Cognitive Group Testing Promotes Affiliative Behaviors in Dolphins

Mátrai, Eszter; Gendron, Suzanne M.; Boos, Michael; Pogány, Ákos

doi:10.1080/10888705.2022.2149267

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 55 publications

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“…There is also evidence that experiencing positive wellbeing is conducive to seeking more positive wellbeing [32,52]. In addition, positive daily experiences lead to animals engaging in more positive interactions, such as play and collaborative behaviours, while reducing detrimental behaviours such as aggression and stereotypes [58].…”

Section: Medical Husbandry-integrating Operant Conditioning In Preven...mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Role of Preventative Medicine Programs in Animal Welfare and Wellbeing in Zoological Institutions

Martelli¹,

Krishnasamy²

2023

Animals

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The overarching goal of a preventative medicine program is to minimize the chances of health problems developing and to maximize the chances of detecting health problems early, in a manner that best benefits the animals and the organization. The traditional paradigms of animal welfare, stemming from the five freedoms and being progressively fleshed out to five domains, the 24/7 approach and so forth do not apply perfectly to zoological collections and less so to animals undergoing veterinary treatments. The physiology and behaviour of animals undergoing veterinary treatments, including therapeutic, quarantine and preventative medicine, are derailed from their normal states and their choices and comfort are de facto limited. A paradigm separating animal wellbeing from animal welfare is necessary to instil clarity of thought and to guide actions in regard to the welfare of animals under human care. Using such a model, preventative medicine programs emerge as a cornerstone of zoo and aquarium animal welfare, all the more if it incorporates modern veterinary and husbandry techniques, including operant conditioning.

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Section: Medical Husbandry-integrating Operant Conditioning In Preven...mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Role of Preventative Medicine Programs in Animal Welfare and Wellbeing in Zoological Institutions

Martelli¹,

Krishnasamy²

2023

Animals

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“…One potential approach to improving the welfare of manatees in human care could be cognitive enrichment. Cognitive enrichment has shown promising potential in dolphins [56][57][58] and elephants [59]. We highly recommend conducting research that considers the role of manatee personality and affective states while assessing the advantages of enrichment programs on the animals' welfare.…”

Section: Manatee Behaviour and Socialitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Manatees in Zoological Parks throughout the World: History, State, and Welfare

Henaut,

Delfour

2023

Animals

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The order Sirenia comprises several species of manatees and one species of dugong. These popular marine mammals are relatively recent acquisitions to zoological parks throughout the world. As far as we know, there are less than 200 manatees, mostly American, a few African, and ever less Amazonian, currently in zoological parks. American manatees are predominantly found in zoos in Europe, North America, and in some Asian countries, while African ones are present exclusively in Asian zoos. The living conditions of captive manatees differ considerably from zoo to zoo (i.e., numbers, sex ratio, outdoor vs. indoor habitats, complex vs. simple habitats). Most research on manatee behaviour has been relatively recent, and studies on cognition, sociality, and ecology have a significant impact on our perception of manatee needs and management, with wider implications for their welfare. In the wild, manatees demonstrated various cognitive capacities; spatial memory and learning abilities play an important role in their daily life in a complex and dynamic environment. Furthermore, there is evidence that these mammals are more social animals than expected. Individuals show various personality traits on the boldness–shyness continuum and their sociality varies. All those parameters are important in terms of animal welfare. Several behavioural studies showed that standardized enrichment programs benefit and ensure the welfare of captive zoo animals. However, obtaining accurate information on the presence of manatees in zoos, living conditions, management, and consequently welfare remains challenging. This study examines the current knowledge on manatee behaviour and cognition and then discusses different approaches to improving the welfare of this charismatic marine mammal in zoological parks.

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Experiments with a set of cooperative enrichment devices used by groups of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins

Matrai

2024

BIOLOGIA FUTURA

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Dolphins in the wild cooperate to find food, gain and maintain access to mating partners, look after their young ones, or for the sheer joy of play. Under human care, environmental enrichments provide mental and physical stimulation and opportunities for the dolphins to practice their natural abilities. In this review, I focus on a set of enrichment devices we designed for cooperative problem-solving. They allowed the dolphins to utilize and improve their cognitive skills, leading to improved socialization within the group. While the devices provided appropriate challenges to the dolphins, they also allowed the investigation of the impact of demographic and social factors on the cooperative actions. We found that age and relatedness had no impact on cooperation; in turn, cooperation increased with group size. In addition, during the use of these cognitive enrichments, partner preference and intersexual differences were revealed in cooperative actions. The novel multi-partner devices were not only used by dolphin pairs but also by dolphin trios and quartets, providing evidence for group-level cooperation. In addition, a novel food-sharing device was used prosocially by dolphin pairs. Finally, the introduction of these cognitive enrichments leads to measurable short- and long-term welfare improvement. Thus, the use of these cognitive enrichments paired with systematic data collection bridged science with welfare. Future studies will investigate intersexual differences in independent groups, the emergence and function of cooperative interactions, and the socio-dynamics using cognitive enrichments.

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Cognitive Group Testing Promotes Affiliative Behaviors in Dolphins

Cited by 4 publications

References 55 publications

The Role of Preventative Medicine Programs in Animal Welfare and Wellbeing in Zoological Institutions

The Role of Preventative Medicine Programs in Animal Welfare and Wellbeing in Zoological Institutions

Manatees in Zoological Parks throughout the World: History, State, and Welfare

Experiments with a set of cooperative enrichment devices used by groups of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins

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