Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 7, 2026
04:51
A Modified Mirror Test as a Visual Guide for the Self-awareness Trait in Wild Antarctica Penguins, Pygoscelis adeliae
Published on: July 8, 2025
Hediger revisited: how do zoo animals see us?
1a School of Health & Social Studies, University of Bolton , United Kingdom.
Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science : JAAWS
|October 2, 2013
Summary
Zoo animals perceive people in complex ways, not just as threats. Research suggests animals may view humans as friends or environmental stimuli, expanding on earlier theories of human-animal interactions in zoos.
Area of Science:
- Animal Behavior
- Zoo Biology
- Human-Animal Interactions
Background:
- Contact with familiar and unfamiliar humans is common for zoo animals.
- Existing research indicates human contact can be a source of stress, but the relationship is complex.
- Understanding animal perceptions of humans is key to improving zoo environments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore how zoo animals perceive humans.
- To re-evaluate Hediger's framework for human-animal perception in zoos using current empirical data.
- To develop a model for understanding the development of human-animal relationships in zoos.
Main Methods:
- Review and analysis of existing empirical evidence on animal perceptions of humans.
- Application of Hediger's theoretical framework to current data.
- Development of a conceptual model for human-animal relationship dynamics.
Main Results:
- Animals discriminate between familiar and unfamiliar humans, as well as between conspecifics and heterospecifics.
- Perceptions extend beyond Hediger's initial categories, including 'stimulating part of the environment' and 'friendship'.
- Evidence suggests a more nuanced understanding of how animals categorize and interact with people.
Conclusions:
- Zoo animals' perceptions of humans are multifaceted and go beyond simple stress responses.
- Hediger's framework can be expanded to include new categories like environmental stimuli and friendship.
- A comprehensive model can illustrate the development of diverse human-animal relationships in zoo settings.
Related Concept Videos
01:03Communication
Communication between two animals occurs when one animal transmits an information signal that causes a change in the animal that receives the information. Organisms communicate with one another in a host of different ways. Signals can be auditory, chemical, visual, tactile, or a combination of these. Communication is a critical behavioral adaptation that promotes survival, growth, and reproduction.
02:39Predator-Prey Interactions
Predators consume prey for energy. Predators that acquire prey and prey that avoid predation both increase their chances of survival and reproduction (i.e., fitness). Routine predator-prey interactions elicit mutual adaptations that improve predator offenses, such as claws, teeth, and speed, as well as prey defenses, including crypsis, aposematism, and mimicry. Thus, predator-prey interactions resemble an evolutionary arms race.
02:30Naturalistic Observations
If you want to understand how behavior occurs, one of the best ways to gain information is to simply observe the behavior in its natural context. However, people might change their behavior in unexpected ways if they know they are being observed. How do researchers obtain accurate information when people tend to hide their natural behavior? As an example, imagine that your professor asks everyone in your class to raise their hand if they always wash their hands after using the restroom. Chances...