Are Dolphins Kept in Impoverished Environments?
Numerous studies have demonstrated the negative effects of impoverished environments versus the positive effects of enriched environments on animals’ cognitive and neural functioning. Recently, a hypothesis was raised suggesting that conditions for dolphins in zoological facilities may be inherently impoverished, and thus lead to neural and cognitive deficits. This review directly examines that hypothesis in […]
Effects of Failure on California Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus) Gameplay Strategies and Interest in a Cognitive Task: Implications for Cognitive Enrichment in Pinnipeds
Cognitive enrichment for professionally managed species has become more prevalent in recent years in both zoological and research settings and has been encouraged as a means of welfare enhancement. However, the task’s difficulty must be specifically tailored as it can impact the successful nature of the sessions, as tasks that are too simple or difficult […]
The Introduction of a Novel Computerized Apparatus to California Sea Lions (Zalophus californianus)
The use of technology in laboratory and zoological settings has provided opportunities for advancement of cognition research as well as cognitive enrichment in a variety of species. Such systems have been successfully created for nonhuman primates and introduced to other anatomically and physiologically diverse species such as bears and tortoises. However, such systems have yet […]
Cognitive Foraging Enrichment (but Not Non-Cognitive Enrichment) Improved Several Longer-Term Welfare Indicators in Bottlenose Dolphins
Bottlenose dolphins are the most common cetacean kept globally in zoos and aquaria (hereafter zoos), and are gregarious animals with a mostly opportunistic, generalist feeding strategy in the wild. In zoos, they have limited to no opportunities to express natural foraging behaviours as they receive their daily food ration of dead fish in a series […]
Cognitive enrichment device provides evidence for intersexual differences in collaborative actions in Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus)
Social living, long lifespan and advanced cognitive skills provided favourable conditions for the development of pro-social behaviours and cooperative activities in cetacean. Dolphins have been observed to collaborate for various purposes, finding food, finding mates or raising and teaching younger individuals. This study investigated the potential impact of demographic factors (sex and age), social factors […]
Bottlenose Dolphins Produce Underwater Bubbles Linked to Cognitive Task Engagement but Not Success
Captive mammals respond emotionally toward cognitive challenges, but research has precluded marine mammals. A potential indicator of emotion in toothed cetaceans is a large singular bubble (‘burst’) emitted from the blowhole, previously linked to surprise and excitement. Our study analysed bursts from a published study on dolphin cognitive enrichment. Bursts were only produced by task-engaged […]
Monitoring the social behavior of a bachelor mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx) dyad participating in touchscreen-mediated cognitive testing
Cognitive testing of Primates in zoos is becoming increasingly common. Cognition experiments are generally thought to be beneficial as they provide participants with an opportunity to engage in species-specific cognitive functioning, perhaps more so than with traditional forms of environmental enrichment. However, testing may increase competition and aggression between conspecifics if it has monopolizable features […]
Using an Ambiguous Cue Paradigm to Assess Cognitive Bias in Gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) during a Forage Manipulation
In nonhumans, ‘optimism’ is often defined as responding to an ambiguous item in the same manner as to items previously associated with reward (or lack of punishment), and “pessimism” is defined as responding to an ambiguous item in the same manner as to items previously associated with a lack of reward (or with punishment). We […]
Increasing farm animal welfare by positively motivated instrumental behaviour
Rewarded instrumental learning leads to the association of an environmental cue with the positive result of the own activity. Instrumental behaviour includes motivation for a specific reward, anticipation of its successful acquisition and positive appraisal. In this paper, we present theoretical and empirical evidence for the potential of an advanced type of cognitive enrichment, which […]
On the use of an automated learning device by group-housed dwarf goats: Do goats seek cognitive challenges?
It has been postulated that implementing appropriate cognitive challenges in the housing of captive animals allows them to use their cognitive skills, and to learn to control certain aspects of their environment. This cognitive activity is thought to be a major source of positive emotions and a prerequisite for psychological well-being of the animal. We […]