June 2009 Abstract:
Environmental enrichment has evolved from remedial animal therapy to become an important element in an integrated strategy of design and management for captive and domestic animals.
How does environmental enrichment fit into the “big picture?” How should zoos, aquariums and sanctuaries evolve? What goals should they aim for and where does enrichment fit in? Long-term maintenance of physical and behavioural competence, along with genetic diversity, should be our goal. And this should be done in ways both animals and caregivers find rewarding and the public finds memorable, delightful and informative. Enrichment may be thought of as an integrated strategy for developing, expressing and perpetuating an animal’s physical and behavioural competence.
Collaboration is essential to advance this evolution, not only among enrichment and training specialist, keepers, designers and managers but also collaboration between people and animals themselves. Trends giving animals from many taxa, terrestrial and aquatic, increasing social and environmental choice and self sufficiency will be illustrated. These advances are discussed with examples of fixed and changeable features and programs, both naturalistic and synthetic, and often interactive, for animals, care givers and the public.