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Effects of feeding enrichment on the behaviour and welfare of captive Waldrapps (Northern bald ibis) (Geronticus eremita)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 January 2023

HE Vargas-Ashby  and
SJ Pankhurst
HE Vargas-Ashby
Affiliation:
Environmental Sciences Research Centre, Anglia Ruskin University, East Road, Cambridge CBI IPT, UK
SJ Pankhurst*
Affiliation:
Environmental Sciences Research Centre, Anglia Ruskin University, East Road, Cambridge CBI IPT, UK
*
* Contact for correspondence and requests for reprints: [email protected]
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Abstract

One of the contributing factors leading to the development of serious foot problems such as bumblefoot (pododermatitis) in captive birds is an abnormally sedentary lifestyle. This study investigated the effects of feeding enrichment on the activity levels of a captive colony of seven Waldrapps or Northern bald ibis (Geronticus eremita) at Tilgate Nature Centre in Sussex. After the introduction of a simple and inexpensive feeding enrichment device, the proportion of time the ibis spent inactive on perches was significantly reduced, with a corresponding increase in the proportion of time allocated to active behaviours such as walking, flying and foraging on the ground. Feeding enrichment, over the longer term, also resulted in a significant reduction in levels of aggression between individuals within the colony. The scope of this study is limited by the relatively small sample size, but nevertheless the findings suggest that the use of feeding enrichment for captive Waldrapp ibis has a number of beneficial effects.

Keywords

animal welfarebumblefootfeeding enrichmentNorthern bald ibispododermatitisWaldrapp ibis
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 16 , Issue 3 , August 2007 , pp. 369 - 374
Copyright
© 2007 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

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