Environmental enrichment to reduce stress in canindé macaw (Ara ararauna, Linnaeus, 1758) Erica Paloma Maso Lopes Peres, Rossana Helena Pitta Virga

Abstract

Macaw canindé (Macaw ararauna Linnaeus, 1758) in the wild spend part of the day traveling long distances in flight, searching for food and being able to travel many kilometers through rural and urban routes. However, when placed in unsuitable captivity, their actions are limited and can lead to a stressful situation. Environmental Enrichment (EE) is a form of management that aims to provide stimuli for the expression of physical and psychological activities necessary for your animal's well-being. It is a process in which interactive environments are created for captive animals, enabling choices, approaching behaviors considered natural. Objective: This study aimed to implement AE activities to reduce the stress of the Lala macaw, in domestic captivity. Methods: Models of AE were proposed, such as the introduction of different toys and alteration of feeding times, an ethogram was elaborated to observe the behavior in three stages: before, during and after the introduction of EE. Results: After applying the enrichments, it can be seen that the animal interacted more with the handler and obtained improvements in behavior and food acquisition. Conclusion: In this study, it was observed that Environmental Enrichment was one of the tools that contributed to stress reduction.