Effects Of Enrichment On The Behavior Of Captive Red Goral

This essay reported the experiment on10captive red gorals (Naemorhedus cranbrooki) in Breeding Center of Shanghai Zoo from November2010to February2013, which were influenced by two environmental enrichments and feeding enrichment respectively. The aim of the experimentation is to analyze the effect of different forms of the enrichment on red goral activity budgets, as well as the activity rhythm and activity budgets of captive red gorals of different ages. The results showed that:l.In environmental enrichment stage, the time of resting and stereotypic behavior decreased,while eating, moving and grooming increased dramatically.Besides,standing and other almost had no changed, it’s consistent with the expected results. When we improve complexity of the environmental enrichment equipments, the time allocated for resting reduced, moving and grooming increased significantly. Time spent stereotypic behavior decreased, whereas time spent standing, eating and other had no significant changed, it’s not achieved the desired results.2. After adding of feeding enrichment on the basis of environmental enrichment, time spent resting and other decreased, and the time spent standing increased insignificantly. The influence of feeding enrichment to the activity budgets of red gorals were insignificantly.3. Feeding enrichment and increasing complexity of environmental enrichment promoted red goral using of enrichment equipment effectively. They added the time that red gorals rest on the enrichment equipment from2.07%and1.44%to12.17%and10.83%respectively. After first joined enrichment equipment, the major activity on equipment was standing, the second was eating and the third was resting and grooming, proportion of moving and other were lesser. However, increased enrichment equipment further, the major activity changed to resting, the second was standing, the third was grooming. Eating, moving as well as other were lesser. Before feeding enrichment, the major activity of red goral was standing, the next was grooming and the third was moving. Resting, moving and other were lesser. And after feeding enrichment, the major activity changed to eating, the second was standing and the third was grooming. Resting, moving and other behavior occupied small proportion.4. The level of red gorals utilizing three parts of enrichment equipment was different. The average time rest on the second part of enrichment equipment was longest, and rest on the third part of enrichment equipment was shortest. Red gorals showed different daily patterns of activities about use of enrichment equipment in captivity, the utilize curve of the first part and the second part exhibited a "W" type on a daily basis, which before6:00and after16:00showed two obvious peaks, and the long-lasting peak period was at10:00-14:00. The utilize curve of the third part showed "U" graph, which before6:00and after16:00showed two obvious peaks, and the use ratio at12:00-13:00was lowest.5. The diurnal activity rhythm of red gorals in summer was influence by environmental factor and human-based management, the regularity was bedding feeding. Activity had also two peaks at9:00and14:00, it was consistent with feeding time. The peaks of resting were recorded at6:00and12:00-13:00. The red goral of different age activities of the overall curve trend rule is similar, only after14:00, subadult showed more eating behavior than adult. The activity budgets of red gorals by the age factor impact in summer. The effects on resting, standing, eating and grooming behaviors differ highly significantly (P<0.01), and on stereotypic behavior differ significantly (P<0.05).6. Adult and subadult red gorals utilizing the enrichment equipment were different. The major activity of adult on equipment was resting, and the second was standing. The major activity of subadult was standing, and subadult spent more time on moving behavior than adult.Analysis the results show that added enrichment equipment improved red gorals living environment, increasing the level of activity of red gorals, and reducing the occurrence of stereotypic behavior and other harmful to a certain extent. It can effectively improve the welfare of captive red gorals. Feeding enrichment had no effect on red gorals. The level of red gorals utilizing different enrichment equipment was different, and red gorals behavioral rhythms of different ages and use of enrichment equipment there are also difference.