Efeitos do enriquecimento ambiental sobre o comportamento de animais mantidos em reabilitação no Centro de Triagem de Animais Silvestres de Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais

Abstract

Wildlife trafficking associated with the loss of habitat has brought several consequences to the fauna at a local and national level. One of them is the need to rehabilitate these animals in ex situ environments before returning to nature. The temporary management of species in captivity is extremely challenging, as the animals may develop behaviors considered abnormal, in addition to the possibility of losing skills that will be important for their survival in the natural environment. The use of environmental enrichment techniques prevents the appearance of stereotypies and encourages animals to exhibit behaviors that are part of their free-living behavioral repertoire. The present study aimed to evaluate the behavioral responses of the animals received by the Centro de Triagem de Animais Silvestres (CETAS) in Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, in view of the provision of environmental enrichment items in three categories: food, physical and sensory. . Three enclosures were selected – Passeriformes, Psittaciformes and Jabutis – for the experiment, which was divided into three stages: Pre-enrichment (1 day), Enrichment (3 days) and Post-enrichment (1 day). Objects of the three categories were offered for 3 days, with a duration of 1 hour per day in each enclosure, and the behavior record was made every 5 minutes, according to the scanning method developed by de Martin and Bateson (1993). The frequencies of each behavioral category were obtained and a comparison was made on the type of enrichment that was preferred for each of the enclosures. Interactions with food enrichment were the most recorded during the study, and the category of movement, feeding and rest showed the greatest variation between periods with and without enrichment. Additionally, we noticed a clear difference between the type of enrichment preferred by each group of animals. Furthermore, the results highlight that there may be seasonal differences in enrichment studies. The techniques were successful in increasing the animals' behavioral repertoire, which shows the influence that environmental enrichment can have in stimulating individuals in rehabilitation and preparing them to face the challenges of the natural environment they will be destined for.