Environmental Enrichment for Captive Animals Chris M. Sherwin Published online: 04 Jun 2010.

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1 This article was downloaded by: [Dr Kenneth Shapiro] On: 08 June 2015, At: 08:19 Publisher: Routledge Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: Registered office: Mortimer House, Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: Environmental Enrichment for Captive Animals Chris M. Sherwin Published online: 04 Jun To cite this article: Chris M. Sherwin (1999) Environmental Enrichment for Captive Animals, Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 2:3, , DOI: / s jaws0203_7 To link to this article: PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the Content ) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or

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3 JOURNAL OF APPLIED ANIMAL WELFARE SCIENCE, 2(3), Copyright Q 1999, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Inc. BOOK REVIEWS Environmental Enrichment for Captive Animals Second Nature: Environmental Enrichment for Captive Animals. Edited by David J. Sheperdson, Jill D. Mellen, and Michael Hutchins, Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution, 1998, 350 pages. Reviewed by Chris M. Sherwin Department of Clinical Veferinary Science University Of Bristol, England Divided into three parts, this book is a collection of 19 papers selected from the First Conference on Environmental Enrichment, held in Portland, Oregon in Part 1 addresses the theoretical bases of environmental enrichment, part 2 looks at enrichment in animal conservation and welfare, and part 3 examines enrichment in captive management, husbandry, and training. Thirty-eight contributors are listed, of whom at least 34 are from the United States, giving it a distinctly North American flavor. Due to this number of authors, the book contains a vast amount of experience, information, comments, and anecdotes, which will be a bountiful source of inspiration to many involved in the enrichment of animals in zoos. It is these animals, and those in captivity awaiting reintroduction, with whom this book deals almost exclusively. There is only one chapter discussing original research on enrichment for animals in laboratories (this is on primates), and none on farm species. Too few chapters adequately integrate findings from animals in farms and laboratories, the most notable exceptions being those written by Mench, Carlstead, and Mellen et al. Other contributions would have benefitted from an interdisciplinary approach in their interpretation and discussion of results. Requests for reprints should be sent to Chris M. Sherwin. Division of Animal Health and Husbandry, Department of Clinical Vetennary Science, Langford House, University of Bristol, Langford, Bristol BS40 SDU, England.

244 BOOK REVIEWS VALUABLE INSIGHTS To those who work primarily with animals in farms or laboratories, Second Nature provides valuable insights about the different definitions, priorities, and ethics

4 244 BOOK REVIEWS VALUABLE INSIGHTS To those who work primarily with animals in farms or laboratories, Second Nature provides valuable insights about the different definitions, priorities, and ethics of environmental enrichment as they relate to animals in zoos. For example, it is difficult to conceive many situations in which it would be ethically acceptable to feed live prey to farm or laboratory species. More justifiable, however, would be a predatory species intended for reintroduction who needs hunting experience to ensure survival. I found the contributors' differing opinions on the objectives of environmental enrichment both fascinating and a little confusing, especially concerning naturalistic-or-not enrichments. Are the enrichments intended to benefit the viewing public or the welfare of the animals? Because Second Nature is a series of conference papers, the quality, style, and writing vary, and some potential areas of subject matter are not covered. Some chapters eloquently summarize many years of research without a mean, standard error, or p value in sight. Others give complete presentations of F values and treat us to the delights of employing Sidak's multiplicative inequality to adjust alpha levels. Obvious gaps in the book indicate areas that deserve immediate research attention. Several authors point out the dangers of sensory anthropocentricity when devising enrichment programs. None, however, discuss enrichments to suit the many nonhuman species capable of ultraviolet spectrum vision or hearing in the ultrasonic or subsonic ranges. Several chapters are admirably devoted to animals rarely considered deserving of enrichment: amphibians, reptiles, and ungulates. To find none devoted to birds, however, was disappointing, especially because birds are the most numerous of all the taxa of captive vertebrate populations (Table 13.1). The use of conference papers makes the book a little repetitive. Although an entire chapter is dedicated to stereotypic behavior, several other contributions also discuss the subject at some length. CRITICAL COMMENTS Of relevance to readers of the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science is the sometimes dubious basis on which studies record and interpret behavior and assess welfare. Overgeneralization, especially when based on studies using only a few individual animals or on one social group where in reality N = 1, could easily mislead the uncritical or newly graduated scientist. I feel it is unacceptable to report "bizarre postures" (p. 158) as necessarily indicative of poor welfare, or to write, "The obvious result of rapidly consummated feeding is much free time, often leading to boredom" (pp ) without further justification, critical discussion, or perhaps limiting to particular species. Some contributors oversimplistically emphasize changes in time budgets or reproductive characteristics as indicative of improved welfare and successful enrich-

BOOK REVIEWS 245 ment. Spreading odors of potential mates in bear cages is justified on the basis of a reduction in stereotypes, with no discussion of the possible frustration this might induce (p.

5 BOOK REVIEWS 245 ment. Spreading odors of potential mates in bear cages is justified on the basis of a reduction in stereotypes, with no discussion of the possible frustration this might induce (p. 68). I fear that appropriate critical analysis of the measurement and interpretation of behavior and welfare might have been missed by not permitting "ivory tower pontification" (p, xii) at the conference at which these papers were presented. Second Nature may disappoint the reader whose interest lies in assessment of enrichments for laboratory or farm animals, or who seeks critical analysis of the science behind behavioral and physiological assessment enrichment effectiveness and its consequent effects on welfare. Given the paucity of collected works on this subject, however, the book is a valuable resource for those who seek easily digested review articles that cover environmental enrichment for a wide variety of species in zoos, or who want to learn about the enrichment considerations peculiar to zoo and reintroduction animals.

Bangalore , India b Department of Electrical Communication Engineering, Indian

Bangalore , India b Department of Electrical Communication Engineering, Indian This article was downloaded by: [Indian Institute of Science], [D. Packiaraj] On: 09 April 2014, At: 06:45 Publisher: Taylor & Francis Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954