Collins Courtney, McKeown Sean, O'Riordan Ruth
School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences and the Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Ireland.
Fota Wildlife Park, Carrigtwohill, Co. Cork, Ireland.
Heliyon. 2023 Jun 3;9(6):e16879. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16879. eCollection 2023 Jun.
Negative visitor behaviour in zoos such as banging, shouting and feeding animals are unwanted, but under-studied, visitor actions. It is not known how prevalent negative behaviour is, which species or enclosure type receives the most negative behaviour or how these behaviours affect zoo-housed animals. In this study, a comprehensive assessment of negative visitor behaviour, using an innovative methodology, was conducted at 25 different enclosures at Fota Wildlife Park, Ireland. Additionally, animal activity level and out of sight behaviour was observed. Descriptive statistics and general linear models were used to investigate which variables affected behaviour. Banging was the most common negative behaviour, while Humboldt penguins, lion-tailed macaques and Sumatran tigers were the most harassed species. Negative actions increased as visitor number increased and at traditional-style viewing areas. Active animal behaviour and out of sight animals were effected as negative visitor behaviours increased, but there appeared to be a tolerance threshold before a behavioural response was observed. By understanding negative behaviours, zoos can strive to reduce them and promote positive animal welfare.
动物园中存在的负面游客行为，如敲打、呼喊和投喂动物，都是不受欢迎且研究不足的游客行为。目前尚不清楚负面行为的普遍程度如何，哪种物种或围合类型受到的负面行为最多，以及这些行为如何影响圈养在动物园里的动物。在这项研究中，采用创新方法对爱尔兰科克郡的福塔野生动物公园25个不同围合区域的游客负面行为进行了全面评估。此外，还观察了动物的活动水平和看不见时的行为。使用描述性统计和一般线性模型来研究哪些变量会影响行为。敲打是最常见的负面行为，而洪堡企鹅、狮尾猕猴和苏门答腊虎是受骚扰最多的物种。随着游客数量的增加以及在传统风格的观赏区域，负面行为会增多。随着游客负面行为的增加，动物的活跃行为和看不见的动物受到了影响，但在观察到行为反应之前似乎存在一个耐受阈值。通过了解负面行为，动物园可以努力减少这些行为并促进积极的动物福利。
