Can signs with salient eyes help mitigate visitor effects on the behaviour of zoo-housed Sulawesi crested macaques (Macaca nigra)?

Transcription

1 Can signs with salient eyes help mitigate visitor effects on the behaviour of zoo-housed Sulawesi crested macaques (Macaca nigra)? Alice Dancer, ZSL & RVC and Dr Charlotte Burn, RVC

2 Sulawesi crested macaque Riley, E.P The endemic seven: Four decades of research on the Sulawesi macaques. Evol. Anthropol. 19: 22, 36

3 Visitor Effects Photo credit: Dan Zaleski Photo credit: Lincoln Park Zoo/Todd Rosenberg Cook and Hosey, 1995; Hosey, 2000; Birke, 2002; Hosey, 2005; Davey, 2007; Hosey, 2017

4 Visitor Effects Photo credit: Dan Zaleski Photo credit: Lincoln Park Zoo/Todd Rosenberg Photo credit: Georgie Gillard Cook and Hosey, 1995; Hosey, 2000; Birke, 2002; Hosey, 2005; Davey, 2007; Hosey, 2017

5 Ethogram design Interaction with furniture or environmental enrichment Foraging & Feeding Allo-grooming Auto-grooming Resting Locomotion Play Social Interaction Behaviours Social huddle Out of sight Mounting Fighting Lipsmack Hiding Other Open-mouth baredteeth threat Self-directed behaviour Scratching Stereotypy Begging Vigilant

6 Ethogram design Interaction with furniture or environmental enrichment Foraging & Feeding Allo-grooming Auto-grooming Resting Locomotion Play Social Interaction Behaviours Social huddle Out of sight Mounting Fighting Lipsmack Hiding Other Open-mouth baredteeth threat Self-directed behaviour Scratching Stereotypy Begging Vigilant Key: Restful-type behaviour Active-type behaviour Negative behaviour

7 Behavioural observations 3 x 90 minute observation sessions per day Sampling with 5 minute intervals Data recorded: Each macaques behaviour Number of visitors outside enclosure Noise level in db Total 112 hours 30 minutes of observations

8 Behaviour vs. visitor number Behaviour Relationship w/ increasing visitor number Odds ratio Significance level Allo-grooming 1.02 * Auto-grooming Resting 0.98 ** Social huddle 0.98 ** Foraging & Feeding 1.02 ** Interaction w/ enrichment 1.03 ** Locomotion 1.02 ** Play Social Interaction Begging Vigilance 1.07 *** Hiding Fighting Stereotypy Scratching Self-directed behaviour Open-mouth bared teeth threat Mason & Veasey, 2010; Burn, 2017

9 Behaviour vs. visitor noise Behaviour Relationship w/ increasing visitor noise Odds ratio Significance level Allo-grooming Auto-grooming Resting 0.97 ** Social huddle Foraging & Feeding 1.03 * Interaction w/enrichment 1.03 * Locomotion Play 1.04 ** Social Interaction Begging Vigilance 1.07 *** Hiding Fighting Stereotypy Scratching Self-directed behaviour Open-mouth bared teeth threat

10 Effect mitigation: Signs Photo credit: Tippy Jackson/Backyard Zoologist Photo credit: Lisa Perkis

11 Effect mitigation: We re Watching You Photo credit: Nottinghamshire Police Bateson et al., 2006; Ernest-Jones et al., 2011 Photo credit: Clean Highways

12 Effect mitigation: We re Watching You

13 Signs vs. visitor noise

14 Were you being watched?

15 Conclusions Sulawesi crested macaques significantly affected by visitor numbers and noise levels Increase in vigilance with both visitor number and noise levels suggests these effects are a welfare concern Unclear implications for welfare of increases in active-type behaviours with visitor number and noise level Signs promising tool for quietening visitors but we need to improve efficacy Further research required to test signage with salient watching eyes when displayed at eye level

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17 Photo credit: Madurodive.com Any questions?

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19 Behaviour vs. visitor noise a) Vigilance b) Resting

20 Zoo A Zoo B Zoo C Zoo D Zoo E Dates of study, st to 6 th July 24 th to 29 th June 20 th to 25 th May 10 th to 15 th June 3 rd to 8 th June Number of macaques Male:Female 8:12 2:3 5:3 5:7 7:3 Age range of macaques 1-15 yrs 3-10 yrs 10 mths - 19 yrs 2-16 yrs 2-17 yrs