Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

Stereotypical behaviors are very common in captive big cats. Stereotypes are behaviors that only occur in captive animals because we have removed their ability to perform natural behaviors, like perhaps the most important one for lynxes, being able to hunt live preys. To reduce the occurrence, or prevent the emergence of stereotypical behaviors, many zoos use environmental enrichment. Current research provides that feeding enrichment reduces the occurrence of stereotypes of felines in captivity. The Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) exist in Northern Europe and a part of Asia. They live solitary and have large territories. The species is classified as vulnerable by the Swedish red list of IUCN and most of the zoos focus on conservation. It is a very withdrawn animal, which is why most of the research is done on captive lynxes, since they are very hard to observe in the wild.
The aim of this experimental study was to observe the use of feeding enrichments in the Eurasian lynx at Nordens Ark, a Swedish zoo with focus on endangered species, to promote species specific behaviors. Two different feeding enrichments were used four times each to find out how much the animals used them. The first enrichment was a hanging wire in a tree where a piece of meat where attached. The second one was a box with holes of different sizes where three pieces of meat where placed. During the period of the data collection the lynxes where fed every second day. They were observed two hours after the feeding in the morning and between 17.00-19.00 in the afternoon the same day. The one-year-old male was the individual who used both of the enrichments the most. All of the animals integrated more times with the box enrichment than with the wire enrichment. The three individuals used the enrichments mostly in the mornings when the meat were put in place. Some competition occurred between the individuals since they interacted with each other by growling and fizzing.
The conclusion of this study is that it occurs some competition between the lynxes and that the young male interacts with the enrichments mostly of the three individuals. The animals use both of the feeding enrichments mainly in the mornings, but also some in the evenings.