presented at times other than regular feedings, and as a result, engage species-typical foraging behaviors that reduce stereotypies.

Behavioral Implications of Enrichment for Golden Lion Tamarins: A Tool for Conservation.

The re-release of golden lion tamarins (), from zoos into the wild, is considered to be an conservation success story. However, zoo-born golden lion tamarins have lower survival rates than their wild-born offspring, potentially due to deficient foraging and locomotion 'survival skills' acquired in captivity. The current study aimed to evaluate whether a puzzle feeder suspended and baited with different items could promote increased foraging and general activity in tamarins living in a zoo setting.

Training Petting Zoo Sheep to Act Like Petting Zoo Sheep: An Empirical Evaluation of Response-Independent Schedules and Shaping with Negative Reinforcement.

Shaping through differential reinforcement of successive approximations to a target response has been a cornerstone procedure for the training of novel behavior. However, much of how it has traditionally been implemented occurs through informal observation, rather than any direct, systematic measurement. In the present study, we examine the use of response-independent food schedules and shaping for increasing approach and contact behaviors in petting zoo sheep.

Activity and Pool Use in Relation to Temperature and Water Changes in Zoo Hippopotamuses ().

In the wild, hippopotamuses spend much of their daily activity in the water. In zoos, it is less clear the extent to which hippos spend time in the water. We examined how much time Woodland Park Zoo's three hippos spent in their outdoor pool, based on: (a) temperature of the pool water, and (b) when the pool water was changed (approximately three times a week).

An Examination of Shaping with an African Crested Porcupine ().

Shaping through differential reinforcement of successive approximations to a target response has been a cornerstone procedure for the training of novel behavior. However, much of how it has traditionally been implemented occurs through informal observation, rather than any direct, systematic measurement. In the following study, an African crested porcupine () was trained to touch and hold to a target for 30 s.

Superstition revisited: Sex, species, and adventitious reinforcement.

Skinner's (1948) 'Superstition' in the Pigeon paper proposed that accidental response-reward contingencies, via adventitious reinforcement, could operantly condition the behaviors of pigeons under fixed-time (response-independent) schedules of food delivery. Skinner likened the behavior of pigeons under these fixed-time schedules to the superstitious behavior of humans and proposed that both response patterns were the result of contiguous pairings of rewards following some response. Alternative explanations of superstitious behavior have included Staddon and Simmelhag's (1971) stimulus substitution account and Timberlake and Lucas's (1985) elicited species-typical appetitive behavior account.

Selecting and Testing Environmental Enrichment in Lemurs.

Environmental enrichment has become a standard tool for improving the welfare of animals in zoos. Two critical steps in the manipulation of environmental enrichment are (1) selection of objects/procedures and (2) evaluation of their effects. In this study, we examined the selection and evaluation of feeding enrichment for four species of lemur.