Bayne K A, Dexter S L, Hurst J K, Strange G M, Hill E E
Laboratory of Environmental Enrichment, National Center for Research Resources, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.
Lab Anim Sci. 1993 Feb;43(1):78-85.
Simple toys as enrichment devices have been associated with a rapid decline in their use by nonhuman primates. Other facets of toy presentation have not been described previously. For example, a comparison of the effect(s) of an enrichment device between two facilities should be validated if enrichment recommendations are to be made that affect diverse research facilities across the country. Additionally, a comparison of two methods of presentation (one highly accessible to the animal and the other less accessible) of the same enrichment device for potential differences in efficacy could provide direction in implementing an enrichment program based on simple toys. The handling of enrichment devices by nonhuman primates can lead to the spread of microbial contamination. The typical enrichment program rotates enrichment devices among animals to maximize the variety of stimuli available to each primate in the most economic manner. An adequate sanitation program is therefore pivotal to minimizing the potential for enrichment devices to be fomites. We conducted three experiments that addressed these issues. The results confirmed that, although the presence of a simple toy reduced behavioral pathology, there was variability in behavioral effect for an enrichment technique between facilities. Two methods of presentation (on floor and suspended) of a simple toy did not produce any significant differences in use. Finally, we demonstrated that microbial growth can persist on enrichment devices after they have been sanitized in a commercial cagewasher.
作为丰富物的简单玩具与非人灵长类动物对其使用的迅速减少有关。玩具呈现的其他方面此前尚未被描述。例如，如果要提出影响全国不同研究机构的丰富化建议，那么在两个机构之间对一种丰富化装置的效果进行比较就应该得到验证。此外，对同一丰富化装置的两种呈现方式（一种动物极易获取，另一种较难获取）在功效上的潜在差异进行比较，可为基于简单玩具实施丰富化计划提供指导。非人灵长类动物对丰富化装置的操作可能导致微生物污染的传播。典型的丰富化计划会在动物之间轮换丰富化装置，以最经济的方式使每只灵长类动物能接触到尽可能多的不同刺激。因此，一个适当的卫生计划对于将丰富化装置成为传染媒介的可能性降至最低至关重要。我们进行了三项实验来解决这些问题。结果证实，虽然一个简单玩具的存在减少了行为病理学现象，但不同机构间一种丰富化技术在行为效果上存在差异。简单玩具的两种呈现方式（放在地上和悬挂）在使用上没有产生任何显著差异。最后，我们证明，在商业洗笼机中对丰富化装置进行消毒后，微生物仍可能在其上生长。
