17 research outputs found

    Evaluating risk preferences in captive ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta): a research study

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    The risk-sensitive foraging theory hypothesizes that animals on a positive energy budget should be risk-averse, whereas animals on a negative energy budget should be risk-prone. Species living in a stable environment with consistent food sources are thus predicted to be risk-averse, whereas when resources are not sufficient to satisfy energetic requirements risk-aversion should decrease to enhance chance of survival. Numerous studies have evaluated risk tolerance in monkeys and apes, but only a few have been conducted on prosimians. The present project investigates risk preferences in ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) , a prosimian species adapted to stressful and energetically scarce habitats. Our project aims to analyse lemurs’ risk preferences in different conditions and to evaluate if they are able to flexibly modify their attitudes toward risk as the probability to obtain the larger reward changes. Preliminary trials were carried out to determine lemurs’ quantity discrimination skills, before evaluating their risk preferences in experimental trials. The study is performed in accordance with the European Directive 2010/63/E

    Reaching versus catching: flexible hand preference in ring-tailed lemurs

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    Compared to other primate taxa, hand preference in strepsirrhines has been poorly investigated and the available studies have often produced conflicting results. Thanks to their remarkable plasticity in foraging and postural habits, ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) represent a key model species to examine manual lateralisation. We video-recorded 23 individuals hosted at four Italian zoological gardens during three food-related trials requiring different kinds of manual actions. We found a remarkable hand preference at individual level for grasping static food presented in a bowl, both when only one kind of food was offered (“food limitedchoice” task) and when a mix of less and more palatable food items were available (“food large-choice” task). Conversely, most individuals did not show any hand preference for catching highly palatable food in motion (“catching” task). Moreover, the subjects not showing any hand preference engaged more frequently in bimanual actions (concurrent and symmetric use of both hands in catching food) than the subjects displaying a manual asymmetry. No detrimental effect on the task performance was recorded, indicating a high level of hand selection plasticity in Lemur catta. In conclusion, our findings show that ring-tailed lemurs can take advantage from a flexible manual strategy and highlight how ecological factors must be carefully evaluated when assessing hand preference in extant strepsirrhines

    Sharing playful mood: rapid facial mimicry in Suricata suricatta

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    One of the most productive behavioural domains to study visual communication in mammals is social play. The ability to manage play-fighting interactions can favour the development of communicative modules and their correct decoding. Due to their high levels of social cohesion and cooperation, slender-tailed meerkats (Suricata suricatta) are a very good model to test some hypotheses on the role of facial communication in synchronizing playful motor actions. We found that the relaxed open mouth (ROM), a playful facial expression conveying a positive mood in several social mammals, is also present in meerkats. ROM was mainly perceived during dyadic playful sessions compared to polyadic ones. We also found that meerkats mimic in a very rapid and automatic way the ROM emitted by playmates (Rapid Facial Mimicry, RFM). RFM was positively correlated with the relationship quality shared by subjects thus suggesting that the mimicry phenomenon is socially modulated. Moreover, more than the mere presence of isolated ROMs, the presence of at RFM prolonged the duration of the play session. Through RFM animals can share the emotional mood they are experiencing and this appears to be particularly adaptive in those species whose relationships are not inhibited by rank rules and when animals build and maintain their bonds through social affiliation. The meerkat society is cohesive and cooperative. Such features could have therefore favoured the evolution of facial mimicry, a phenomenon linked to emotional contagion, one of the most basic forms of empathy

    Enriching Zoo-Housed Ring-Tailed Lemurs (<i>Lemur catta</i>): Assessing the Influence of Three Types of Environmental Enrichment on Behavior

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    Environmental enrichment is a management tool used to promote positive animal welfare by stimulating species-specific behaviors and providing animals with opportunities to exert choice and control over the environment. Our study aimed to evaluate the combined effect of three enrichment types and environmental/individual factors (i.e., individual age and rank position) on the behavior of six adult Lemur catta hosted at Pistoia Zoo (Italy). We collected data from June to September 2013 using a within-subject experimental design consisting of five conditions: Baseline, Food-based enrichment, Physical enrichment, Auditory enrichment and No enrichment provided. We conducted six 30-minute observation sessions per sampling day (total = 107 h). We recorded the animals’ behavior via 2-minute focal animal sampling per individual per observation period and analyzed data with Generalized Linear Models. The study group only performed normal species-specific behaviors. Enrichments decreased stress-related behavioral patterns, whreas environmental and individual factors influenced the other recorded behaviors. Our study confirmed the usefulness of employing an integrated methodological approach to enrichment assessment for enhancing captive lemur care

    The Animal-Visitor Interaction Protocol (AVIP) for the assessment of Lemur catta walk-in enclosure in zoos

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    Animal-Visitor Interactions (AVI) are activities offered by zoos and other tourism facilities, in which visitors come into close contact with animals. These activities can promote conservational and educational content, raise conservation mindedness and responsibility for the environment and animal welfare, but if not properly managed can jeopardize visitors' and animals' well-being and conservation efforts. The Animal-Visitor Interaction assessment Protocol (AVIP) has been designed to perform an integrated and multidisciplinary assessment of these activities, encompassing the "One Health, One Welfare" approach. AVIP throughout six different steps allows to assess the effects of AVIs both on animals, visitors, and the staff involved. Results can assist zoos to improve management decisions, ensure a transparent evaluation of their activities and promote conservation education goals. Lemurs walk-in enclosures have become increasingly popular among zoos, nevertheless studies focused on their assessment are still scarce. To validate AVIP to this particular AVI, we applied it to assess a walk-in enclosure hosting five Lemur catta in an Italian zoo. Results of behavioural and physiological analyses suggested no changes in animal welfare level and the Animal Welfare Risk Assessment showed low animal welfare risks. Two Visitor Experience Surveys were used to interview 291 visitors, showing that the assessed AVI could help promote the zoo's conservation objectives and visitor education. Risk Assessment found low and medium risks to the health and safety of visitors. Results were then combined to perform a final ethical assessment. Some potential ethical concerns were detected, but the outcomes indicated that these conflicts were well managed. In the context of recent findings AVIP demonstrated its potential for application also in assessing AVIs involving primates. Our findings confirmed the usefulness of AVIP in assessing and monitoring AVIs, allowing to gain key information in a single process on multiple welfare-related parameters, educational impact, safety of the main stakeholders involved, and ethical concerns

    Development of A Tool for Assessing the Reputation of Zoos: The Zoo Ethical Reputation Survey (ZERS)

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    Nowadays, most zoos have taken prominent and active positions in endangered species conservation and educating visitors about the value of biodiversity. However, to be effective and trusted in their mission, they must act ethically and have a good reputation. Yet, the drivers that can influence their reputation are still little investigated, and there are still few studies focused on assessing the reputation of these institutions. In the present work, we report the development of a tool, the Zoo Ethical Reputation Survey (ZERS), and its pilot application to assess the opinions of the visitors of two zoos, one in Italy and one in Germany, on drivers that may influence the ethical reputation of zoos. Preliminary results based on the answers of 274 respondents show that visitors' opinions on zoos acting with ethical responsibility are correlated with emotional appeal and familiarity with these institutions. The application of ZERS can help zoos identify weaknesses in their reputation and develop new strategies to improve people's attitudes towards them, bringing many benefits to the individual zoo and zoological institutions in general
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