Embedding Environmental Enrichment Into Zoo Animal ... · Zoo Design Conference Wroclaw Zoo 5-7...

Zoo Design ConferenceWroclaw Zoo 5-7 April 2017

Jon Coe

Embedding Environmental Enrichment Into Zoo Animal Facility Design

Jon Coe Jon Coe Design Pty. Ltd.

How many architects...animal care people...scientists? Purpose of presentation A) Background, B), Expand concept of EE to BigPicture

1Jon Charles Coe, Jon Coe Designs Pty. Ldt.


Zoodesign Conference 2017, Wroclaw, Poland www.zoolex.org

My Four Messages for you:

• Environmental enrichment is

a big deal ‒ Key to long term

animal welfare

• Brief history and future trends

• Practical applications

• Integrative design process

Useful definitions




EnrichmentHas become de facto the

primary tool for addressing

psychological wellbeing in

zoo and aquarium animals*.

* David Shepherdson 2013

Why is EE important?




A dynamic process

which structures and changes

an animal’s environment

in a way that provides

behavioral choices to animals

and draws out their

species-appropriate behaviors

and abilities and

enhances their welfare*.*D. Shepherdson 2010

Enrichment Definition

What is EE?




Evolution ofEnvironmental Enrichment

Hal Markowitz1982

1998

1999

1993

2017

2nd Nature Published

EE added to AZA Accreditation

Training Program at AZA

Wroclaw Zoo Design Conference: New Five Freedoms

AZA Enrichment School

2000 AZA AWC formed

Enrichment

Training

Behavioral Husbandry

Animal Welfare

2003 EE for Captive animals published

Welfare symposia e.g. CZS & Detroit Zoo

SHAPE of Enrichment

Old Five Freedoms1979

1992

Chart adapted from

D. Shepherdson, 2013

1st ICEE Portland, OR

1991

Important date in the evolution of environment




“Old Five Freedoms”... from:

• Hunger and Thirst

• Discomfort

• Pain, Injury or Disease

• Fear and Distress

• To Express Normal Behaviour

UK Farm Animal Welfare Council. 1979

To...?

These old “freedoms” are mportant but simplistic. Must be based upon Science with empathy!




New Five Freedoms...to:

• Achieve Competence: “Effective

performance of normal functions”

• Have Choice: “The right or ability to

choose.”

• Take Control: “The power to

influence...the course of events”

• Experience Variety “The quality of

being different or diverse; the absence of

uniformity or monotony.”

• Engage Complexity: “The quality of

being intricate or complex”

Definitions: Oxford Living Dictionary (Online)

Big new idea! Note that variety and complexity multiply the benefits of competence, control and choice.




2.

Environment

-/+

3.

Health

-/+

5.

Mental

State

-/+

Five Domains of Animal Welfare

4.

Behavior

-/+

Welfare

Status

Physical / Functional / Situational

Domains

Affective / Experience

Domain

Adapted from Mellor, D.J. & Beausoleil, N.J. 2015

Choice or Agency

1.

Nutrition

-/+

Many enrichment programs follow this model.




“The organism with the

greatest number of choices

has the greatest freedom.”

Jon Coe

Choice + Control

= Freedom

None of us are truly free. People and other animals have limitations, but choice and control give relative freedom




The Next Frontier

Giving Animals Choices




Micro-climate Choice

Ventilation

Light

Heat

Humidity

Rainforest

Animals move through gradients of microclimate in natural environments to meet their needs.




Micro-climate Choice?

Light

Ventilation

Temperature

Humidity

Zoo Holding areas

Most indoor animal areas have uniform microclimates and animals have no choices for control. It should not be this way.




The Competent Wild Ape

Genetic Competence +

Behavioural Competence




Genetic Competence

+Behavioural Competence

Maintaining behavioural competence in managed species over many generations is just as important as maintaining genetic competence over many generations. Environmental enrichment is the key to maintaining behavioural competence.




The Competent Zoo Ape

Genetic Competence +

Behavioural Competence

Zoo Guadalajara 24m in the air!




Zoo Design Fundamentals:

“Nature is the Model”*

• Landscape immersion ‒ look and

function is ‘natural’

• Naturalistic ‒ artificial appearance, natural

function

• Soft Zoo Architecture** ‒ plantings,

mulch, logs, etc.

• Hard Zoo Architecture** ‒ tile, concrete,

steel, glass, etc.

Useful definitions. Soft and hard architecture are terms first used by Dr Terry Maple when director at Zoo Atlanta.




Permanent Enriching Structures

Lion Rocks

Cool shady place

as retreat with

cooling fan.

High Point for

basking with

panoramic views.

Warm, sheltered

place for basking

with heated area

for cool days.

I designed these artificial rock formations as solar furniture based upon solar angles in summer and winter. Animals will never tire of using this massive built-in enrichment feature.




Artificial

Termite Mound

Permanent Enriching Structures

Fill the hopper inside this artificial tree stump with chilled live crickets and meal worms. When these insects warm up they will exit the drain tubes at naturally random times and become available food for the larger animals. In this way animals must search for food nearby and don’t associate this food with humans.




Hidden Bungee Feeder

Moving Enrichment Features

Use of hidden steel springs or bungee lines animates attached treat items, causing carnivores to pull on and play with the item.




Sway Branch

Everything MovesDenver Zoo


Sway branches are loosely attached at the base and hung from a rope or line so that they sway naturally when animals climb or perch on them. This increases animal’s ability to balance and improves overall dexterity and fine muscle control. Sway branches can be lowered for provisioning with enrichment items and raised into a variety of positions using a small winch.




Low-Tech Sway Branch

Changeable Bamboo

Cricket/Meal Worm

Feeders

Bamboo Pole

Note: Place in

bamboo clump

Steel Rod

driven into

ground

Moving Enrichment

Features

Sway branches can be hung from other trees or bamboo groves in immersion exhibits. Bamboo sway poles can be provisioned with trets for small climbing animals and birds.




Bait fixed at top of post requires ladder to change

Pole doesn’t move

Artificial Feeding Pole(From Young 2002 Fig 8.1)

Sway Feeding Pole Sway Feeding PoleAttached to Building

Pulley hidden by existing tree.

Vine or rope fixed to post

Sway pole moves with tiger – more challenging and natural

Sway pole raised with electric winch

Pole anchored to shackle

Hidden pulley

Hidden winch


Feeding Poles

Large logs with branches can be hung from natural trees of other structures to sway when heavy animals climb up them for food, increasing the animals physical fitness.





Balancing Treat Logs

Balancing logs offer play opportunities, especially when small holes are drilled into them and filled with tasty food items. Logs attached flexibly to pool edges and moved by waves are often attractive to bears, seals, sea otters and other swimming mammals and perhaps attractive to large aquatic reptiles and large fish. These balancing logs must be well attached to prevent accidental injuries.




Moving EnrichmentArtificial Hunt

Artificial “Prey” is a

bag filled with sand

scented with blood, perfume

or animal scent

Big powerful animals need to attach and test their strength against heavy moveable objects.




Artificial Hunt

“Clothes Line”

The Bored Big Cat

A continuous line controlled from outside the animal area can be used to position heavy animal treats or attractions for the animals, or the animals can be allowed to drag the treat along of length of the line.




Lure Coursing for

Cheetahs and Canids

Exercise For Zoo Animals

Cincinnati Zoo, Ohio

This video of lure coursing at Cincinnati Zoo can’t be shown on this PDF.




PVC Cricket or Meal Worm Feeders

Dead TreeFeeding Features being positioned

Food-Based Enrichment

On the left a PVC pipe section with holes drilled in it and both ends capped is provisioned with chilled crickets or mealworms as on page 18. When the insects become active they fall to the ground in a pile of leaves or branches for foraging animals. On the right, a long branched flexibly attached at the bottom end can be lowered for placement of food provisions as was shown earlier with sway branches.




Babirusa Root Feeder

Pour nuts, meal worms etc. into PVC pipe.

Cement grout and boulders

Flexible high pressure radiator hose with holes drilled for food to fall out when shaken.

Will the Babirusa use it?

How well does is it liked?

Prototype at Houston Zoo

Active Feeding Features

Enough to

cuddle while sleeping!

This slides shows testing of a feeding feature for babirusa pigs made of a strong rubber tube with holes drilled in it to release food items when shaken. The pig liked it so much she slept with it!




Tree in upright position

Range of motion.

Large Log

Secure ropes usedto raise browse

Truck tires set in sand(seen at Disney’s Animal Kingdom)

Moving Enrichment

Features

Elephant Push Tree

Logs set into buried tyres ove somewhat when pushed by elephants or other powerful animals Hanging food from the top encourages the animals to use this, building strength.




Conditioning and Training

© Louisville Zoo

Healesville

Sanctuary

Positive reinforcement training is very useful in showing animals how to use unfamiliar enrichment features and in rotating between areas.




Animal Rotation

Transfers

Training

The Louisville Zoo Islands exhibit complex has four exhibit areas interconnected with hidden raceways. Orang-utan, siamang, tapir, babirusa and Sumatran tiger are rotated among the four exhibit areas on a random bases several times each day. Thus at the end of the day each animals has many behavioural opportunities. Five years of independent behavioural study found this rotation enriching and not overly stressful for any of the animals. Training for transfers is key and all animals transfer readily whenever requested by the keepers based upon target training with food rewards.




Hediger’s Concept of Territory

Home BaseResource Sites

Resource Sites

Secondary

Retreat

Secondary

Retreat

Path Network




1. Single Exhibit

2. Adjacent Rotation

3. Rotation Circuit

Evolution of Animal Rotation Networks

4. Long Distance Overhead Rotation/Movement




Big Idea: “Why can't we

hook up everything in the

zoo to everything else and

let the animals have the run

of the place?”

(Coe, 2009)




Evolution of Animal Rotation Networks

1. Single Exhibit

2. Adjacent Rotation

3. Rotation Circuit

5. Animal Trail Network

Node

Land Trail

4. Long Distance Overhead Rotation




Animal Trail Network

Zoo Wide Concept

Node

Land Trail

Animal Rotation Networks

Overhead

Trail

Nature is the ModelHediger’s Concept of

Territory




Jon Coe Design P/L

SanctuaryRotation

Center for Great Apes




Rotation and Animal Trails

Tree Top Trail, Philadelphia Zoo




Long-Term PhasingPhiladelphia Zoo

Restaurant and Demonstration Area

Large Mammals

Big Cats Great Apes KidZooU

Small Primates

African Plains Bears

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

1011

12 1314




Tree-Tops Trail

Species Using

Phase One




Great Ape Trail




Big Cat andTiger Crossing

Photos and video: Philadelphia Zoo




Integrating Enrichment Activities

Built-in (“Hardware”)

Staff Provided (“Software”)

• Melbourne Model - Enrichment-driven design (EE + Training & Conditioning)

• Animal wellbeing co-equal with visitor

experience, staff needs and zoo expenses.

• Staff & facility costs

▪ Determined at each design stage

▪ Short term

▪ Long term




Stakeholders Bill of Rights

• Zoo Animals

• Free-Ranging Animals in the Zoo

• Zoo Plants

• Zoo Staff and Volunteers

• Zoo Visitors

• Zoo as a Business




Designer

CareGivers

SeniorManagers

Operations

Educators Security

EnrichmentConditioningSpecialists

A Seat at the Table

Veterinarians

Collaboration




.

Typical Questions

• What animal welfare benefits are

desired?

• Type of stimulus?

• Species and individual animal

personality?

• Training and conditioning?

• Visual/thematic/educational aspect?

• Materials in contact with animals?

• Mechanical system proposed?

• Likely Cost?





To Animals:

• Compensate for shortcomings

in the captive environment

• Help animals reach optimum health

and wellbeing

• Maintain long-term behavioural

competence within the population





To Keepers:

• Benefits “their animals”

• Novel, interesting work

• Additional job skills and

professional growth

• Peer recognition





To Visitors:

• See animal better, (active animals

are more interesting)

• See that animals are well cared for

(people think animals doing

interesting things are happier)





To Visitors:

• Watch caregivers providing

training and enrichment is

interesting and informative

• To occasionally participate in

enrichment activities themselves




1. What is best for the animals?

✓ Develops competence

✓ A great place to live

2. What is best for the visitors?

✓ Fun and exciting

✓ What’s the message?

3. What is best for the business?

✓ Short term

✓ Long term

4. What is best for zoo staff?

✓ Safe

✓ Rewarding

5. What is best for research?

✓ Original

✓ Useful

Summary




Let’s think hard...What are

things we do for the animals

that they could do better for

themselves?




Exhibits are a

Zoo’s Natural Voice

Make enrichment count

for

BOTHVisitors and Animals!

Woodland Park Zoo Photo: L. Sammons




[email protected]




Embedding Environmental Enrichment Into Zoo Animal ... · Zoo Design Conference Wroclaw Zoo 5-7...

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