Abstract
Plants form the fabric within and around which animals live their lives. As the ultimate source
of food to fuel their lives, to the provision of structures that make a safe home. Plants or plant
derivatives determine much of the natural behaviour of animals in the wild. But what of plants
in captive environments? Plants form a major part of all terrestrial animals’ environments, yet
their inclusion in the field of environmental enrichment, has not been recognised to date
(Field, 1998; Reinhardt, 2008; Stark, 1999; Young, 2003). Overlooked and undervalued plants
have certainly not been utilised to their full capacity. Approaches will be revealed in this paper
which explores how zoos might look to optimise the potential of plants to enrich the lives of
captive animals.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Title of host publication | Proceedings of the 9th International Environmental Enrichment |
Number of pages | 7 |
Publication status | Published - 1 Sept 2009 |