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Background. Combining naturalistic enclosure design and animal welfare with visitor interests and education can be challenging for zoos and wildlife parks. To accomplish both purposes, different types of enrichment (food-based or non-food-based items, such as environmental, sensory, cognitive, social) can be used. The aim of the present study is to investigate the effect of food-based and olfactory enrichments on enclosure use, behavior, and visibility of captive brown bears (Ursus arctos), pine martens (Martes martes), domestic ferrets (Mustela putorius furo), and golden jackals (Canis aureus). Methods. We used observational approaches to measure enclosure use, behavior, and visibility during three different experimental phases: (1) pre-enrichment (baseline, no experience with the enrichment yet), (2) during enrichment (enrichment was provided at low frequented locations in the enclosures that are easily visible to visitors), and (3) post-enrichment (enrichment was removed from the enclosures). Results. We found that enrichment led to a uniform use of the enclosure and enhanced visibility in brown bears, increased activity budgets in pine martens, and observed high object interaction in both species. No effects of enrichment were detected in domestic ferrets. Golden jackals did not leave their burrows during daytime during the entire observation period; thus, observations were not possible at all. Our results suggest different effects of food-based enrichment, e.g., enclosure use, temporal activity patterns, and animal visibility. However, further studies should control for the specific role of the factors involved. Our study represents one of the first explorations of foodbased enrichment in rather understudied species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Combining naturalistic enclosure design and animal welfare with visitor interests and education can be challenging for zoos and wildlife parks. To accomplish both purposes, different types of enrichment (food-based or non-food-based items, such as environmental, sensory, cognitive, social) can be used. The aim of the present study is to investigate the effect of food-based and olfactory enrichments on enclosure use, behavior, and visibility of captive brown bears (Ursus arctos), pine martens (Martes martes), domestic ferrets (Mustela putorius furo), and golden jackals (Canis aureus). Methods We used observational approaches to measure enclosure use, behavior, and visibility during three different experimental phases: (1) pre-enrichment (baseline, no experience with the enrichment yet), (2) during enrichment (enrichment was provided at low frequented locations in the enclosures that are easily visible to visitors), and (3) post-enrichment (enrichment was removed from the enclosures). Results We found that enrichment led to a uniform use of the enclosure and enhanced visibility in brown bears, increased activity budgets in pine martens, and observed high object interaction in both species. No effects of enrichment were detected in domestic ferrets. Golden jackals did not leave their burrows during daytime during the entire observation period; thus, observations were not possible at all. Our results suggest different effects of food-based enrichment, e.g., enclosure use, temporal activity patterns, and animal visibility. However, further studies should control for the specific role of the factors involved. Our study represents one of the first explorations of food-based enrichment in rather understudied species.

Dissociating meat from its animal origins has been considered a central strategy omnivores employ to sustain their meat consumption despite their concerns for animal welfare. In recent years, the dissociation strategy has become increasingly contested as short food-chain movements promote consumer contact with farmed animals as a means to more ethical eating. This article examines how different groups of Finnish consumers construct the meat-animal link based on focus groups with gastronomes, hunters, organic consumers, rural women, and supermarket customers. The theoretical approach is based on Noëlie Vialles's concepts of the sarcophage and zoophage logic of meat eating and on the literature on animal categorization. Supermarket customers preferred to dissociate meat from the animal, while gastronomes and rural residents regarded the presence of the animal in meat as important for its quality. Hunters valued game meat highly as animals were transformed into meat through their own effort. Although rural women and some organic consumers personalized certain farmed animals due to their proximity, these animals were still edible and killable. The research suggests that challenging dissociation does not in itself necessarily imply an increased moral valuation of animals if the objectification of animals is not confronted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To fulfill an educational or visitor-related role in the zoo's collection, a species needs to be visible to the visiting public. However, this may not always be achievable for animals housed in naturalistic enclosures, particularly species which are highly camouflaged and have an elusive nature, such as jaguars. Four jaguars housed at Chester Zoo (UK) were studied to assess the quality of visibility from the public viewing area and to provide recommendations for assessing visibility to evaluate the educational role of elusive species. Data were recorded on whether the jaguar could be seen, the proportion of the body that was visible and their behavior. The jaguars could be seen 19.5% (i.e. quantity), from the public viewing area, of the observed time. 69.2% of this time the whole of the jaguars' body was on-show and it was possible to observe their behavior during all of these observations. However, when less of the body was visible, the behavior of the jaguars could be observed on significantly fewer occasions ( P < .001). When we incorporate behavior and proportion of body into the analysis and look at 'educationally meaningful visibility' (i.e. whole of the animal's body and a behavior could be observed), then the measurement of visibility is reduced to 13.3% (i.e. quality). A simple yes or no, in relation to whether an animal is visible or not, does not give us the detail needed to assess if a species is fulfilling an educational role. Potential solutions to address poor visibility are also discussed. Zoo Biol. 34:189-192, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]