Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Environmental enrichment: room for reduction?

Heleen A Van de Weerd1, Pascalle L P Van Loo, Vera Baumans

  • 1Department of Laboratory Animal Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80.166, 3508 TD Utrecht, The Netherlands. heleen.vandeweerd@adas.co.uk

Alternatives to Laboratory Animals : ATLA
|December 17, 2004
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Development of animal use in experiments: a brief historical overview.

Laboratory animals·2026
Same author

Recognition of pain and distress.

Laboratory animals·2026
Same author

Implications of stress for animal welfare and animal-based research<sup>†</sup>.

Laboratory animals·2025
Same author

Evaluation of the Effects of Enlarged Housing on Social Play and Reward Seeking in Rats.

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI·2025
Same author

Celebrating Women in Science: Pioneering Contributions to Animal Behaviour and Welfare.

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI·2024
Same author

Why All Healthy Laboratory Animals Should Be Rehomed, No Matter How Small.

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI·2023

Environmental enrichment improves animal welfare and can reduce the number of animals used in research. Successful programs minimize animal loss and experimental variability, demonstrating a key benefit of refinement strategies.

Area of Science:

  • Animal Welfare Science
  • Laboratory Animal Science
  • Experimental Design

Background:

  • Environmental enrichment is typically viewed as a refinement technique in animal research.
  • Successful enrichment programs can enhance animal welfare.
  • Improved welfare may lead to a reduction in the number of animals required for studies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To demonstrate how environmental enrichment can lead to a reduction in animal use.
  • To present evidence supporting the use of enrichment for reducing animal numbers in research.
  • To highlight the multifaceted benefits of enrichment beyond basic welfare.

Main Methods:

  • Review of studies demonstrating the impact of environmental enrichment on animal numbers.
  • Analysis of specific enrichment strategies, including nesting material for mice.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Examination of husbandry procedures for controlling aggression in male mice.
  • Assessment of enrichment's effect on experimental result variability.

    • Main Results:

    • Nesting material positively impacts laboratory mice welfare.
    • Husbandry procedures effectively control aggressive behavior in male mice.
    • Environmental enrichment reduces variability in experimental outcomes.
    • Successful enrichment leads to fewer animal losses in experiments.

    Conclusions:

    • Environmental enrichment is a powerful tool for reducing the number of animals in research.
    • Implementing effective enrichment programs aligns with the principles of the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction, Refinement).
    • Enrichment contributes to both animal welfare and the reliability of scientific data.