Behavioral Management of Animals

Environmental enrichment refers to the modification of an animal's physical environment, especially those in captivity, to help meet the animal's behavioral needs and improve their well-being. These enrichments provide a challenge and stimulation to the animals so that their environment becomes more complex and dynamic. Enrichment can be provided in 5 different ways:

• Social: contact vs. no contact (e.g. group or pair housing animals)
• Occupational: physiological (e.g. providing puzzles or playing fetch)
• Physical: enclosure design and objects (e.g. the addition of toys, climbing structures, or nest-building materials)
• Sensory: stimulating senses (e.g. catnip or sounds from natural habitat)
• Nutritional: food (e.g. treats or food presentation)

Many animal species used in research, teaching, testing, and exhibition are social animals meaning they like to be with other animals. Single housing of social animals can be harmful to their welfare by causing the animals to become stressed and depressed. Therefore, it is important to understand the social interactions of animals and create environments that allow for group housing when appropriate.

The Animal Welfare Act Regulations require social grouping of certain species such as nonhuman primates and marine mammals unless single housing is justified (e.g. the animal is aggressive towards others). NIH's Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW) and AAALAC International also support group housing of social animals. 

Animals perform many different behaviors every day to interact with themselves, other animals, humans, and their environment. An animal’s activity may change based on something they experience. For example, a dog hears a thunderstorm, so it might start panting because it’s nervous. 

Each behavior can be categorized as either normal or abnormal. Normal behaviors are actions we expect to see from animals in good welfare, such as playing or grooming. Normal behaviors tell us that an animal is happy, healthy, and relaxed in its environment. When animals become stressed, bored, or sick, they may perform ‘abnormal behaviors’ such as biting, hiding, or pacing. Abnormal actions are not performed often, but when an animal is trying to cope with their negative environment they may perform these behaviors more frequently and with great intensity.

It’s important for us to understand animal behaviors so we can identify the behavior, determine what caused it, and determine if it benefits or harms the animal.

Animal training involves teaching an animal to perform a specific behavior or task when given a command. Training can be used with many animals such as, pets; livestock; laboratory animals; zoo, circus, and aquarium animals, etc. There are different types of training that can be used. For example, positive reinforcement training involves rewarding the animal with a treat, toy, or other reward for completing the behavior or task that was asked of them. This method can improve an animal's welfare and helps provide them with the best care.