Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-vdxz6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T03:02:21.808Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Woodchip Bedding as Enrichment for Captive Chimpanzees in an Outdoor Enclosure

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 January 2023

L Brent
L Brent*
Affiliation:
Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research, Department of Laboratory Animal Medicine, P O Box 28147, San Antonio, Texas USA 78228-0147
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The use of woodchips as bedding for 16 juvenile chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) was evaluated for the effects on behaviour, health and husbandry practices. Woodchip bedding was placed in two outdoor play areas for five consecutive days. Behavioural data were recorded in the morning and afternoon of each day, and compared to pre- and post-test data. A total of 44 hours of observations, made up of 1 hour scan sample sessions, were completed for the study. Behaviours in the following categories were measured: abnormal, affinitive, aggressive, environmental manipulation, inactivity, locomotion, play, self manipulation and woodchip manipulation. The location of each animal was also recorded Analysis of the data indicated that the chimpanzees engaged in woodchip-related behaviours for an average of 20.52 per cent of the data points, and that they spent more time manipulating the substrate in the morning than in the afternoon. In addition, abnormal behaviour, environmental manipulation and affinitive behaviours were significantly lower during the woodchip condition than during pre-test and post-test conditions. The subjects spent the most time on the floor of the enclosure, and this measure did not differ between conditions. The woodchip bedding did not cause any known health problems for the chimpanzees. Although the daily addition and removal of woodchips took more time than did routine cleaning, it kept the play areas cleaner and drier. The evaluation of woodchip bedding as enrichment was favourable and indicated that bedding may be used regularly in the maintenance of captive chimpanzees.

Keywords

animal welfarechimpanzeesenrichmenthusbandrywoodchip bedding
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 1 , Issue 3 , August 1992 , pp. 161 - 170
Copyright
© 1992 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

References

Berdecio, S, Nash, L T 1981 Chimpanzee Visual Communication: facial, gestural and postural expressive movement in young, captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Arizona State University Anthropological Research Papers No 26Google Scholar
Bloomsmith, M A, Brent, L, Schapiro, S J 1991 Guidelines for developing and managing an environmental enrichment program for non-human primates. Laboratory Animal Science 41: 372–377Google Scholar
Boccia, M L 1989a Preliminary report on the use of a natural foraging task to reduce aggression and stereotypies in socially housed pigtail macaques. Laboratory Primate Newsletter 28(1): 3–4Google Scholar
Boccia, M L 1989b Long-term effects of a natural foraging task on aggression and stereotypies in socially housed pigtail macaques. Laboratory Primate Newsletter 28(2): 18–19Google Scholar
Byrne, G D, Suomi, S J 1991 Effects of woodchips and buried food on behavior patterns and psychological well-being of captive rhesus monkeys. American Journal of Primatology 23: 141–151CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chamove, A S 1989 Environmental enrichment: review. Animal Technology 40: 155–178Google Scholar
Chamove, A S, Anderson, J R 1979 Woodchip litter in a macaque group. Journal of the Institute of Animal Technicians 30: 69–74Google Scholar
Chamove, A S, Anderson, J R 1989 Examining environmental enrichment. In Segal, E F (ed) Housing, Care and Psychological Well-being of Captive and Laboratory Primates, pp 183–202. Noyes Publications: Park Ridge, New JerseyGoogle Scholar
Chamove, A S, Anderson, J R, Morgan-Jones, S C, Jones, S P 1982 Deep woodchip litter: hygiene, feeding and behavioral enhancement in eight primate species. International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems 3: 308–318Google Scholar
Fajzi, K, Reinhardt, V, Smith, M D 1989 A review of environmental enrichment strategies for singly caged non-human primates. Lab Animal 10(2): 23–35Google Scholar
Hill, C A 1966 Coprophagy in apes. International Zoo Yearbook 6: 251–257CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Maple, T L 1979 Great apes in captivity: the good, the bad and the ugly. In Erwin, J, Maple, T L, Mitchell, G (eds) Captivity and Behavior: primates in breeding colonies, laboratories and zoos, pp 239–272. Van Nostrand Reinhold: New YorkGoogle Scholar
McKenzie, S M, Chamove, A S, Feistner, A T C 1986 Floor-coverings and hanging screens alter arboreal monkey behavior. Zoo Biology 5: 339–348CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Myers, J L, Well, A D 1991 Research Design and Statistical Analysis. Harper Collins Publishers: New YorkGoogle Scholar
Traylor-Holzer, K, Fritz, P 1985 Utilization of space by adult and juvenile groups of captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Zoo Biology 4: 115–127CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Walsh, S, Bramblett, C A, Alford, P L 1982 A vocabulary of abnormal behaviors in restrictively reared chimpanzees. American Journal of Primatology 3: 315–319CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Westergaard, G C, Fragaszy, D M 1985 Effects of manipulatable objects on the activity of captive capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella). Zoo Biology 4: 317–327CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wilson, S F 1982 Environmental influences on the activity of captive apes. Zoo Biology 1: 201–209CrossRefGoogle Scholar