IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Litchfield, C. | |
| The facilitation of exploratory behaviour and other behavioural changes by the presentation of novel objects to rats, chimpanzees and caracals | |
| 2000 Full Book | |
Studies of exploratory behaviour within psychology have been conducted for over a century, and typically take place within the laboratory with rats. Arguably, researchers have failed to choose stimulus configurations that are relevant to conditions likely to be encountered in natural environments. Yet, exploratory behaviour is vital to the survival of wild rodents, felids and primates. Wild rats are subject to predation, which can be avoided if they are familiar with their environment, and familiarity with the home range is maintained through regular patrolling. Wild felids also patrol and monitor their home ranges, and exploratory behaviour forms a part of successful hunting strategies. The many field studies of chimpanzees provide a rich source of material on exploratory behaviour: patrolling, object play, object manipulation and tool-use. However, evidence for reactions to novel objects is usually anecdotal in nature, and this is indeed the case for most species. [...] The final preliminary experiments were conducted at Adelaide Zoo (qualitative analysis only). A number of novel objects (food-related & non-food-related) were presented to a group of six chimpanzees, and a different set of objects was presented to a pair of caracals, in an attempt to facilitate exploratory behaviour and reduce aberrant behaviours. The food-related enrichment devices elicited the greatest levels of exploratory responses in both species - all three food "puzzles" for the chimpanzees, and the "flying-fox" style feeder for the caracals. |
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