Abnormal Captive Behaviour

westliferule

Hi everyone,

I am just wondering could anybody please tell me what abnormal behaviour captive gorillas show and why?

Thanks

Sierra Oscar

Strange . . .

westliferule

yes I know its a little strange of a question to ask but I am doing a course in captive animal behaviour and have to find out what behaviour is normal and abnormal in gorillas.

aidoh

There's a school of thought that suggests captive animals should have an enriched environment, close to natural conditions, so that they're healthy and able to express the full range of behaviour that they'd show in the wild.
Usually poor housing or other welfare conditions can lead to pathological behaviour. Commonly you'll see 'unhappy' captive animals performing stereotypic behavioural patterns such as pacing up and down in their cage for hours. If you've ever been to Berlin zoo you'd have seen how poorly they care for their big cats for example. The cats are kept in tiny cages and they basically just keep turning left and right all day or pacing back and forth.
I don't know much about gorilla behaviour to be honest, but if you google terms like 'gorilla stereotypies' or 'gorilla behavioural pathology' you'll probably find a bunch of work done on captive gorillas.

westliferule

Firstly thanks for getting back. I never realised how creul zoo could be until I started the research yeah I know that big cats such as lions and tiger pace out of frustration coz there freedom had been denied I know this is stereotypical behaviour. I willlook this information up thanks

F.R.

Wild animals kept in captivity will often display abnormal behaviour, particularly when kept alone or in small enclosures.

Among Gorillas some of the most frequently seen abnormal behaviours are:

Regurgitating food immediately after ingestion followed by reingestion of the regurgitate. Ingesting feces. Self-mutilation. Intimidation running diagonally, beating the wrist against the chest and screaming. Aggressiveness.

In the wild Gorillas will spend 4-5 hours a day browsing for food, they also spend considerable time interacting with other Gorillas (grooming and playing). In captivity they are sometimes deprived of these normal behaviours which keep them mentally stimulated.

westliferule

Thanks