Nightly space use of African ungulates in zoos

Abstract In addition to fulfilling the four main aims of zoos, namely conservation, education, research, and recreation, modern zoos must also ensure animal welfare. Enclosure design is a significant determinant of the extent to which animal needs are met, and thus of animal welfare. The majority of studies examining the impact of enclosure design on animal welfare in zoos have focused on the behavioral patterns and the enclosure use patterns of animals in outdoor enclosures during daylight hours. As animal’s behavior differs between day and night, it is likely that the nocturnal animal’s needs vary from those at daylight. This study focuses on nocturnal space use in the inside enclosures of the animals. Therefore, 50 individuals from 15 ungulate species belonging to the orders Cetartiodactyla and Perissodactyla were examined. In total, the data set comprises 25,938 h of video material from 2358 nights in 14 zoos. On the analyzed data, most individuals primarily use a small part of the indoor enclosure during night. Moreover, most animals have one, and some animals have two preferred lying places, which are almost always on bedding products. In a case study of okapis Okapia johnstoni in which different bedding products were provided to the individuals during the night, it was observed that each individual had a preferred bedding product, although the type differed between the individuals. Finally, environmental changes had only a minor impact on the space use. These observations may assist zoos in evaluating their housing conditions for African ungulates, which could potentially lead to enhanced animal welfare.