Animal Captivity: How Do Pigs, Giraffes, Horses Behave After They Are Captured? Study Links Behavior to Food, Mating Strategy

Researchers from universities in Aberystwyth and Portsmouth recently published a pioneering large-scale study to determine which hoofed animals, also called ungulates, are better suited to captive environments and which necessitate better husbandry if kept in captivity.

From tongue-rolling alpacas to irritable yaks and perturbed pigs, a new study has lifted the lid on why some zoo and farm animals are coping well with captivity, and others are exhibiting signs of stress, a Phys.org report said.

Globally, more than five billion of these large, hoofed animals, like giraffes, pigs, and horses, are kept as livestock and in zoos and safari parks. This makes them some of the most commonly kept animals in the world.

Animals That Exhibit Stress Symptoms

In the study published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences journal, the research looked at the behavior of more than 15,000 individual animals across 38 ungulate species and discovered the type of food species eaten and their mating strategy associated with the risk of stress symptoms.

Specifically, species most at risk from stress-related habits are browsers, animals that eat high-growing woody vegetation like camels, rhinos, and okapis, or are promiscuous such as buffalos, sheep, pigs, and yaks.

The behavioral needs of a particular species are those they perform to reproduce and survive in the wild.

If these behaviors are restricted by captivity, it can result in poor welfare and repetitive, unusual behavior, known as stereotypic behaviors, frequently seen in farm and zoo animals.

This study demonstrates which specific behavioral needs should be prioritized to avoid stereotypic behaviors and provide good welfare for ungulates.

Animal Captivity and Behavior

The researchers also concluded that animals in captivity that do not have constant access to food are quite prone to behavioral issues.

According to Dr. Sebastian McBride, co-author of the study from Aberystwyth University, their data suggest that features of both the wild behavioral biology of a species and captive husbandry are predictive of such stereotypic behaviors among ungulates.

This study has vital implications for how such large, hoofed animals are kept in captivity. The co-author explained that they now have a better insight into which species are most vulnerable to stress in captivity and how they can tackle such a problem to improve the welfare of the said animals.

The University of Portsmouth, Dr. Leanne Proops, co-author of the study, said this study is using a new approach that allows the researchers to forecast better how well species that may be rare or understudied "will cope in captivity," a similar Today UK News said.

They discovered that for ungulates, having the right food and social organization is critical for these animals' welfare.

Essentiality of Adequate Space in Captivity

Whereas for carnivores, having adequate space in captivity appears to be key. This shows the essentiality of understanding the specific needs of different groups of species.

The author, Kate Lewis, from the University of Portsmouth, said that, as a society, we need to continue questioning and examining the environmental factors that are essential to animals "if we are to maximize their welfare."

She added lessons here for both zoos and farmers regarding how to best raise and treat livestock.

Related information about animal captivity is shown on The Documentary Network's YouTube video below:

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