The Benefits of Increased Space and Habitat Complexity for the Welfare of Zoo-Housed King Penguins ( Aptenodytes patagonicus )
Zoos and aquariums accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums embrace animal welfare as a foundational principle of habitat design. Modern habitats are designed to provide animals with choices and agency over their environment, and to encourage species-appropriate behavior and space use. In...
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Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13142312 https://doaj.org/article/57cb92c86a5c4902aef47cc469dfe659 |
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:57cb92c86a5c4902aef47cc469dfe659 2023-08-20T04:07:46+02:00 The Benefits of Increased Space and Habitat Complexity for the Welfare of Zoo-Housed King Penguins ( Aptenodytes patagonicus ) Grace Fuller Megan Jones Kylen N. Gartland Sara Zalewski Matthew R. Heintz Stephanie Allard 2023-07-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13142312 https://doaj.org/article/57cb92c86a5c4902aef47cc469dfe659 EN eng MDPI AG https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/14/2312 https://doaj.org/toc/2076-2615 doi:10.3390/ani13142312 2076-2615 https://doaj.org/article/57cb92c86a5c4902aef47cc469dfe659 Animals, Vol 13, Iss 2312, p 2312 (2023) exhibit design animal welfare post-occupancy evaluation data-loggers time–depth recorders aquatic behavior Veterinary medicine SF600-1100 Zoology QL1-991 article 2023 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13142312 2023-07-30T00:36:35Z Zoos and aquariums accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums embrace animal welfare as a foundational principle of habitat design. Modern habitats are designed to provide animals with choices and agency over their environment, and to encourage species-appropriate behavior and space use. In 2016, the Detroit Zoological Society opened the Polk Penguin Conservation Center, a 3065.80 m 2 facility that features a naturalistic design. The building was designed to optimize animal welfare by incorporating various substrates, nesting sites, and a 1234 kL pool with elements of underwater complexity. The facility houses a mixed-species group of penguins that were previously housed in a smaller habitat that opened in 1968. Between 2015 and 2022, we opportunistically monitored the behavior of ten king penguins ( Aptenodytes patagonicus ) as they moved back and forth between the two buildings while additional modifications were made to the new habitat. We collected 695 h of behavioral observations and 10,416 h of data from flipper-mounted time–depth recorders. We found that the king penguins spent less time engaged in aggression and more time engaged in swimming and positive social behaviors in the redesigned space. They also spent less time in proximity to other species of penguins and more time alone. These behavioral trends suggest that increased space and environmental complexity had positive welfare benefits for these penguins. Article in Journal/Newspaper King Penguins Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Detroit ENVELOPE(-60.000,-60.000,-64.167,-64.167) Animals 13 14 2312 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
exhibit design animal welfare post-occupancy evaluation data-loggers time–depth recorders aquatic behavior Veterinary medicine SF600-1100 Zoology QL1-991 |
spellingShingle |
exhibit design animal welfare post-occupancy evaluation data-loggers time–depth recorders aquatic behavior Veterinary medicine SF600-1100 Zoology QL1-991 Grace Fuller Megan Jones Kylen N. Gartland Sara Zalewski Matthew R. Heintz Stephanie Allard The Benefits of Increased Space and Habitat Complexity for the Welfare of Zoo-Housed King Penguins ( Aptenodytes patagonicus ) |
topic_facet |
exhibit design animal welfare post-occupancy evaluation data-loggers time–depth recorders aquatic behavior Veterinary medicine SF600-1100 Zoology QL1-991 |
description |
Zoos and aquariums accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums embrace animal welfare as a foundational principle of habitat design. Modern habitats are designed to provide animals with choices and agency over their environment, and to encourage species-appropriate behavior and space use. In 2016, the Detroit Zoological Society opened the Polk Penguin Conservation Center, a 3065.80 m 2 facility that features a naturalistic design. The building was designed to optimize animal welfare by incorporating various substrates, nesting sites, and a 1234 kL pool with elements of underwater complexity. The facility houses a mixed-species group of penguins that were previously housed in a smaller habitat that opened in 1968. Between 2015 and 2022, we opportunistically monitored the behavior of ten king penguins ( Aptenodytes patagonicus ) as they moved back and forth between the two buildings while additional modifications were made to the new habitat. We collected 695 h of behavioral observations and 10,416 h of data from flipper-mounted time–depth recorders. We found that the king penguins spent less time engaged in aggression and more time engaged in swimming and positive social behaviors in the redesigned space. They also spent less time in proximity to other species of penguins and more time alone. These behavioral trends suggest that increased space and environmental complexity had positive welfare benefits for these penguins. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Grace Fuller Megan Jones Kylen N. Gartland Sara Zalewski Matthew R. Heintz Stephanie Allard |
author_facet |
Grace Fuller Megan Jones Kylen N. Gartland Sara Zalewski Matthew R. Heintz Stephanie Allard |
author_sort |
Grace Fuller |
title |
The Benefits of Increased Space and Habitat Complexity for the Welfare of Zoo-Housed King Penguins ( Aptenodytes patagonicus ) |
title_short |
The Benefits of Increased Space and Habitat Complexity for the Welfare of Zoo-Housed King Penguins ( Aptenodytes patagonicus ) |
title_full |
The Benefits of Increased Space and Habitat Complexity for the Welfare of Zoo-Housed King Penguins ( Aptenodytes patagonicus ) |
title_fullStr |
The Benefits of Increased Space and Habitat Complexity for the Welfare of Zoo-Housed King Penguins ( Aptenodytes patagonicus ) |
title_full_unstemmed |
The Benefits of Increased Space and Habitat Complexity for the Welfare of Zoo-Housed King Penguins ( Aptenodytes patagonicus ) |
title_sort |
benefits of increased space and habitat complexity for the welfare of zoo-housed king penguins ( aptenodytes patagonicus ) |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13142312 https://doaj.org/article/57cb92c86a5c4902aef47cc469dfe659 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-60.000,-60.000,-64.167,-64.167) |
geographic |
Detroit |
geographic_facet |
Detroit |
genre |
King Penguins |
genre_facet |
King Penguins |
op_source |
Animals, Vol 13, Iss 2312, p 2312 (2023) |
op_relation |
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/14/2312 https://doaj.org/toc/2076-2615 doi:10.3390/ani13142312 2076-2615 https://doaj.org/article/57cb92c86a5c4902aef47cc469dfe659 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13142312 |
container_title |
Animals |
container_volume |
13 |
container_issue |
14 |
container_start_page |
2312 |
_version_ |
1774719639960420352 |