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The Effects of Housing and Enrichment on Zoo Elephant Behavior

Posta, Beth A.
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1294168589

Abstract Details

2011, Master of Science (MS), Bowling Green State University, Biological Sciences.
Zoos today are concerned with providing for the physical and psychological welfare of captive animals. One of the greatest challenges for zoo managers is ensuring the good welfare of zoo elephants. Yet only a few scientific studies have comprehensively focused on activity and behavioral health of captive elephants or examined elephant behavior over a 24-hour period or throughout several seasons, making evaluation of diurnal and seasonal variations in behavior challenging. Elephants in the wild have been observed spending the majority of their day foraging and it is suggested that movement in the wild is based on the availability of food and water. Elephants in zoos are not subjected to food or water restrictions, and instead are more prone to obesity due to the high quality of feed and addition of enrichment foods. Thus the management of zoo elephants must consider the occupational needs of elephants to forage and to feed, while at the same time providing high quality diets. This study examined the behavior of two zoo elephants over a 2-year period in an effort to determine factors that affect behavior. Results suggest that elephant activity is influenced by the type of housing, time of day, and season. Furthermore, a retrospective examination of the effectiveness of environmental enrichment showed that typical zoo keeper documentation techniques, while adequate for monitoring daily elephant care and well being, may not allow for a robust analysis of the effectiveness of enrichment in promoting specific behaviors.
Robert Huber, PhD (Committee Chair)
Moira van Staaden, PhD (Committee Member)
Donald Moore, PhD (Committee Member)
60 p.
Animals; Behavioral Sciences; Biology; Zoology
Environmental enrichment; activity; behavior; elephant; zoo

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Posta, B. A. (2011). The Effects of Housing and Enrichment on Zoo Elephant Behavior [Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1294168589

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Posta, Beth. The Effects of Housing and Enrichment on Zoo Elephant Behavior. 2011. Bowling Green State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1294168589.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Posta, Beth. "The Effects of Housing and Enrichment on Zoo Elephant Behavior." Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University, 2011. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1294168589

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

bgsu1294168589
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This open access ETD is published by Bowling Green State University and OhioLINK.
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