Effects of environmental enrichment on the behaviour of zoo-housed cinereous vultures Aegypius monachus

Abstract

Environmental enrichment is used to enhance the well-being of zoo-housed animals by providing a variety of stimuli and to encourage the expression of species-specific natural behaviours. This study assessed the effects of different types of environmental enrichment on the behaviour of 13 cinereous vultures Aegypius monachus in a zoo setting. Six enrichment items were used: large carcasses, forage boxes, twig balls, a wooden box with tubes, mirrors, and basketballs. Vulture behaviour was observed and compared between a baseline period and an enrichment period. The vultures only interacted with the large carcass and mirror enrichments, likely due to neophobia toward novel stimuli. However, we found a significant decrease in abnormal repetitive behaviours during the enrichment period, even with enrichment items that the vultures did not directly interact with. Finally, the presentation of large carcasses allowed the zoo-housed vultures to behave more naturally as they would in the wild, significantly increasing their social and locomotive behaviours. Overall, this study highlights the importance of providing optimal conditions for zoo-housed vultures, particularly given the endangered status of many species and their involvement in breeding programs aimed to boost wild populations.