The effect of different types of enrichment on the behaviour of cheetahs in captivity

Quirke and O'Riordan tested several enrichment types on captive cheetahs at a breeding park, measuring effects on activity, exploration and stereotypic pacing. Different enrichments varied in effectiveness, with some increasing active and investigative behaviour while others had little impact, and responses differed among individuals. The study highlighted that enrichment efficacy is species- and individual-specific and that cheetahs, a stress-prone and conservation-priority species, benefit from carefully chosen stimulation. It contributed practical evidence to cheetah husbandry and emphasised evaluating enrichment with quantitative behavioural data rather than assuming benefit, complementing the authors' parallel work on the determinants of stereotypy in the same population.