What Can Zookeepers Tell Us About Interacting With Big Cats in Captivity?

Despite the potential dangers involved, interactions between zookeepers and captive big cats are increasing. Research with other animals, particularly nonhuman primates, suggests that closer interactions can be beneficial not only for the animals and their keepers, but also for zoo visitors. This study sought to determine whether the same benefits may apply to keeper‐big cat interactions. An online questionnaire was completed by 86 keepers worldwide, assessing which types of handling (hands‐on, protected, hands‐off) they practice with their big cats, whether they practice training, and what their opinions of these methods are (through a series of rating scales and open‐ended questions). Protected contact was the most frequently used handling method among this sample, particularly with lions, tigers, and cheetahs, and training was practiced by the majority of participants with all big cat species. Participants perceived protected contact as the most beneficial handling practice for big cats, keepers, and visitors, noting how it can allow a close bond between keeper and cat, as well as its educational value for zoo visitors. Contrastingly, concerns were raised about the use of hands‐on approaches, particularly with regard to the safety of all parties involved and the potential for wrong messages to be sent to visitors. Further, training was reported to be more beneficial for each group than any handling practice, yielding similar potential benefits as protected contact. Consistent with existing information with other species, these findings will be useful in directing objective research examining the use of different handling and training methods with big cats. Zoo Biol. 32:142–151, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Visitor behavior in zoos: A review

Abstract

Visitors are integral components of zoological parks and their importance has led to a research area devoted to understanding the people–zoo relationship. This paper reviews, and provides a point of entry into, the literature relating to visitor research in zoos. The field emerged relatively recently and is diverse and interdisciplinary (it shares common ground with sociology, education, psychology, zoology, and other academic disciplines). Several areas can be identified in the literature (audience analysis, circulation and orientation, exhibit evaluation, and interactions with animals), and these areas have revealed visitors' demographic and behavioral characteristics, people's behavioral responses to endogenous and exogenous factors, the impact of exhibit design, and visitors' movements around zoos. Limitations of existing work include independence between research areas, lack of international studies, limited generalizability of results, and the minority status of the field. Therefore, suggestions for future work include integrating different research areas, more research from outside Europe and America, and increased interaction within the visitor research community.     

玩具丰容对圈养白颊长臂猿行为的影响

为帮助改善动物园人工繁育的国家Ⅰ级重点保护野生动物——白颊长臂猿Nomascus leucogenys的饲养环境,本实验尝试研究玩具丰容对其行为的影响。2014年7-8月,对北京动物园的1个白颊长臂猿种群（5只个体）中的2只进行玩具丰容,通过焦点取样法和瞬时记录法对白颊长臂猿的18种行为进行观察记录,并使用配对t检验对丰容前期、丰容期各行为的持续时间进行比较。结果显示,丰容期白颊长臂猿的多项日常行为均有显著的提高或下降,其中受游客干扰行为显著下降而探求行为增加,但探求行为的增加持续时间不超过4 d。结果表明,玩具丰容能够影响白颊长臂猿的行为且丰容效果有个体差异。玩具丰容能够一定程度增加白颊长臂猿探求行为并减少其对游客的注意,但是效果会随时间减弱。     

Stereotypic behavior in wild marine carnivores?

Stereotypic behavior is observed in many species within zoological institutions. Attempts to reduce such behavior typically involve some form of environmental enrichment that provides opportunities for species appropriate behavior or some degree of control within the environment. However, environmental enrichment has never been completely successful in eliminating stereotypic behavior for an entire group of animals within a zoological facility. In the wild, stereotypic behavior is rarely observed. Documenting the occurrence of stereotypic behavior in the wild, and circumstances in which it occurs, could help provide insight into the causes of such behavior within zoological institutions. The following commentary details the observations of wild lemon sharks (Negaprion brevirostris) engaging in a stereotyped swimming pattern behind a research vessel north of Grand Bahama Island, Bahamas. We consider a possible explanation for the sharks' behavior and hope to stimulate conversation as well as increase examination of animal management routines in zoological facilities. Zoo Biol 30:365–370, 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.