A Tool Use Task Proves Enriching for a Captive Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris)

Abstract

Environmental enrichment is used to improve an animal’s physical and psychological well-being while housed in a captive environment. Alligood and Leighty (2015) suggested that enrichment that emulates the natural and preferred behaviors of the species may be optimal for improving welfare. Cognitive tasks that mirror challenges in an animal’s natural environment may prove especially beneficial (Washburn, 2015). The present study was designed to determine whether two sea otters (Enhydra lutis), Emma and Buck, were capable of learning to use a novel tool in a novel context. The otters’ time spent engaged with the apparatus was also examined to determine if such a task would be enriching to these animals. Although the sea otters were not successful in solving the tool use task, interaction with the apparatus appeared enriching to Emma. She spent on average 55.4% of each trial at the apparatus, whereas Buck spent only 6.2%. Only Emma’s interaction with the apparatus suggests that this device was very interesting and consequently enriching for her. Cognitive challenges, then, may be enriching even when animals fail to solve the intended problem.

Keywords

• Sea otter
• Enhydra lutis
• Enrichment
• Tool use