Approaches to studying behavior in captive sloth bears through animal keeper feedback

Area of Science:

• Animal behavior studies
• Zoo and wildlife conservation science

Background:

• Animal keepers possess valuable insights into animal welfare and behavior.
• Formal data collection can be challenging in zoological and rescue settings.
• Exploring alternative methods to capture keeper knowledge is crucial for animal welfare research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy of keeper feedback as a tool for studying sloth bear behavior.
• To assess specific behaviors including playfulness, boldness, aggressiveness, and self-directed behaviors (SDB).

Main Methods:

• A survey with Likert scale questions was administered to keepers at the Agra Bear Rescue Facility.
• Ratings were collected for 44 adult female sloth bears.
• Keeper ratings of SDB were validated against formal behavioral observations.

Main Results:

• Keeper feedback proved to be an efficient method for gathering behavior data.
• A negative correlation was observed between larger group housing (>15 bears) and SDB.
• Social play showed a negative correlation with aggression towards people.

Conclusions:

• Keeper feedback is a valuable and efficient tool for studying captive sloth bear behavior.
• Findings suggest environmental factors, like group size, influence bear behavior.
• This method can be recommended for future behavioral research in similar settings.