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Category: Data

Description: Captive animal welfare can be informed via observations of stereotypic behaviors (abnormal, repetitive motor functions) as they are perceived as indicators of poor welfare. Frequency of stereotypic behaviors can be modified by both enrichment, and visitor presence and proximity. This study examines the spatial variability of stereotypic behaviors in three species of bears and how the frequency of behaviors fluctuated with region of the enclosure and proximity to visitors. It was predicted that there would be individual variability in each subjects’ stereotypical behaviors, in terms of location and frequency, based on animal individuality and personality literature. Three species of Ursidae were studied, with six subjects observed in total: two grizzly bears (Ursus arctos), one Andean bear (Tremarctos ornatus) and one polar bear (Ursus maritimus) from the Saint Louis Zoo were observed in-person, and two polar bears were observed at the Kansas City Zoo via webcam. Focal follows of 30 minutes were conducted in which behaviors and enclosure location were recorded continuously, for a total of 6.5 hours of observation per subject. The study found that two subjects (the Andean bear, and one polar bear of the Kansas City Zoo) exhibited significant frequencies of stereotypic behaviors in specific portions of their respective enclosures, both at a far distance from visitors. The other four subjects lacked significant stereotypic behaviors, but their variation in preference for certain portions of their enclosures, and visitor proximity preference, has greater implications for individual variability in welfare studies. The variability in the activity budgets for each subject across their respective enclosures emphasizes a need for animal welfare studies to take on an individual, and longitudinal form, informed by an animal’s life history, temperament, and changes in behavior over time.