Dither: A unifying model of the effects of visitor numbers on zoo animal behavior.
Zoo Biol
; 2022 Sep 25.
Artículo
en Inglés
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2267219
ABSTRACT
Interest in the impact of human presence on the behavior and well-being of zoo and aquarium animals is increasing. Previous work has conceptualized the presence of zoo visitors as having one of three impacts on the behavior of animals in zoos positive, negative, or neutral. Research suggests the same species may exhibit all three responses under different conditions, calling into question whether the positive/negative/neutral framework is the most useful way of considering visitor impact on animal behavior. Here we present a model of visitor effects that unifies these three predictions. Our model suggests that zoo-goers may provide a "dither effect" for some animals living in zoos. We posit animals may show nonlinear behavioral responses over a range of visitor densities, effectively exhibiting changes in both comfortable and anxiety-like behaviors under different levels of human presence. We tested this model during two COVID-19 related closures at the San Francisco Zoo, studying seven species for evidence of nonlinear relationships between visitor numbers and animal behavior. Our results support the dither effect acting in several species observed.
Texto completo:
Disponible
Colección:
Bases de datos internacionales
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Tipo de estudio:
Estudio experimental
/
Estudio pronóstico
Idioma:
Inglés
Asunto de la revista:
Biologia
Año:
2022
Tipo del documento:
Artículo
País de afiliación:
Zoo.21736
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