Captive Coyotes Compared to Their Counterparts in the Wild: Does Environmental Enrichment Help?

Authors

John A. Shivik, USDA Wildlife Services National Wildlife Research Center; Logan, Utah.
Gernrna L. Palmer, University of Exeter
Eric M. Gese, USDA/APHIS/WS National Wildlife Research CenterFollow
Britta Osthaus, University of Exeter

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

2009

Comments

Published in JOURNAL OF APPLIED ANIMAL WELFARE SCIENCE, 12:223-235, 2009.

Abstract

This article attempts to determine the effects of environment (captive or wild) and a simple form of environmental enrichment on the behavior and physiology of a nonhuman animal. Specifically, analyses first compared behavioral budgets and stereotypic behavior of captive coyotes (Canis latrans) in kennels and pens to their counterparts in the wild. Second, experiments examined the effect of a simple form of environmental enrichment for captive coyotes (food-filled bones) on behavioral budgets, stereotypes, and corticosteroid levels. Overall, behavioral budgets of captive coyotes in both kennels and pens were similar to those observed in the wild, but coyotes in captivity exhibited significantly more stereotypic behavior. Intermittently providing a bone generally lowered resting and increased foraging behaviors but did not significantly reduce stereotypic behavior or alter corticosteroid levels. Thus, coyote behavior in captivity can be similar to that exhibited in the wild; in addition, although enrichment can affect proportions of elicited behaviors, abnormal behaviors and corticosteroid levels may require more than a simple form of environmental enrichment for their reduction.