Effect of felid activity on zoo visitor interest
Abstract
The extent to which the presence of zoo visitors influences animal behavior, and the ways in which animal activity influences visitor interest and perception, are of great interest to zoological parks. Visitors have been variously characterized as being enriching for zoo animals, as being stressors, and generally as influencing behavior in measurable ways. Most studies have focused on primates, and have assumed a “visitor effect” paradigm (i.e., visitors influence animal behavior). Here we present findings from a study of a nonprimate group (felids), and examine the “visitor attraction” model, which assumes that visitors are attracted to active animals. We assessed visitor interest and number at seven cat exhibits at the Brookfield Zoo during the spring and summer of 2002. Data were collected during 1‐min scans of each exhibit at 10‐min intervals. The results indicate that visitor presence per se did not influence cat activity, and that visitor interest was generally greater when cats were active. Various species differences may be explained by visitor familiarity with the species, variations in exhibit design, and species‐specific activity budgets. We conclude that the visitor attraction model may be more appropriate for taxa, such as large cats, that tend naturally to be largely inactive and to respond little (if at all) to visitor disturbances or efforts to engage. The relationship must be viewed as bidirectional: visitors influence animal behavior, and animal behavior inf…
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Visitors can have negative, neutral or positive impacts on zoo animal behaviour and welfare.
“Decades of research on the visitor effect in zoos has demonstrated that visitors can have negative, neutral or positive impacts on zoo animal behaviour and welfare.”
From The visitor effect on zoo animals: implications and opportunities for zoo animal welfare (2019) · cites this paper as [15]
The literature on the effects of visitor interactions on zoo animals is ambiguous, with studies providing evidence for negative, neutral and positive impacts.
“However, the literature on the effects of visitor interactions on zoo animals is somewhat ambiguous, with studies providing evidence for a range of impacts interpreted as negative [12,13], neutral [14,15] and positive [16].”
From The visitor effect on zoo animals: implications and opportunities for zoo animal welfare (2019) · cites this paper as [15]
It may be that animal behaviour is influencing visitor numbers at enclosures, rather than visitors influencing animals.
“It is also worthy to note that it may actually be the case that animal behaviour is influencing visitor numbers at enclosures, rather than visitors influencing animals [15,44,73].”
From The visitor effect on zoo animals: implications and opportunities for zoo animal welfare (2019) · cites this paper as [15]
Visitor interest increased when felids were more active.
“Similarly, Margulis [15] found that visitor interest increased when felids were more active.”
From The visitor effect on zoo animals: implications and opportunities for zoo animal welfare (2019) · cites this paper as [15]
Margulis and colleagues found no effect of visitor presence on several species of large felids.
“Margulis and colleagues [15] found no effect of visitor presence on several species of large felids.”
From The visitor effect on zoo animals: implications and opportunities for zoo animal welfare (2019) · cites this paper as [15]
Margulis and colleagues suggested that primates are more responsive to outside-enclosure disturbances in zoos in comparison to big cat species, and that this might reflect the different communication modes between the groups.
“Margulis and colleagues [15] have also suggested that primates are more responsive to outside-enclosure disturbances in zoos in comparison to big cat species, and that this might reflect the different communication modes between the groups.”
From The visitor effect on zoo animals: implications and opportunities for zoo animal welfare (2019) · cites this paper as [15]
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References 20 · Cited by 165
- Authors
- Margulis, S. W., Hoyos, C., & Anderson, M.
- Affiliations
- Brookfield Zoo Chicago (US)
- University of Notre Dame (US)
- Corresponding author
- Margulis, Susan W.
- ORCID
- Margulis, Susan W.
- Venue
- Zoo Biology
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2003-01
- Volume
- 22
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 587-599
- ISSN
- 0733-3188 (ISSN-L)
- 1098-2361
- OpenAlex
- W2024875310
- Cited by
- 165
- References
- 20
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 13
- FWCI
- 2.20
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Zoo Biology (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Veterinary › Small Animals › Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Museology › Museums and Cultural Heritage
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Keywords
- zoo animal behavior, visitor effects, Felidae, animal activity, zoo exhibits, Brookfield Zoo
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