A note on the effect of concerts on the behaviour of Domestic dogs <i>Canis lupus familiaris</i> at Taronga Zoo, Sydney

Meade, Jessica; Formella, Isabel; Melfi, Vicky

doi:10.1111/izy.12141

Cited by 5 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…Taronga recently celebrated their 25th Anniversary of Sydney's summer concert series “Twilight at Taronga.” Despite the history and frequency of music events at zoos, a literature review revealed few peer‐reviewed articles on the effects of music events on the behavior or physiology of animals. Meade et al (2017) found no effect on the behavior of the two domestic dogs ( Canis lupus familiaris ) exposed to summer music concerts at Tarango zoo. Shepherdson et al (2004) found honeycreepers ( Cyanerpes sp.)…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Preliminary investigation of the effects of a concert on the behavior of zoo animals

et al. 2022

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To increase visitor footfall and engagement, zoos may host public events that may extend outside typical opening hours. With plans to hold a 2‐day concert at Tayto Park, Ireland, this study aimed to identify the behavioral response to the music event of a selected group of species in the zoo. Twenty‐two species were observed across three phases of the event (pre‐, during, and post event). Specific behaviors of interest were categorized as active, resting, asleep, abnormal, and out of sight, with repeated observations being made at each enclosure during each phase. Alongside these behavioral data, sound pressure levels (SPLs) were concurrently recorded at the observation locations in terms of both dB(A) and dB(C). The median dB(C) levels during the event were found to be significantly higher (mdn = 64.5 dB) when compared with both pre‐event (mdn = 60.7 dB) and postevent phases (mdn = 59.4 dB), while dB(A) levels were only significantly higher during the event (51.7 dB) when compared with the pre‐event phase (mdn = 49.8 dB). We found some species‐specific behavioral changes (mainly associated with active and resting behaviors) correlated with increased SPLs and/or event itself. However, the behavioral responses varied between species and there were numerous species that did not respond with any change in behavior to the increased SPLs or the event itself. This variation in response across species reinforces the need for monitoring of behavioral changes as well as consideration of their natural behavioral ecology when implementing appropriate mitigation strategies. Further research should be encouraged to provide an evidence‐based assessment of how music events may affect animal welfare and behavior and to test the efficacy of mitigation strategies that are implemented to safeguard animal welfare.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Music events hosted at zoos date back to the early 19th century, with zoological gardens in Europe featuring concert halls and open‐air theaters (Meade et al, 2017; Peel, 1903). Today, concert events occur in zoos across Australia, Europe, and the United States.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Preliminary investigation of the effects of a concert on the behavior of zoo animals

et al. 2022

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“…Collins & Marples, 2016; Rodrigues & Azevedo, 2017) but also for other species (e.g. O'Donovan, 1993; Meade et al , 2017).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of visitors on the behaviour of three Asian small‐clawed ottersAonyx cinereusat Cattolica Aquarium

Rossi

Accorsi

Petrulli

et al. 2020

International Zoo Yearbook

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The Asian small‐clawed otter Aonyx cinereus is classified as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the presence of visitors on the behavioural repertoire of three Asian small‐clawed otters at Cattolica Aquarium, Italy. Observational data sampling took place over two periods of 11 days each. The first period was in August when the Aquarium was open and there were visitors present (open period = OP). The second period was between September and October, on days when the Aquarium was closed to visitors (closed period = CP). Focal sampling was integrated with behaviour sampling during data collection. To evaluate the significant differences in frequency and duration of behaviours during the OP and CP periods, a Wilcoxon Signed Rank test was performed. The results of this study showed that the absence of visitors stimulated significant differences in frequency and duration of activity (such as ‘locomotion’ and ‘waiting’) and social behaviours (such as ‘play’). The otters also spent significantly more time visible than ‘out of sight’ when there were no visitors present. This preliminary research provides information that may influence the way zoos and aquatic parks manage their otters, and contributes to the improvement of the welfare of animals in human care.

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“…In particular, visitor intensity significantly increased female pacing behaviour, whilst the male showed increased aggression with an increase in visitor density and intensity [27]. Given that animal visibility, particularly with big cats, may enhance visitor stay time, [28] there is a need to consider crowd placement, noise and its impact.…”

Section: Visitor Impact On Welfarementioning

confidence: 99%

How do Zoo Evening Events at ZSL London Zoo Affect Sumatran Tiger Behaviour and Enclosure

Pastorino¹,

Stubbington²,

Brereton³

et al. 2022

Act Sci VetSci

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Globally, zoological collections may host public events after usual opening hours including festivals, special tours and evening events, in order to generate income. During the summer of 2014, The Zoological Society of London held a series of nine evening events during which zoos' opening hours were extended, with entertainment offerings such as tours and visitor events provided.This study investigated the effect of evening events on the behaviour and enclosure use of five Sumatran tigers (Panthera tigris sumatrae) at ZSL London Zoo. Instantaneous focal sampling was utilised to collect behavioural data and enclosure zone occupancy.Measures of visitor density, crowd noise volume and flash photography data were collected to identify their effect on behaviour and enclosure use. Overall, there was a significant decrease in feeding, locomotion and playing, and a significant increase in resting during event evenings. The event behaviours stretching, spraying, rubbing, flehmen and glass banging also occurred significantly more often during events than on control evenings. There was a significant difference in enclosure use between evening event and control nights, with tigers using distant zones more frequently during events. These data suggest that overall, event nights could influence the behaviour of zoo-housed tigers. In addition to altering their behaviour, tigers appear to exercise choice in space use to reduce the impact of visitor presence during evenings. Future studies should explore these potential impacts across a wider range of felids and investigate the effects of the different stimuli produced by visitors. This information can therefore be used to inform planning of effective mitigation strategies.

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A note on the effect of concerts on the behaviour of Domestic dogs Canis lupus familiaris at Taronga Zoo, Sydney

Cited by 5 publications

References 22 publications

Preliminary investigation of the effects of a concert on the behavior of zoo animals

Preliminary investigation of the effects of a concert on the behavior of zoo animals

Effect of visitors on the behaviour of three Asian small‐clawed ottersAonyx cinereusat Cattolica Aquarium

How do Zoo Evening Events at ZSL London Zoo Affect Sumatran Tiger Behaviour and Enclosure

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