Hostname: page-component-669899f699-7tmb6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-04-26T22:50:32.895Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Evaluation of an innovative approach for sensory enrichment in zoos: semiochemical stimulation for captive lions (Panthera leo)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2023

M Martínez-Macipe ,
C Lafont-Lecuelle ,
X Manteca ,
P Pageat  and
A Cozzi
M Martínez-Macipe*
Affiliation:
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, School of Veterinary Science, Departament de Ciencia Animal i dels Aliments, Bellaterra, Barcelona 08193, Spain
C Lafont-Lecuelle
Affiliation:
IRSEA - Research Institute Semiochemistry and Applied Ethology, Quartier Salignan, Apt 84400, France
X Manteca
Affiliation:
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, School of Veterinary Science, Departament de Ciencia Animal i dels Aliments, Bellaterra, Barcelona 08193, Spain
P Pageat
Affiliation:
IRSEA - Research Institute Semiochemistry and Applied Ethology, Quartier Salignan, Apt 84400, France
A Cozzi
Affiliation:
IRSEA - Research Institute Semiochemistry and Applied Ethology, Quartier Salignan, Apt 84400, France
*
* Contact for correspondence and requests for reprints: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Despite improvements in zoo housing and management conditions over the last years, zoo animals may still present undesirable behaviours, such as aggression, stereotypies, boredom and a general absence of natural behaviours. In order to improve animal welfare, researchers are constantly looking for tools to enrich the environment and increase sensory information. Semiochemicals carry important information and are already in use for domestic and wild species. The aim of the current study was to evaluate their impact on the behaviour of captive lions. The behaviour of 18 African lions (Panthera leo) living at Aqualeon Safari Park, Tarragona, Spain was recorded during four different experimental conditions: (i) no intervention (baseline); (ii) Cat Facial Pheromone F3 in gel-diffuser blocks; (iii) Cat Appeasing Pheromone (CAP) in gel-diffuser blocks; and (iv) placebo blocks. The schedule consisted of six days with exposure to each condition and three days without. It was repeated twice. The statistical analysis showed a number of differences: animals exhibited longer periods of ‘follow’ behaviour when exposed to F3 than control or placebo; and longer periods of ‘play’ behaviour during F3 than control, placebo or CAP, although there was also a significant difference between CAP and placebo vs control. The lions also ‘ran’ more during F3 than during all other conditions and ‘walked’ more during F3 than during control or CAP; walking time was also significantly higher during placebo and CAP vs control. These results suggest that semiochemicals affect the behaviour of lions in captivity and might be considered and studied more thoroughly as potential tools to improve welfare.

Keywords

animal welfarebehaviourcatlionpheromoneszoo
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 24 , Issue 4 , November 2015 , pp. 455 - 461
Copyright
© 2015 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Altmann, J 1974 Observational study of behaviour: sampling methods. Behaviour 49: 227–267. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/156853974X00534CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bouvier, AC and Jacquinet, C 2008 Pheromone in rabbits: Preliminary technical results on farm use in France. 9th World Rabbit Congress. 10-13 June 2008, Verona, ItalyGoogle Scholar
Caro, TM 1995 Short-term costs and correlates of play in chee-tahs. Animal Behaviour 49: 333–345. http://dx.doi.org/10.1006/anbe.1995.9999CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cozzi, A, Monneret, P, Lafont-Lecuelle, C, Bougrat, L, Gaultier, E and Pageat, P 2010 The maternal cat appeasing pheromone: exploratory study of the effects on aggressive and affiliative interactions in cats. Journal of Veterinary Behaviour 5(1): 37–38. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jveb.2009.10.014CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eisenberg, JF and Kleiman, DG 1972 Olfactory communication in mammals. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 3: 1–32. http://dx.doi.org/10.1146/annurev.es.03.110172.000245CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ellis, S 2009 Environmental enrichment: Practical strategies for improving feline welfare. Journal of Feline Medical Surgery 11: 901–912. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jfms.2009.09.011CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Frank, DF, Erb, HN and Houpt, KA 1999 Urine spraying in cats: presence of concurrent disease and effects of a pheromone treatment. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 61: 263–272. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0168-1591(98)00195-6CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gaultier, E, Falewee, C, Bougrat, L and Pageat, P 2005 a. The introduction of a female tiger (Panthera tigris) in a pre-established group of two neutered males: A case study. Current issues and research in veterinary behavioural medicine. Fifth International Veterinary Behavior Meeting pp 1–5. 14-16 July 2005, Minneapolis, USAGoogle Scholar
Gaultier, E, Pageat, P, Falewee, C, Joly, F and Feh, C 2005b Re-introduction of Asian Wild Horses (Equus ferus przewalski) in Mongolia: a one-year introduction report for the first introduced herd and management of stress during the transport of the second introduced herd. Proceedings of the First International Congress of Equine Ethology pp 81–82. 11-12 September 2005, Nantes, FranceGoogle Scholar
Guy, JH, Burns, SE, Barker, JM, Edwards, SA 2009 Reducing post-mixing aggression and skin lesions in weaned pigs by application of a synthetic maternal pheromone. Animal Welfare 18: 249–255Google Scholar
Haque, A 2011 Depression in caged animals: a study at the National Zoo, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Zoo's Print 26(11): 25–29Google Scholar
Held, S and Spinka, M 2011 Animal play and animal welfare. Animal Behaviour 81(5): 891–899. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.anbe-hav.2011.01.007CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hosey, G, Melfi, V and Pankhurst, S 2009 Zoo Animals: Behaviour, Management, and Welfare. Oxford University Press: Oxford, UKGoogle Scholar
ICH 1999 Statistical principles for clinical trials (ICH E9): an introductory note on an international guideline. Statistics in Medicine 18 : 1903-19423.0.CO;2-F>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jensen, M, Vestergaard, K and Krohn, C 1998 Play behaviour in dairy calves kept in pens: the effect of social contact and space allowance. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 56(2): 97–108. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0168-1591(97)00106-8CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Landsberg 2006 Proceedings of the North American Veterinary Conference pp 145. 7-11 January 2006, Orlando, Florida, USAGoogle Scholar
Levine, ED and Mills, DS 2008 Long-term follow-up of the effi-cacy of a behavioural treatment programme for dogs with fire-work fears. Veterinary Record 162: 657–659. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/vr.162.20.657CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Madec, I, Gabarrou, JF, Moulin, D, Bougrat, L, Lafont-Lecuelle, C and Pageat, P 2009 Effects of a semiochemical on Conversion Index and related indicators on fast growing broilers housed during 42 days. Poultry Science 88(2): 251–255. http://dx.doi.org/10.3382/ps.2007-00405CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Madec, I, Gabarrou, JF and Pageat, P 2008a Influence of a maternal odorant on copying strategies in chicks facing isolation and novelty during a standardized test. Neuroendocrinology Letters 29(4): 507–511Google ScholarPubMed
Madec, I, Gabarrou, JF, Saffray, D and Pageat, P 2008b Broilers (Gallus gallus) are less stressed if they can smell a mother odorant. South African Journal of Animal Science 38(3): 201–206. http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/sajas.v38i3.4126CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Madec, I, Pageat, P, Bougrat, L, Lecuelle-Lafont, C, Saffray, D, Falewee, C, Bollard, A, Chabrol, P and Gabarrou, JF 2008c Influence of a preen gland secretion on growth and meat quality of heavy broilers. Animal 2(4): 631–635. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1751731107001504CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Madec, I, Pageat, P, Bougrat, L, Saffray, D, Falewee, C, Gervasoni, MA, Bollart, A and Gabarrou, JF 2006 Influence of a semiochemical analogue on growing performances and meat quality of broilers. Poultry Science 85: 2112–2116. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ps/85.12.2112CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mengoli, M, Pageat, P, Monneret, P, Lecuelle-Lafont, C, Robejean, M, Pageat, R, Teruel, E and Cozzi, A 2014 The Cat Appeasing Pheromone (CAP): when chemical communication restore peaceful relationships between cats. Proceedings of Congress of the European College of Animal Welfare and Behavioural Medicine (ECAWBM). 20-22 November 2014, FranceGoogle Scholar
Mills, DS and White, JC 2000 Long-term follow up of the effect of a pheromone therapy on feline spraying behaviour. Veterinary Record 147: 746–747Google Scholar
Mintline, EM, Stewart, M, Rogers, AR, Cox, NR, Verkerk, GA, Stookey, JM, Webster, JR and Tucker, CB 2013 Play behavior as an indicator of animal welfare: disbudding in dairy calves. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 144(1-2): 22–30. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2012.12.008CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pageat, P 1996 Properties of cats’ facial pheromones. European Patent EP 0 724 832, B1; Australian Patent AU-B-47169/96; US Patent 5,709,863; Japan Patent, 52325996. http://data.epo.org/gpi/EP0724832B1Google Scholar
Pageat, P 1998 Appeasing Pheromones to decrease stress, anxi-ety and aggressiveness. European patent EP 0 948 963 A1; US Patent 6,054,481; US Patent 6,077,867; US Patent US 6,169,113 B1; Japan Patent 2000-528279; Japan Patent 980298. http://data.epo.org/gpi/EP0948963A1Google Scholar
Pageat, P 2002 Animal Appeasing Pheromones. US Patent Number 6,384,252. http://www.patents.com/Animal-appeasing-pheromones-6384252.htmlGoogle Scholar
Pageat, P and Gaultier, E 2003 Current research in canine and feline pheromones. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice 33 (2):187-211. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0195-5616(02)00128-6CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Palagi, E and Paoli, T 2007 Play in adult bonobos (Pan paniscus): Modality and potential meaning. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 134 (2): 219-225. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.20657CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pearson, J 2002 On a roll: novel objects and scent enrichment for Asiatic lions. Shape Enrichment 11: 7–10Google Scholar
Powell, DM 1995 Preliminary evaluation of environmental enrichment techniques for African lions (Panthera leo). Animal Welfare 4: 361–370Google Scholar
Schuett, EB and Frase, BA 2001 Making scents: Using olfacto-ry senses for lion enrichment. Shape Enrichment 10: 1–3Google Scholar
Spielman, JS 2000 An evaluation of the function of scent-marking in carnivores with a specific study into the effects of pheromone enrich-ment for captive tigers ( Panthera tigris) and lions ( Panthera leo). MSc Dissertation, University of Edinburgh, UKGoogle Scholar
Tirindelli, R, Dibattista, M, Pifferi, S and Menini, A 2009 From pheromones to behavior. Physiology Review 89(3): 921–956. http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/physrev.00037.2008Google ScholarPubMed
Tomecek, SM 2009 Animal Behaviour and Animal Communication. Infobase Publishing: New York, USAGoogle Scholar
Wells, DL 2009 Sensory stimulation as environmental enrich-ment for captive animals: a review. Applied Animal Behavioural Science 118: 1–11. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.appla-nim.2009.01.002CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wyatt, T 2003 Pheromones and Animal Behaviour. Communication by Smell and Taste. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511615061CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wyatt, T 2010 Pheromones and signature mixtures: defining species-wide signals and variable cues for identity in both inverte-brates and vertebrates. Journal of Comparative Physiology 196(10): 685–700. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00359-010-0564-yCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Young, RG 2003 Environmental Enrichment for Captive Animals; UFAW. Blackwell Publishing: UK. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/9780470751046CrossRefGoogle Scholar