Скачать или смотреть How is Western lowland gorilla behavior and physiology impacted by 360° visitor... [Maire O'Malley]

Visitor presence is frequently studied within zoos, but research has produced conflicting results regarding the impact of visitors on animal welfare. Our study used a novel experimental approach
to differentiate from typical correlational designs of past studies. We investigated the impact of 360° visitor viewing access on Western lowland gorillas' (N=7) welfare. Behavioral observations
and fecal samples were collected during baseline, where visitors were given 360° viewing access, and treatment when visitor perimeter was reduced by 75%. Results suggest when viewing was
restricted that solitary grooming (z=-2.197, p 0.05), fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (z=-2.201, p 0.05), and the ratio of glucocorticoid metabolites to dehydroepiandrosterone metabolites
(z=-2.201, p 0.05) significantly decreased. Restricted viewing did not influence social grooming, play, feeding, stereotypies, locomotion, aggression, or inactivity. The results suggest that level of
visitor access may influence the welfare of gorillas, but additional research is essential to comprehend the complete impact of visitor viewing access on animal welfare