Environmental Enrichment

Includes structural, behavioral, food, and auditory enrichment.

Savel, S., Legou, T. 2024. The dog soundscape: Recurrence, emotional impact, acoustics, and implications for dog observations and dog–human interactions. Animals 14(2), 279.

While numerous dog behavioral studies use environmental sounds, the dog soundscape remains undescribed. We proposed a list of 79 sounds classified into six categories: Dog, Dog accessories, Human, city and vehicles, Garden, countryside and weather...

Roschke, N. N., Hillebrandt, K. H., Polenz, D. et al. 2024. Optimizing environmental enrichment for Sprague Dawley rats: Exemplary insights into the liver proteome. PLOS ONE 19(4), e0297497.

Background Considering the expected increase in the elderly population and the growing emphasis on aging-related biomedical research, the demand for aged laboratory animals has surged, challenging established husbandry practices. Our objective was to establish a...

Richardson, S. 2024. Primate enrichment categories: A literature review of current trends. Animal Behavior and Cognition 11(1), 87–100.

Environmental enrichment aims to enhance primate wellbeing by providing physical and mental stimuli to address the biological and psychological needs of individuals. However, lack of knowledge regarding the development of enrichment research hampers implementors and...

Oldfield, R. G., Murphy, E. K. 2024. Life in a fishbowl: Space and environmental enrichment affect behaviour of Betta splendens. Animal Welfare 33, e1.

The public has expressed growing concern for the well-being of fishes, including popular pet species such as the Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens). In captivity, male Bettas behave aggressively, often causing injuries and death if...

Newman, R., Quirke, T., McKeown, S. et al. 2024. The use of a simple and practical water-based enrichment in a pair of lion-tailed macaques. Journal of Zoo and Aquarium Research 12(2), 121–124.

Environmental enrichment is frequently used to improve the captive environment, aiming to enhance the quality of captive animal care. Water-based enrichment can increase exploratory behaviour and tool use, promoting object manipulation, particularly in macaque species...