Wild Animals Observation Report

In the wild animals can choose their group or companion conspecific, whereas in captivity animals are allocated by humans and their choice is restricted due to limited space and a number of conspecifics. Nowadays, many animals kept in zoos are transferred between facilities for breeding to ensure species conservation and genetic diversity, or due to a lack of space or exhibit considerations. Therefore group composition changes accompanied by introductions and familiarisations of animals that are a necessary and a standard part in everyday zoo life (Guertler 2008). This also concerns animals of all age classes which should be socialised, as well as hand-reared offspring. Consequently, it is crucial to evaluate the ramifications of these processes for the whole group, including introduced as well as individuals already present in the group.

The introduction of an individual into an existing group can pose a disruption and an alteration/intervention in the social framework which generates social stress and can, in turn, impair animal welfare (Patison et al. 2010). Introduction methods are often reported, but scientific behavioural assessments are rarely presented, which are needed to elucidate the current process status, determine special requirements, identify stressful aspects and utterly incompatible individuals. Thus, there is a need for processes of introduction and socialisation to be further investigated in non-primate mammals in a zoo or zoo-similar context (Powell 2010). Despite their daily relevance and frequent occurrences, these processes are rarely investigated with respect to their animal welfare