Zoo animals and their human audiences: what is the visitor effect?
Open accessAbstract
The presence of human visitors has been shown to affect the behaviour of several different mammalian species in a number of different zoos, but the behavioural changes observed are not always consistent with a simple ‘stressful influence’ explanation. Data for non-primate species are too sparse to draw meaningful conclusions; but for primates, the evidence reviewed in this paper allows several hypotheses to be tested. Neither a social facilitation nor an audience attraction hypothesis can be generally supported by the available studies. However, these studies are consistent with a general stressful influence hypothesis, although the extent of this influence is itself affected by other variables, notably species and housing differences. There is some evidence that chronic exposure to human audiences may lessen this stressful influence in some species; and in certain circumstances (notably where some members of the public throw food) the effect of the audience is almost an enriching one.
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The effect of visitors on the welfare of captive animals has been widely studied for more than four decades.
“While the effect of visitors on the welfare of captive animals has been widely studied for more than four decades (Hosey, 2000;Davey, 2007;Hosey, 2013)”
From Effect of weather conditions and presence of visitors on adrenocortical activity in captive African penguins (Spheniscus demersus) (2017) · cites this paper as Hosey, 2000
The Introduction says the visitor effect was not systematically investigated until comparatively recently, rather than widely studied for more than four decades. The Non-primate studies section also describes published studies of visitor effects on non-primates as virtually non-existent. Page numbers are unavailable in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.87)
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Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredHosey described the term 'visitor effect' in reference to the study on the impacts of zoo visitors, with systematic investigations largely beginning in the late 1980s and 1990s and growing over time.
“Hosey [44] described the term ‘visitor effect’ in reference to the study on the impacts of zoo visitors on animals, with systematic investigations into this topic largely beginning in the late 1980s and 1990s and growing over time.”
From The visitor effect on zoo animals: implications and opportunities for zoo animal welfare (2019) · cites this paper as [44]
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 [44]
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Research works printed but not linked: 5
- Clarke A S and Mason W A 1988 Differences among three macaque species in responsiveness to an observer. International Journal of Primatology 9: 347-364
- Hediger H 1970 Man and Animal in the Zoo. Routledge & Kegan Paul: London, UK
- Maki S, Alford P L and Bramblett C 1987 The effects of unfamiliar humans on aggression in captive chimpanzee groups. American Journal of Primatology 12: 358 (Abstract)
- Mather L 1999 Response of Captive Orang Utans to Human Audiences. Unpublished MPhil thesis, University of Manchester (Bolton Institute), Bolton, UK
- Wormell D, Brayshaw M, Price E and Herron S 1996 Pied tamarins Saguinus bicolor bicolor at the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust: management, behaviour and reproduction. Dodo Journal of the Wildlife Preservation Trusts 32: 76-97 Zajonc RBI 965 Social facilitation. Science 149: 269-274
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“Hosey [44] described the term ‘visitor effect’ in reference to the study on the impacts of zoo visitors on animals, with systematic investigations into this topic largely beginning in the late 1980s and 1990s and growing over time.”
BackgroundA preliminary model of human-animal relationships in the zoo
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Self-citationQueiroz, M. B., & Young, R. J. (2018) · Animals · doi:10.3390/ani8080139 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
Visitor-associated variation in captive Diana monkey (Cercopithecus diana diana) behaviour
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A Case Study: The Effect of Visitors on Two Captive Pumas With Respect to the Time of the Day
Maia, C. M., Volpato, G. L., & Santos, E. F. (2012) · Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science · doi:10.1080/10888705.2012.683758 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
Ozella, L., Favaro, L., Carnovale, I., & Pessani, D. (2015) · Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science · doi:10.1080/10888705.2014.977384 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
- Authors
- Hosey, G. R.
- Affiliations
- University of Greater Manchester (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Hosey, G R
- ORCID
- Hosey, G R
- Venue
- Animal Welfare
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 2000-11
- Volume
- 9
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 343-357
- ISSN
- 0962-7286 (ISSN-L)
- 2054-1538
- OpenAlex
- W3144779167
- Cited by
- 249
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 10 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 17 · 2023: 18 · 2022: 18 · 2021: 22 · 2020: 26 · 2019: 16 · 2018: 12 · 2017: 15 · 2016: 12 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 11 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 3
- FWCI
- 2.89
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Animal Welfare (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Veterinary › Small Animals › Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Primate Behavior and Ecology
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Human-Animal Interaction Studies
- Keywords
- zoo animals, visitor effects, animal behavior, stress, primates, social facilitation, long-term exposure, housing conditions
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