Enrichment Workshop Abstract
|
MEASURING ENRICHMENT EFFICACY The main reason for provisioning enrichment to animals in captivity is to enhance animal well-being. The purpose of enrichment is to increase the behavioral repertoire of an individual animal by manipulating its environment, offering novelty or challenge, and engaging species-typical behavior. To understand how and if these purposes of enrichment are achieved, measures of assessment need to be employed. In general, enrichment is monitored in the short-term, on an individual basis and not necessarily specific to the types of enrichment offered. The goal of the Workshop is to offer participants constructive and applicable frameworks in understanding enrichment efficacy and in implementing measures of assessment and monitoring. The topics discussed and practical experienced gained in this workshop will be applicable to a broad audience of animal-care professionals. |