Effect of felid activity on zoo visitor interest

Abstract

The extent to which the presence of zoo visitors influences animal behavior, and the ways in which animal activity influences visitor interest and perception, are of great interest to zoological parks. Visitors have been variously characterized as being enriching for zoo animals, as being stressors, and generally as influencing behavior in measurable ways. Most studies have focused on primates, and have assumed a ''visitor effect'' paradigm (i.e., visitors influence animal behavior). Here we present findings from a study of a nonprimate group (felids), and examine the ''visitor attraction'' model, which assumes that visitors are attracted to active animals. We assessed visitor interest and number at seven cat exhibits at the Brookfield Zoo during the spring and summer of 2002. Data were collected during 1-min scans of each exhibit at 10-min intervals. The results indicate that visitor presence per se did not influence cat activity, and that visitor interest was generally greater when cats were active. Various species differences may be explained by visitor familiarity with the species, variations in exhibit design, and species-specific activity budgets. We conclude that the visitor attraction model may be more appropriate for taxa, such as large cats, that tend naturally to be largely inactive and to respond little (if at all) to visitor disturbances or efforts to engage. The relationship must be viewed as bidirectional: visitors influence animal behavior, and animal behavior influences visitor interest. However, the strength and primary direction of this relationship is likely taxon-specific. We suggest that a visitor attraction model may be more appropriate not only for felids, but for other taxa with similar behavioral patterns and responses as well.

Enriquecimiento ambiental y su efecto en la exhibición de comportamientos estereotipados en jaguares (Panthera onca) del Parque Zoológico Yaguar Xoo, Oaxaca

“…Sin embargo, aspectos relacionados al cuidado, tales como la reducción de ruidos durante el periodo de visitas o los cambios en las interacciones entre el cuidador y el animal pueden ser considerados en esta práctica. Asimismo, el enriquecimiento puede mejorar la experiencia de los visitantes en un zoológico, no sólo porque es más interesante observar animales activos en los encierros (Margulis et al 2003), sino también porque los visitantes pueden aprender más acerca de los animales si éstos despliegan comportamientos parecidos a los exhibidos en la naturaleza (Jones et al 2005).…”

“…Nuestros resultados coinciden con lo encontrado por estas autoras, y los datos de ambos estudios sugieren la necesidad de que la aplicación del enriquecimiento debe ser continua. Como lo mencionan previamente otros estudios (Sheperdson 1998, Margulis et al 2003, nuestros resultados sugieren que el enriquecimiento es una opción "amigable" y barata para disminuir las estereotipias. Bajo esta práctica los animales pueden elegir interactuar o no con los objetos, alimentos y/o estímulos aplicados.…”

Effects of summer microclimates on behavior of lions and tigers in zoos

“…The activities of felids are not typically affected by the presence of zoo visitors (Margulis et al 2003), which allowed for the observed behaviors to be isolated from external factors. Periods of time when the animals' behaviors were influenced by the presence of a keeper, such as during the daily keeper talk (when a treat was often given), were omitted from analysis.…”

The visitor effect in petting zoo-housed animals: Aversive or enriching?

“…It is less clear whether there is a visitor density effect on other mammals commonly housed in zoos, due in part to the relatively few visitor effect studies carried out on non-primates. Some felids, for example, appear to show little or no behavioural response to visitors (Margulis et al, 2003, O'Donovan et al, 1993, whereas other studies report a visitor density influence on the behaviour of zoo-housed cats Chellam, 2002, Sellinger andHa, 2005). Ungulates have not been widely studied in this context, but sika deer (Cervus nippon; Shen-Jin et al, 2010) and Soemmerring's gazelle (Gazella soemmerringii; Mansour et al2000) both show increased alertness as visitor density increases, and higher levels of aggression have been found in gaur (Bos gaurus gaurus; Sekar et al, 2008) and blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra; Rajagopal et al, 2011) when visitor pressure is high.…”