E13 - From Alpacas to Zebrafish: How to Select and Evaluate Environmental Enrichment

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Environmental Enrichment is a fundamental component of nonhuman animal welfare and should enhance nonhuman animal physical and psychological well-being. Thus, enrichment plans should be selected based upon the natural behaviors they are intended to support, and plans can vary greatly especially for non-typical species. How do we identify the behavioral goal and measure if it was achieved? In this session, speakers will review environmental enrichment requirements and provide an overview of resources available to support nonhuman animal programs evaluating enrichment. This information aims to empower staff to undertake robust evaluations of environmental enrichment items and assess their impact on nonhuman animal welfare.