Responses of captive ostrich Struthio camelus to zoo visitors at central zoo, Lalitpur, Nepal

Abstract

Zoos are established to engage the general public in informal education, research and conservation, as well as maintaining their role as attractive places for entertainment and recreation. Zoos provide home for different animals that are of common occurrence, geographically rare species, attractive species, trafficked animals seized by the authorities, and injured and orphaned animals. The presence of visitors and their activities affect the behavior of animals in the zoo due to the structural design and the attractiveness of animals. The more attractive bird, ostrich Struthio camelus in Central Zoo of Nepal is suffering from visitors' activities. Both male and female ostrich turn their heads many times towards visitors while they are resting and moving. The female ostrich was less affected by visitors' presence while resting due to the structural design of the cage/enclosure than the male ostrich. Visitors influenced both male and female ostrich activities while moving. As the visitors' presence affects the behavioral activities of ostrich, we recommend to extend the cage/enclosure to give space to the birds to avoid closer contact with the visitors OR raise a tinted glass partition between the Ostrich (both female and male) and the visitors through which only visitors could see the ostrich.