Welfare
An exploration of self-directed behaviours of captive chimpanzees during the initial training sessions of a cognitive study
The recent addition of the Budongo Trail to the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s Edinburgh Zoo includes research pods that provide an up-close viewing experience for the public. These dedicated research areas were used for cognitive research but were initially used to train the chimpanzees to voluntarily enter these areas (and remain for a reasonable time) and participate in activities for food rewards.
Although zoo housed primates are now regularly trained for husbandry procedures (e.g. presenting body parts to allow the animal staff to provide better and faster care), the combination of a zoo setting and cognitive research has not been well studied in relation to welfare. With only a reinforced glass barrier between the public and the chimpanzee participants, a new form of uncertainty or potential anxiety inducing situations had the potential to arise in comparison to traditional research lab scenarios where the research is performed behind the scenes.
The purpose of the study was to:
- Expand the current literature available on self-directed behaviours in response to context
- Explore the relationship of positive reinforcement training techniques on the welfare of captive chimpanzees
- Demonstrate the influence of an up-close public viewing experience on the management of captive chimpanzees
- Provide quantitative feedback to the keeper staff about the progression of behaviour in relation to training activities, for example, whether any particular combination of test conditions leads to heightened stress responses in some individuals and should therefore be avoided