Barriers to a Better Life
Have you ever been to a zoo and seen a tiger pacing or maybe observed some other behavior you thought might be negative and wanted to know why it was occurring? As an animal behavior and welfare scientist, I try to answer these types of questions.
Unfortunately, animals sometimes engage in stereotypic or abnormal behavior and caregivers have little information on the cause or motivation behind them. My job is to try and make a difference for these animals and better understand situations that might negatively affect welfare. As ambassadors for their wild counterparts, it is important to ensure the highest quality of care for every individual in our collection and to share that information to benefit animals in zoological institutions throughout the world.
Often times when people see a tiger pacing in a zoo they believe it is due to boredom or perhaps having too small of an exhibit. However, recent findings suggest that a significant portion of the pacing observed in some carnivore species is due to the fact that they can see neighboring individuals of the same species.
Sometimes animals that are exhibited in groups will be aggressive towards one another and need to be separated into different exhibits, or in the case of solitary species, they are exhibited individually to mimic life in the wild. In both of these situations animals often have the opportunity to see neighboring animals of the same species without the ability to interact with those individuals.
We have found that by utilizing visual barriers to block the view of neighboring individuals, we can significantly reduce pacing for two different species of carnivores: tigers and dholes (Asiatic wild dogs). Apparently, it is potentially frustrating for these animals to have the ability to view others without being able to interact with them. Removing this potential source of frustration then decreases the amount of pacing observed in these individuals. Further research is needed to fully understand the benefits of visual barriers, but they appear to be a beneficial tool to improve the welfare for some species within the collection.
At the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park, we are committed to the care of the animals within our collection and the conservation of endangered species. With the link between animal welfare and reproductive success, having a complete understanding of social situations that might negatively affect the welfare of animals is critically important.
We want to ensure that animals are exhibited in ways that promote welfare while providing the highest levels of care. Through research we are gaining a better understanding of the social complexities of endangered species. As many species are conservation dependent, the more we learn, the better we can care for these animals and aid in their ex situ conservation efforts.
Lance Miller, Ph.D., Scientist, Behavioral Biology, San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research.
