Text and Reference Materials

Blackwell Publishing Ltd. has released the first book in a new UFAW (Universities Federation for Animal Welfare) animal welfare series, Environmental Enrichment for Captive Animals written by Robert J. Young. Young stresses the importance of implementing animal welfare practices such as environmental enrichment for the betterment of zoo, farm, and laboratory animals by explaining the scientific and moral rationale of using enrichment programs. A brief look at the history of captive animal care illustrates how animal care is dependent on many factors such as economic, political, historical, scientific, emotional, and ethical issues. Discussion on designing enrichment programs as well as enrichment devices themselves is included as a whole rather than a step-by-step instruction manual, making this book a foundation from which to move forward.

The majority of the text concentrates on zoo animals such as non-human primates but does include references and commentary on farm and laboratory animals. Young writes in the first person, underlining his passion and conviction that environmental enrichment is worth the effort on many levels. The animal caretakers and zookeepers are an integral part of every enrichment program and a vital resource for reporting animal behavior and health conditions. Including them in devising and maintaining enrichment programs and devices is the only way for such programs to succeed since caretakers that are happy and satisfied with their work are more predictable, thereby decreasing some of the stress animals encounter in a confined space.

Enrichment programs can be devised in numerous ways, many which are successful, a few of which are not. Documentation of failure as well as success aids the captive animal community so mistakes need not be repeated. Often there is hesitation to report research that has not been successful; Young asks the research community to share all results regardless of outcome, if only to save precious time in designing a program that does work. Again and throughout the text the reader feels the strength of conviction that Young feels about enrichment programs and the positive impact on animal welfare.