If you have visited a North American zoo in recent years, you may have stumbled upon someone intently observing the gorillas and carefully noting their behaviors. Who is that and what are they doing? That person would be Rhiannon Schultz, a PhD candidate at the University of Georgia Department of Anthropology, who is collecting data that provides zoological institutions with valuable information for addressing and measuring animal welfare. Schultz collecting data at the National Zoo. Wildlife caregivers face challenges in designing diets that emulate the natural eating habits of animals living in their care. Gorillas living in zoos are no exception, as they often experience metabolic and cardiovascular health issues. To address this, Schultz has been collecting data over nearly two years using a combination of behavioral observations to establish activity patterns and feeding behavior for zoo gorillas, nutrient analysis of food items to assess their nutrition, and urinalysis to measure their total energy expenditure. To encourage foraging behavior in gorillas, zoos often give food-filled enrichment items. The goal for Schultz’s research is to support the advancement of zoo animal welfare by advising dietary and nutrition supplementation protocols and by identifying improvements in animal enclosure design and horticulture choices to encourage appropriate activity levels and natural foraging behavior. Schultz observing gorilla behavior. But for her, it’s not just about the research. Schultz has a passion for spending time with gorillas, and recalls witnessing a baby gorilla take some of his very first steps as one of her favorite memories: “When you are studying gorillas, there isn’t a single day that passes without a memorable experience... It was an incredible moment and seeing the family interact with a new infant is such a treat. Spending any amount of time with gorillas is a privilege and I feel very fortunate to have spent these past few years getting to know them even better.” Shalia and her baby, Willie B. III Schultz would like to thank her zoo collaborators, mentors, supporters, and funders for making this research possible: the primate care teams at Zoo Atlanta, National Zoo, Oklahoma City Zoo, Houston Zoo, St. Louis Zoo, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, her advisor and committee members, the National Science Foundation, and P.E.O International. Follow @gorillasorbust on Instagram to keep up with her research! A visual representation of Schultz’s data so far.
