Introduction

Life in captivity differs enormously from life in the wild or in free-ranging situations. In some ways, captivity is better (it typically involves protection from drought, starvation, predation and illness); but captivity often prevents natural behaviour patterns like foraging ranging, mate choice, and certain aspects of maternal care. The prevention of natural behaviour can cause frustration and stress. In young animals, it can also disrupt the proper development of forebrain structure and function. We are interested in understanding when and why this happens.

In particular, we want to understand:

• Which natural behaviour patterns are important for welfare, and how does this vary with species?
• Which natural behaviour patterns are needed to guarantee normal brain development, and is this linked to their role in welfare?
• Why do different species, strains and individuals vary in their abilities to cope with captivity?
• And can we use this knowledge to:
  • identify those genotypes most likely to thrive in captivity?
  • selectively breed animals that are well-adapted to typical captive conditions?
  • modify early experience in ways that lead to stress-resistant phenotypes?
    

Read about specific ongoing projects in the group.

Overview

Working on everything from mice to elephants, our approaches range from the analysis of large datasets (e.g. those compiled by industry or built up by us from data in published literature), to running experiments to investigate the effects of, say, weaning age or particular environmental enrichments. Typically we quantify such changes using well-validated non-invasive techniques, some of which we have developed ourselves.

Currently our main focusing is stereotypic behaviour – an abnormal activity performed in response to captivity by hundreds of millions of animals worldwide (see recent book for more details) We study how and why these behaviours develop by combining techniques for measuring motivations to perform natural behaviours with techniques for non-invasively assessing changes in how the forebrain sequences behaviour (e.g. perseveration).

Much of our experimental work is on the American mink, a semi- domesticated carnivore farmed for its fur, and an ideal 'model carnivore'. This work is done in collaboration with local fur farmers, and also with Professor Steve Bursian at Michigan State University, where PhD student María Díez León has built enriched ‘mink palaces’ featuring tunnels, climbing towers, hammocks, toys and wading pools.

We also work with mice, since many millions of these animals are used each year in research. Some of our mouse work is in collaboration with the Jackson Laboratory, the largest producer of GM mice in North America, some has been in collaboration with Harlan UK, another major laboratory animal supplier, and the rest is done in the CFI-funded lab. Georgia is setting up in Guelph. By spring 2009, this will feature modular cages that can slot together to make mouse enclosures up to 7200 cm2 in area; cameras for recording stereotypic behaviour; sound equipment to record and play back ultrasonic mouse calls; apparatuses to run conventional neurobiological tests for anxiety (elevated plus maze, acoustic startle); and even equipment for detecting the heart rate of mice through the soles of their feet!

For science media coverage of our past work, see National Geographic; New Scientist May 24 2008; Nature vol. 433; Nature vol. 412; Discover Magazine, 24 (July 2003); New Scientist March 2001; New Scientist Jan. 26 2002 (cover story); Science vol. 298; Trends in Neurosciences vol. 24; and Nature vol. 410.