The enrichment of captive animals is as old as the practice of keeping animals in captivity. It was practiced by eccentric caretakers and generally considered outside the realm of good animal husbandry. Thirty years ago, outspoken caretakers began to wonder about the psychological well-being of captive animals. These caretakers began to experiment with devices and practices that appeared to stimulate the captive animals under their care. In the past 10 years, the concept of enrichment has become an integral part of good husbandry and management. We find ourselves with a concept that is essential for humane and professional management, but one with little empirical data on the effectiveness of techniques. There is no clear methodology on how to evaluate enrichment protocols. This book represents an effort to define the concept of environmental enrichment, present some case studies, suggest methodologies for establishing and evaluating enrichment programs, and finally attempts to establish techniques for integrating enrichment into daily animal management.
The book is an outgrowth of a symposium on environmental enrichment held at the Washington Park Zoo in Portland, Oregon, in 1993. Thirty-eight authors from diverse backgrounds contributed to the text. The book is divided into three parts. Part I presents a history of environmental enrichment. Part II deals with environmental enrichment strategies that deal with conservation efforts and animal welfare issues. Part III deals with the integration of enrichment efforts with husbandry and training protocols.
The book begins by tracing the origins and the recent history of enrichment programs. It presents the concepts that pioneered the field of environmental enrichment and explores the philosophical thinking underlying these concepts. A basic concept put forth throughout the book is that there must be some theoretical basis for making decisions when designing enrichment programs for taxa with communication systems quite different from our own. Several authors suggest that ecological and behavioral characteristics of a species should be used as the initial step in formulating an enrichment plan. These considerations should first be applied to species