Cognitive challenges in captive chimpanzees: behavioral and welfare implications and influence of personality
The majority of chimpanzees living in captivity will remain in this situation for life. Reintroducing them to their natural habitats is extremely challenging, even in rescue and rehabilitation centers in their countries of origin. Therefore, it is our moral obligation to ensure optimal welfare condi...
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| Tipo de recurso: | tesis doctoral |
| Estado: | Versión publicada |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2024 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | CBUC, CESCA |
| Repositorio: | TDR. Tesis Doctorales en Red |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:www.tdx.cat:10803/691835 |
| Acceso en línea: | http://hdl.handle.net/10803/691835 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Psicologia comparada Psicología comparada Comparative psychology Comportament animal Comportamiento animal Animal behavior Estructura de la personalitat Estructura de la personalidad Structure of personality Dinàmica de la personalitat Dinámica de la personalidad Dynamics of personality Etologia Etología Ethology Processos mentals Procesos mentales Mental processes Primats Primates Ximpanzés Chimpanzés Chimpanzees 159.9 59 |
| Sumario: | The majority of chimpanzees living in captivity will remain in this situation for life. Reintroducing them to their natural habitats is extremely challenging, even in rescue and rehabilitation centers in their countries of origin. Therefore, it is our moral obligation to ensure optimal welfare conditions for these animals. To achieve this, it is essential not only to understand their ethological needs but also to acknowledge and account for their individual differences. In captivity, non-human primates are often exposed to cognitive challenges, such as problem-solving situations, either as environmental enrichment activities or within an experimental framework. However, we still have limited information about the impact of these activities on the behavior and welfare of the animals. There is also limited knowledge regarding the influence of sex, age, or personality on subjects' interest and performance in these types of cognitive activities. This doctoral thesis aims to address these knowledge gaps by investigating the relationship between cognitive challenges, behavior, welfare, and personality in captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). The study sample consisted of 37 chimpanzees housed in two different institutions, Fundació Mona (Girona, Spain) and the Leipzig Zoo (Leipzig, Germany). To assess chimpanzees' personality, we employed a 12-item questionnaire based on Eysenck's Psychoticism-Extraversion-Neuroticism model (PEN), widely used in humans. The association between cognitive challenges and welfare was investigated through two enrichment activities: a termite-fishing task and a double-sided maze containing food rewards. The association between personality and cognitive performance was assessed in a non-invasive experimental context, using a set of puzzle boxes that required the chimpanzees to employ problem-solving skills to access food rewards. Regarding our main hypotheses, we concluded that: (1) chimpanzees show differences in interest and performance in cognitive tasks, both in enrichment and research contexts; (2) some of this variation is predicted by sex and personality; (3) cognitive enrichment activities improve animal welfare by providing animals with opportunities to engage in challenges, while promoting species-typical behaviors such as tool use and foraging, and reducing some undesirable behaviors such as inactivity; and (4) while Eysenck’s model offers an alternative approach to assess chimpanzee personality, further research is needed to validate its applicability in this species and other non-human primates. The results of this thesis contribute to expanding our knowledge about the needs of captive chimpanzees, highlighting the importance of further investigating their behavior and individual differences. Only then can we guarantee that chimpanzees and other non-human primates living in captivity can have a live a life worth living |
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