Carnivores: Change location of food around enclosure

Overall effectiveness category Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)
Number of studies: 1
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How is the evidence assessed?

Effectiveness

90%
Certainty

30%
Harms

0%

Calculating overall effectiveness category

Background information and definitions

Predictability in feeding regimes has been linked to potential anticipatory behaviours such as pacing and higher levels of aggression. Varying the location of feeding may make the feeding routine less predictable and therefore reduce pacing and increase foraging behaviours.

Study locations

Key messages

One replicated, before-and-after study in Ireland found that altering the location of food decreased pacing behaviours in cheetahs.

About key messages

Key messages provide a descriptive index to studies we have found that test this intervention.

Studies are not directly comparable or of equal value. When making decisions based on this evidence, you should consider factors such as study size, study design, reported metrics and relevance of the study to your situation, rather than simply counting the number of studies that support a particular interpretation.

Supporting evidence from individual studies

A replicated, before-and-after study in 2010 of cheetahs Acinonyx jubatus in a wildlife park in Ireland found that when feeding was spatially varied, pacing behaviour decreased compared to using a predictable location. Pacing frequency was reduced when food was spatially varied (0.04 mean proportion of scans) compared to predictable feeding (0.08 mean proportion of scans). Ten cheetahs were housed in five enclosures (one solitary male, two solitary females, a male pair and a mother and four cubs). Instantaneous scan sampling was used at five-minute intervals and a total of 48 scan samples were carried out per enclosure each day. Eight days of data were collected per enrichment technique, including eight baseline days. Spatial feeding involved altering feed between the back and front of the enclosure at the regular feeding time of 16:00 h. Their diet consisted of one whole dead rabbit or chicken six days per week.
Study and other actions tested
Referenced paper
Quirke T. & O’Riordan R.M. (2011) The effect of a randomised enrichment treatment schedule on the behaviour of cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus). Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 135, 103-109.

Please cite as:

Jonas, C.S., Timbrell, L.L., Young, F., Petrovan, S.O., Bowkett, A.E. & Smith, R.K. (2020) Management of Captive Animals. Pages 527-553 in: W.J. Sutherland, L.V. Dicks, S.O. Petrovan & R.K. Smith (eds) What Works in Conservation 2020. Open Book Publishers, Cambridge, UK.

Where has this evidence come from?

List of journals searched by synopsis

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This Action forms part of the Action Synopsis:

Management of Captive Animals

Related Actions

Actions	Effectiveness	Category
Amphibians: Allow temperate amphibians to hibernate Action Link	No evidence found (no assessment)	Synopsis Link
Carnivores: Alter food abundance or type seasonally Action Link	No evidence found (no assessment)	Synopsis Link
Primates: Provide herbs or other plants for self-medication Action Link	No evidence found (no assessment)	Synopsis Link