Sonic and Vocal Enrichment in Zoos
Researcher
Abstract
There is a strong disconnect between humans and other species in our societies. Zoos particularly expose this disconnect by displaying the asymmetry between visitors in search of entertainment, and animals often suffering from lack of meaningful interactions and natural behaviors. Enrichment is a way to enhance the quality of life of captive animals, enabling them to express natural behaviors and reducing abnormal stereotypies. Despite the potential for sound-based enrichment and interactivity, current zoo conservation practices are lacking tools and frameworks to leverage innovative technology to improve animal well-being and zookeepers’ ability to care for them. Ethical considerations are called for in the development of such interventions as human understanding of animal’s worlds is still limited, and assumptions can have detrimental consequences. Based on several interventions, we propose four principles to guide a more systematic implementation of sonic enrichment in zoos. Our goal is to lay the groundwork for the design of the zoos of the future, with a focus on sounds, for the benefit of the animals.