Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rcrh6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T11:29:53.569Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A Grass Foraging Device for Captive Chimpanzees (Pan Troglodytes)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 January 2023

S P Lambeth  and
M A Bloomsmith
S P Lambeth*
Affiliation:
The University of Texas M D Anderson Cancer Center, Science Park, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Route 2, Box 151-B1, Bastrop, Texas 78602, USA
M A Bloomsmith
Affiliation:
The University of Texas M D Anderson Cancer Center, Science Park, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Route 2, Box 151-B1, Bastrop, Texas 78602, USA
*
† Contact for correspondence and requests for reprints
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

In the wild, chimpanzees spend most of their time foraging, so any device that stimulates this behaviour in captivity could potentially be effective enrichment. A simple grass foraging device constructed of a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe cut in half lengthwise and planted with rye grass seed was designed to allow captive chimpanzees living in non-grassy enclosures to exhibit foraging similar to that of their wild counterparts. The grass containers were attached to the outside of six different enclosures. Observational data were collected on 14 adult chimpanzees (eight females, six males) within groups of either two or four members. A total of 54 hours of behavioural observations were conducted and comparisons were made across three conditions: baseline; grass container; grass container with extra foraging material (one half cup of sunflower seeds). Subjects used the grass container for 4.0 per cent of their time, but for 19.8 per cent of their time when the grass container with extra foraging material There was no statistical evidence of habituation to the device. Overall, the grass container only increased time spent foraging when it contained additional food items. Since behavioral benefits associated with this device are few, its potential application is limited.

Keywords

animal welfarechimpanzeesenvironmental enrichmentforagingpsychological well-being
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 3 , Issue 1 , February 1994 , pp. 13 - 24
Copyright
© 1994 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

References

Bayne, K, Mainzer, H, Dexter, S, Campbell, G, Yamada, F and Suomi, S 1991 The reduction of abnormal behaviors in individually housed rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) with a foraging/grooming board. American Journal of Primatology 23: 23–25CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bloom, K R and Cook, M 1989 Environmental enrichment: behavioral responses of rhesus to puzzle feeders. Lab Animal 18(5): 25–31Google Scholar
Bloomsmith, M A 1989 Feeding enrichment for captive great apes. In Segal, E F (ed) Housing, Care and Psychological Wellbeing of Captive and Laboratory Primates pp 336–356. Noyes Publications: Park Ridge, NJGoogle Scholar
Bloomsmith, M A, Alford, P L and Maple, T L 1988 Successful feeding enrichment for captive chimpanzees. American Journal of Primatology 16: 155–164CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bloomsmith, M A, Finlay, T W, Merhalski, J and Maple, T L 1990 Rigid plastic balls as enrichment for captive chimpanzees. Laboratory Animal Science 40: 319–322Google ScholarPubMed
Bloomstrand, M, Riddle, K, Alford, P and Maple, T L 1986 Objective evaluation of a behavioral enrichment device for captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Zoo Biology 5: 293–300CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boccia, M L 1989 Preliminary report on the use of a natural foraging task to reduce aggression and stereotypies in socially housed pigtail macaques. Laboratory Primate Newsletter 28(1): 3–4Google Scholar
Brent, L and Eichberg, J W 1991 Primate puzzleboard: a simple environmental enrichment device for captive chimpanzees. Zoo Biology 10: 353–360CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bryant, C E, Rupniak, N M J and Iversen, S D 1988 Effects of different environmental enrichment devices on cage stereotypies and autoaggression in captive cynomolgus monkeys. Journal of Medical Primatology 17: 257–269CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chamove, A S and Anderson, J R 1979 Woodchip litter in macaque groups. Journal of the Institute of Animal Technicians 30(2): 69–74Google Scholar
Chamove, A S, Anderson, J R, Morgan-Jones, S C and Jones, S P 1982 Deep woodchip litter: hygiene, feeding and behavioral enhancement in eight primate species. International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems 3: 308–318Google Scholar
Fritz, P and Fritz, J 1979 Resocialization of chimpanzees. Journal of Medical Primatology 8: 202–221Google ScholarPubMed
Goodall, J 1986 The Chimpanzees of Gombe: Patterns of Behavior. Belknap: CambridgeGoogle Scholar
Gould, E and Bres, M 1986 Regurgitation and reingestion in captive gorillas: description and intervention. Zoo Biology 5: 241–250CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hayes, S L 1990 Increasing foraging opportunities for a group of captive capuchin monkeys (Cebus capucinus). Laboratory Animal Science 40: 515–519Google ScholarPubMed
Lambeth, S P and Bloomsmith, M A 1992 Mirrors as enrichment for captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Laboratory Animal Science 42: 261–266Google ScholarPubMed
Line, S W 1987 Environmental enrichment for laboratory primates. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 190: 854–859Google ScholarPubMed
McGrew, W C, Brennan, J A and Russell, J 1986 An artificial ‘gum-tree’ for marmosets (Callithrix j jacchus). Zoo Biology 5: 45–50Google Scholar
Maki, S, Alford, P L, Bloomsmith, M A and Franklin, J 1989 Food puzzle device simulating termite fishing for captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). American Journal of Primatology Supplement 1: 71–78Google Scholar
Maple, T L 1980 Chimpanzee reproduction, rearing, and rehabilitation in captivity. Report submitted to the Ad Hoc Task Force, National Chimpanzee Breeding Program, Tanglewood, NCGoogle Scholar
Martin, P and Bateson, P 1986 Measuring Behaviour: An Introductory Guide pp 86–97. Cambridge University Press: CambridgeGoogle Scholar
Nash, V J 1982 Tool use by captive chimpanzees at an artificial termite mound. Zoo Biology 1: 211–221CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Novak, M A and Suomi, S J 1988 Psychological well-being of primates in captivity. American Psychologist 48: 765–773Google Scholar
Paquette, D and Prescott, J 1988 Use of novel objects to enhance environments of captive chimpanzees. Zoo Biology 7: 15–23CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pruetz, J D and Bloomsmith, M A 1992 Comparing two manipulable objects as enrichment for captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Animal Welfare 1: 127–137CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tripp, J K 1985 Increasing activity in captive orangutans: provision of manipulable and edible materials. Zoo Biology 4: 225–234CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wrangham, R W 1977 Feeding behavior of chimpanzees in Gombe National Park, Tanzania. In Clutton-Brock, T H (ed) Primate Ecology: Studies of Feeding and Ranging Behavior in Lemurs, Monkeys and Apes pp 503–538. Academic Press: New York, NYGoogle Scholar