The effect of visitor activity on behaviour and enclosure use of captive de Brazza s monkeys (Cercopithecus neglectus) Abbey Stone Plate 1: Female de Brazza, Blackpool Zoo (Authors own, 2017)
Study justification Conflicting evidence as to what effect visitors have on primates Hosey (2013); Sade (2013) & Stevens et al. (2013) Diana monkeys (Cercopithecus diana) performed intraspecific agonistic behaviour at visitor numbers Todd et al. (2007) A different group displayed an of intraspecific play Orangutans (Pongo. spp) kept a larger proximity between themselves and public at higher visitor density Ting (2011) Visitor disruption had unknown effects on chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) but caused intraspecific aggression in jaguars (Panthera onca) Brown (2012); Sellinger and Ha (2005)
Study design 5 de Brazza s monkeys 1 male, 3 female, 1 infant Plate 2. De Brazza s monkeys in outdoor enclosure (Author s own, 2016) Aims Objectives H1 H2 What will the study determine? To determine the effect of visitors on behaviour and enclosure use of de Brazza s monkeys Measure behaviour with ad libitum sampling & enclosure use via quadrant sampling There will be an increase in agonistic behaviours at higher visitor density and disruption The quadrants furthest from visitors during higher visitor density and disruption will be used more
Methods Ad libitum all interactions between visitor and individual (MVI) 4-5 h a day: summer (peak) & winter (off peak) periods for 60h Visitor present - recorded: Visitor numbers Visitor disruption (Ha & Sellinger, 2005) db levels Visitor noise during interactions Plate 3. Female and infant (Author s own, 2016)
Visitor disruption scale Rating Definition 0 Observing animals in silence 1 Quiet whispers, very little normal talking No touching/banging of glass* 2 Normal talking 3 Normal talking, 3 < bouts of shouting 4 Lou talking, 4 > bouts of shouting Banging/touching of glass * If glass banging was observed in 0, 1 or 2 rating was increased to 3
Enclosure use Enclosure position during interaction (9 zones front / back ) Figure 1. Enclosure of de Brazza s monkeys at Blackpool zoo with quadrants (Red = visitor viewing panels, Green = plants/bushes, Black = door, Grey = quadrants)
Results visitor interactions Figure 2: Frequency (±SE) of affiliative (NA), foraging (F), grooming (G) and aggression (A) behaviours at each visitor score (0 4)
Disruption score P <0.05 - Affiliative, look away, foraging, play, aggression, threat & grooming P <0.05 - Disruption score as visitor score Figure 3: Frequency (±SE) of affiliative (NA), foraging (F) and grooming (G) behaviours at each visitor score (0 4)
Peak vs off peak P <0.05 total MVI - 1,566 peak vs. 826 off-peak Peak: Mean interaction 67.05 s with mean 5 individuals present Off-peak: 56.8 s with mean 3 P <0.05 - Affiliative & grooming increased at peak P >0.05 - Look away, foraging, play, aggression & threat
Results enclosure use P <0.001 - db level vs indoor/outdoor, interaction length, day P >0.05 use of front/back P >0.05 - MVI & enclosure use but P <0.05 for individual P >0.05 - Visitor score between indoor and outdoor enclosure P <0.05 F2 (dam & offspring) used G & M least
Results - Noise db score Rating db 0 Quiet 35-45 1 Low 45.1-55 2 Moderate 55.1-65 3 High 65.1-75 4 Extreme > 75.1 Figure 4: Frequency (±SE) of affiliative (NA) foraging (F) and grooming (G) behaviours at each decibel (db) score (0 4)
Results Noise (2) P <0.05 - Affiliative, foraging & grooming decreased as db increased P <0.05 - Aggression increased on db 2, 3, 4 P >0.05 - Look away, threat & play with db scores
Key findings Less +ve behaviours at higher visitor scores & higher db Peak & off-peak did not differ in agnostic behaviour affected by visitor levels? More MVI in outdoor areas despite db being higher indoors P >0.05 - MVI disruption score and front/back MWP
References & questions Barlow, C. J. C., Caldwell, C. A. and Lee, P. C. (2007) Individual differences and response to visitors in zoo-housed Diana monkeys (Cercopithecus diana diana). 8th Annual Symposium on Zoo Research, Colchester Zoo Brown, W. (2013) Human visitation, temperature and their effects upon chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) spatial distribution and behavior at the Detroit Zoo. https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/91792/wpbrown.pdf?sequence=1. Accessed on 04/04/16 Hosey, G. R. (2013) Hediger revisited: How do zoo animals see us? Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science. Volume 16, (4), p.g 338 359 Sade, C. (2013) Visitor effects on zoo animals. The Plymouth Student Scientist, 6(1):423-433 Sellinger, R. L. and Ha, J. C. (2005) The effects of visitor density and intensity on the behavior of two captive jaguars (Panthera onca). Applied Animal Welfare Science, 8(4):233 244 Stevens, J. M. G., Thyssen, A., Leavens, H. and Vervaecke, H. (2013) The influence of zoo visitor numbers on the behaviour of harbour seals (Phoca vitulina). Journal of Zoo and Aquarium Research, 1(1):31 34 Ting, C. Y. (2011) Orangutan behaviour in captivity: Activity budgets, enclosure use and the visitor effect. Master s thesis; National University of Singapore Todd, P. A., MacDonald, C. and Coleman, D. (2007) Visitor-associated variation in captive Diana. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 107(1):162 65.