Environmental Enrichment in the Awareness of Zoo Visitors and the General Public

Abstract

Aim: A questionnaire was designed to determine if the general public and zoo visitors are aware of environmental enrichment and its types, whether they have noticed enrichment of different types in zoo enclosures and exhibits, and how the respondents appreciate such enrichment. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire was prepared with 19 questions about enrichment awareness, types of enrichment, use of enrichment types, and appreciation of enrichment. Another 4 questions were about the respondents themselves. The respondents were questioned directly at two zoos (zoo visitors) and in two cities (general public). The respondents were selected randomly. A total of 450 respondents answered the questionnaire. Results: The results of the questionnaire show that both zoo visitors and the general public have very low awareness of environmental enrichment. Only one-third of the 450 respondents knew what enrichment means. For more than half of the respondents, seeing the questionnaire was the first time they had heard about environmental enrichment. Some respondents had obtained information from television, radio, or the press. The most visible and most frequently used types of enrichment were physical, sensory, cognitive, and feeding. Physical enrichment was the most interesting for the public. In comparing enrichment by animal groups, enrichment for primates was rated as the best, whereas enrichment for felines was rated the poorest. The results indicate enrichment was regarded as positive for animals and interesting for the respondents. Conclusion: Overall, the respondents rated environmental enrichment positively and the public had some sense of its existence. Although many people did not completely understand the term “enrichment,” they said they had seen it but did not recognize it for what it was, taking enrichment elements as just a part of the enclosure. Many respondents had also seen different versions of enrichment.