Concordia University
Ph.D. candidate
Supervisor: Sarah E. Turner
Renata G. Ferreira, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte
Start: 2024-09-01
End: 2028-08-31

Project

Influence of the environment on decision-making opportunities and their potential impact on self-direct behaviors in captive and free-ranging Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata)
Zoos were originally designed for entertainment, but the biodiversity loss crisis of our century has led to a shift towards a more conservationist and educational approach. Today, zoological parks tend to be centered around four principal objectives: conservation, education, research, and recreation (Beer et al. 2023; Greenwell et al. 2023). However, issues concerning animal welfare remain debated, particularly regarding the tensions between conservation goals and conflicts in relation to dignity, autonomy, and freedom of zoo animals (Keulartz et al. 2015; Gruen 2018; Robinson & Weiss 2023). Studies have shown that decision-making opportunities – number and diversity of choices regarding foraging, predation and levels of social engagement - can be negatively impacted by the environment (Behie et al. 2019; Bourgeois-Gironde et al. 2020). In natural habitats, the complexity of decision-making is greater than in captivity, resulting in higher cognitive stimulations and use of skills that enhance the survival and psychological well-being of non-human primates. Poor environmental enrichment can have critical negative impacts, such as contributing to reducing cognitive capacities and limiting behavioral diversity in captive populations (Young 2003; Calapai et al. 2023; Romain et al. 2023). In addition, self-grooming, self-scratching, and repetitive behaviors are considered stress-related behaviors and can provide insights into the psychological well-being of non-human primates (Swaisgood & Shepherdson 2005; Painter 2017; Wallace et al. 2019; Turner et al. 2023). Captivity is a factor that increases the occurrence of these behaviors and can have dramatic long-term health effects, such as changes in the hippocampus or early mortality (Swaisgood & Shepherdson 2005; Mayer et al. 2014; Worlein 2014). However, it is important to further investigate how variation in captive environment can influence decision-making opportunities compared to free-ranging populations. This understanding is crucial for enhancing the conservation of non-human primates. Indeed, a reduction in opportunities could lead to the loss of some innate or acquired behaviors over generations, as they may not engage in an enough diversify panel of activity, necessary for their behavioral development (Bergstrom & Godfrey-Smith 1998; Mery & Burns 2009; Stewart et al. 2016). This could compromise their rehabilitation and reintroduction into natural environments and jeopardizing long-term reproductive programs (Mangel 1990; Mery & Burns 2009). To address my general research question: "How do environmental variations influence decision-making opportunities in Japanese macaques, and what is their potential impact on self-directed behaviors in different populations of Japanese macaques in captivity and in free-ranging environments?", I plan to conduct behavioral data analyses in various environments. First, I will focus on one of the captive populations in eastern Canada. Then, I will utilize live stream camera from the Detroit Zoo and Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago. To compare captive populations with those living in free-ranging environments, I will conduct field research at the Awajishima Monkey Center (AMC) in Japan. The Japanese macaques inhabiting the forests surrounding the AMC live in free-ranging groups that are habituated to human presence (Turner et al. 2012). For the different environments, I will conduct focal sampling to assess both decision-making opportunities and self-directed behaviors, allowing for a comparison of the different populations. To optimize data collection quality, I will use a camera and a microphone. For my various statistical analyses, I will include available space as a direct variable. To strengthen my analyses, I will create a choice opportunity index based on social, foraging, and vigilance behaviors, measuring their complexity through various parameters such as task difficulty and cost/benefit ratios (Ward & Webster, 2016; Mason et al., 2007). This index will be used to analyze the self-scratching behaviors data collected by Dr. S. E. Turner at the Awajishima Monkey Center (AMC) to identify relationships between decision-making opportunities and these behaviors.

Keywords

Japanese macaques, Behavioral Ecology, self-directed behaviors, decision-making opportunities, environmental factors, environmental enrichment