The use of technology as environmental enrichment in zoos: A scoping review
Lesia Hryhorenko, Todd McWhorter, Alexandra Whittaker, Eduardo J. Fernandez
TL;DR
This paper reviews how technology can improve zoo animal welfare by encouraging natural behaviors and mental engagement.
Contribution
The study provides a comprehensive overview of technological enrichment tools and their effects on zoo animals.
Findings
Computers and sensory enrichment are the most commonly used technologies in zoos.
Positive or neutral welfare outcomes are common, but some negative effects have been observed.
Primates and carnivores are the most studied groups in technological enrichment research.
Abstract
Technological enrichment, such as motion sensors, touchscreens, and response-independent feeders, offer innovative ways to enhance animal welfare in captivity by promoting species-appropriate behaviours and cognitive stimulation. A scoping review of 22 publications comprising 25 studies identified various technologies, with computers being the most common, and sensory enrichment the most frequent type implemented. Positive or neutral welfare outcomes were common, though some negative effects were also reported. Primates and carnivores were the most frequently studied groups. Despite increasing research since 2012, gaps remain, including limited peer-reviewed studies and a need for standardised methodologies to better evaluate the impact of technological enrichment.
Genes, proteins, chemicals, diseases, species, mutations and cell lines named across the full text — each resolved to its canonical identifier and authoritative record.
Click any figure to enlarge with its caption.
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7Peer Reviews
No public reviews on file for this paper yet. If you reviewed it on a platform where reviews are public (OpenReview, ICLR, NeurIPS, ICML), you can paste yours below so the community can read it here.
Videos
No videos yet. Explain this paper in a talk, walkthrough, or lecture? Add one.
Taxonomy
TopicsAnimal Behavior and Welfare Studies · Primate Behavior and Ecology · Human-Animal Interaction Studies