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Working with bottlenose dolphin Merlin, Elizabeth Lee, marine mammal specialist, uses positive-
reinforcement training techniques, which reward an animal for completing a desired behavior.
Key Findings of updating the enrichment inventory, with the focus on adding
new enrichment devices and new activities—such as foraging
Dolphin Study exercises, cognitive puzzles, play behaviors—to the dolphins’

“We found that enrichment programs and social management already robust enrichment program. This allows the team to
are much more closely related to those behaviors that are likely continually challenge the dolphins throughout the day with
indicative of animal welfare compared to habitat characteristics multiple enrichment activities.
like the size and depth of the habitat,” said Miller. Multi-institutional studies, such as the Cetacean Welfare
Stacey was excited to integrate the study findings. “It’s the Study, allow zoos and aquariums to use evidence-based diagnostic
quality—in terms of the management of the animals, the social tools and decision-making practices to provide the best possible
grouping of the animals, and our training and enrichment welfare for the animals in their care. The Chicago Zoological
programs—that seem to have the most impact on the indicators Society is proud of our organization’s role in the Cetacean Welfare
they looked at in the study. It’s not necessarily the size of habitat Study. “Zoos and aquariums can take a look at what these find-
the animals live in.” Cetacean Welfare Study findings suggest ings say,” said Lauderdale. “And, if there’s anything applicable
some indicators of positive welfare may be associated with: to their particular location, they can then improve or update
• Training dolphins on a predictable schedule (compared their programs based on Cetacean Welfare Study results.”
with a less-predictable schedule) Furthermore, the study can be used by government agencies,
• Splitting dolphins into subgroups during the day and working with husbandry and veterinary medicine experts, to devel-
reuniting them at night (compared with housing them in op welfare standards and regulations based on scientific evidence.
one group with consistent membership, or rotating individuals The information and tools created by the study, as well as the vast
between subgroups) amounts of data it generated, will be a springboard for future
• Adding new environmental enrichment on a weekly research into animal welfare.
or monthly basis (compared with annually or semi-annually)
Brookfield Zoo’s dolphins have benefited from enrichment Funding was provided by a National Leadership Grant from the
and training programs—including five to seven formal training Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), Grant #MG-30-
sessions daily—as well as informal interactions and enrich- 17-0006-17, with additional funding from partner institutions.
ment-play sessions. As a result of the study, a member of the The collection of manuscripts can be viewed at https://journals.plos.
marine mammal care team is now responsible for regularly org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0255506

38 GATEWAYS | CETACEAN WELFARE STUDY