Hostname: page-component-77c89778f8-m8s7h Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-19T18:56:23.495Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Assessing the prevalence and characteristics of hair-plucking behaviour in captive western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2023

EH Less ,
CW Kuhar  and
KE Lukas
EH Less*
Affiliation:
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, 4200 Wildlife Way, Cleveland, OH 44109, USA Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
CW Kuhar
Affiliation:
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, 4200 Wildlife Way, Cleveland, OH 44109, USA Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
KE Lukas
Affiliation:
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, 4200 Wildlife Way, Cleveland, OH 44109, USA Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
*
* Contact for correspondence and requests for reprints: eah@clevelandmetroparks.com
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Non-human primates occasionally exhibit behaviours thought to occur only in captivity that are considered abnormal. In particular, hair-plucking behaviour occurs across many species of mammals and birds. This study was the first to assess the phenomenology, demography and aetiology of this behaviour in captive gorillas across the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) population. A survey was sent to 52 AZA institutions housing western lowland gorillas. Hair-plucking behaviour occurred in 15% of the surveyed population with 62% of institutions housing a hair plucker. Individuals were most likely to self-pluck using their fingers. Individuals that were exposed as youngsters to a hair-plucking group member were significantly more likely to develop the behaviour themselves. There was also a trend toward solitary individuals being more likely to perform this behaviour. Future research needs include identifying hormonal correlates to this behaviour, understanding its relationship to acute or chronic stressors, and examining what causes this behaviour to fluctuate in frequency once it has developed.

Keywords

abnormal behaviouranimal welfareself-directed behavioursurveytrichotillomaniawestern lowland gorilla
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 22 , Issue 2 , May 2013 , pp. 175 - 183
Copyright
© 2013 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Akers, JS and Schildkraut, DS 1985 Regurgitation, reingestion and coprophagy in captive gorillas. Zoo Biology 4: 99–109. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/zoo.1430040203CrossRefGoogle Scholar
American Psychiatric Association 1994 Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition. American Psychiatric Association: Washington, DC, USAGoogle Scholar
Bayne, K, Mainzer, H, Dexter, S, Campbell, G, Yamada, F and Suomi, S 1991 The reduction of abnormal behaviors individually housed rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) with a foraging/grooming board. American Journal of Primatology 23: 23–35. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ajp.1350230104CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bellanca, R and Crockett, C 2002 Factors predicting increased incidence of abnormal behavior in male pigtailed macaques. American Journal of Primatology 58: 57–69. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ajp.10052CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Boccia, M and Hijazi, A 1998 A foraging task reduces agonistic and stereotypic behaviors in pigtail macaque social groups. Laboratory Primate Newsletter 37: 1–5Google Scholar
Casati, J, Toner, BB and Yu, B 2000 Psychosocial issues for women with trichotillomania. Comprehensive Psychiatry 41: 344–351. http://dx.doi.org/10.1053/comp.2000.9012CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Christenson, GA and Mansueto, CS 1999 Trichotillomania: descriptive characteristics and phenomenology. In: Stein, DJ, Christenson, GA and Hollander, E (eds) Trichotillomania: Descriptive Characteristics and Phenomenology pp 1–41. American Psychiatric Press: Washington, DC, USAGoogle Scholar
Dougherty, D 2006 Single modality versus dual modality treatment for trichotillomania: sertraline, behavioral therapy, or both? Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 67: 1086–1092. http://dx.doi.org/10.4088/JCP.v67n0711CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dufour, BD, Adeola, O, Cheng, H, Donkin, SS, Klein, JD, Pajor, EA, and Garner, JP 2010 Nutritional up-regulation of serotonin paradoxically induces compulsive behavior. Nutritional Neuroscience 13: 256–264. http://dx.doi.org/10.1179/147683010 X12611460764688CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Erwin, J and Deni, R 1979 Strangers in a strange land: abnormal behaviors or abnormal environments? In: Erwin, J, Maple, TL and Mitchell, G (eds) Captivity and Behavior pp 1–28. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co: New York, NY, USAGoogle Scholar
Fritz, J, Nash, LT, Alford, PL and Bowen, JA 1992 Abnormal behaviors, with a special focus on rocking, and reproductive competence in a large sample of captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). American Journal of Primatology 27: 161–176. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ajp.1350270302CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Garner, JP, Weisker, SM, Dufour, B and Mench, JA 2004 Barbering (fur and whisker trimming) by laboratory mice as a model of human trichotillomania and obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders. Comparative Medicine 54: 216–224Google ScholarPubMed
Gould, E and Bres, M 1986 Regurgitation and reingestion in captive gorillas: description and intervention. Zoo Biology 5: 241–250. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/zoo.1430050302CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gunn, D and Morton, DB 1995 Inventory of the behavior of New Zealand white rabbits in laboratory cages. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 45: 277–292. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0168-1591(95)00627-5CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hill, SP 2004 Reduction of abnormal behaviour in two captive western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla). Zoo Research News 5: 2–3Google Scholar
Hook, MA, Lambeth, SP, Perlman, JE, Stavisky, R, Bloomsmith, MA and Schapiro, SJ 2002 Inter-group variation in animal behavior in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). Applied Animal Behaviour Science 76: 165–176. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0168-1591(02)00005-9CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hosey, GR and Skyner, LJ 2007 Self-injurious behavior in zoo primates. International Journal of Primatology 28: 1431–1437. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10764-007-9203-zCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Less, EH 2012 Adiposity in captive gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla): the effects of diet and behavior. PhD Thesis, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USAGoogle Scholar
Lukas, KE 1999 A review of nutritional and motivational factors contributing to the performance of regurgitation and reingestion in captive lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla). Applied Animal Behaviour Science 63: 237–249. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0168-1591(98)00239-1CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lutz, C, Chase, W and Novak, M 2000 Abnormal behavior in singly-housed Macaca mulatta: prevalence and potential risk factors. American Journal of Primatology 51: 71Google Scholar
Lutz, C, Well, A and Novak, M 2003 Stereotypic and self-injurious behavior in rhesus macaques: a survey and retrospective analysis of environment and early experience. American Journal of Primatology 60: 1–15. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ajp.10075CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Macy, JD, Beattie, TA, Morgenstern, SE and Arnsten, AFT 2000 Use of guanfacine to control self-injurious behavior in two rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) and one baboon (Papio anubis). Comparative Medicine 50: 419–425Google Scholar
Maestripieri, D, Ross, SK and Megna, NL 2002 Mother-infant interactions in western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla): spatial relationships, communication, and opportunities for social learning. Journal of Comparative Psychology 116: 219–227. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0735-7036.116.3.219CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Maestripieri, D, Schino, G, Aureli, F and Troisi, A 1992 A modest proposal: displacement activities as an indicator of emotions in primates. Animal Behaviour 44: 967–979. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0003-3472(05)80592-5Google Scholar
Mason, G 1993 Forms of stereotypic behavior In: Lawrence, AB and Rushen, J (eds) Stereotypic Animal Behavior: Fundamentals and Applications to Animal Welfare pp 7–40. CAB International: Wallingford, UKGoogle Scholar
Meder, A 1989 Effects of hand-rearing on the behavioral-development of infant and juvenile gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla). Developmental Psychobiology 22: 357–376. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/dev.420220404CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moon-Fanelli, A, Dodman, N and O’Sullivan, R 1999 Veterinary models of compulsive self-grooming: parallels with trichotillomania. In: Stein, DJ, Christenson, GA and Hollander, E (eds) Trichotillomania: Descriptive Characteristics and Phenomenology pp 1–41. American Psychiatric Press: Washington, DC, USAGoogle Scholar
Morgan, KN and Tromborg, CT 2007 Sources of stress in captivity. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 102: 262–302. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2006.05.032CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Murphy, HW and Mufson, M 2000 The use of physchopharmaceuticals to control aggressive behaviors in captive gorilla. The Apes: Challenges for the 21st Century pp 157–160. 10-13 May 2000, Brookfield, IL, USA. Chicago Zoological Society: Brookfield, USAGoogle Scholar
Nash, LT, Fritz, J, Alford, PA and Brent, L 1999 Variables influencing the origins of diverse abnormal behaviors in a large sample of captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). American Journal of Primatology 48: 15–29. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/(SICI) 1098-2345(1999)48:1<15::AID-AJP2>3.0.CO;2-R3.0.CO;2-R>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pizzutto, C 2007 Reduction of abnormal behavior in a gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) through social interaction with human beings. Laboratory Primate Newsletter 46: 6–10Google Scholar
Reinhardt, V 2005 Hair pulling: a review. Laboratory Animals 39: 361–369. http://dx.doi.org/10.1258/002367705774286448CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Reinhardt, V, Reinhardt, A and Houser, D 1986 Hair pulling and eating in captive rhesus monkey troops. Folia Primatologica 47: 158–164. http://dx.doi.org/10.1159/000156272CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stoinski, TS, Czekala, N, Lukas, KE and Maple, TL 2002 Urinary androgen and corticoid levels in captive, male western lowland gorillas (Gorilla g. gorilla): age- and social group-related differences. American Journal of Primatology 56: 73–87. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ajp.1065CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Walsh, S, Bramblett, CA and Alford, PL 1982 A vocabulary of abnormal behaviors in restrictively reared chimpanzees. American Journal of Primatology 3: 315–319. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ajp.1350030131CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed