210 | Enrichment and Well-Being for Zoo Animals methods that are invasive and potentially harmful to the animals Several studies have demonstrated a variety of positive developmental effects on brain function Animals reared in more enriched environments have heavier brains with more synaptic connections between neurons and enhanced levels of neurotransmitters, all indications of a more effective and efficient brain These animals are better learners, adapt to change more readily, and show less hormonal evidence of stress The benefits of stress reduction are significant, because stress can suppress immune system function and reproduction Thus, enriched animals are less prone to disease and reproduce better Enriched environments also promote a greater diversity of species-typical behaviors and fewer abnormal behaviors Literature surveys of published zoo enrichment studies indicate that the typical enrichment program reduces stereotypies by more than half However, the ultimate goal of completely eliminating stereotypies, once developed, has not yet been fulfilled The weight of evidence from these and other studies also suggests a clear role for enrichment in maintaining animals in captivity for conservation purposes, one of the main goals of today’s zoos In addition to creating a better atmosphere for conservation education, enrichment promises to increase successful mating and rearing of offspring, and promote the development of more behaviorally competent candidates for reintroduction to the wild In fact, enrichment is playing an increasing role in specifically preparing captive-bred endangered species for release back to the wild Studying Enrichment and Well-being How we employ science can facilitate or compromise our goal of discovering the secrets of optimal animal wellbeing The answers we get are only as good as the science we use to address the questions The zoo environment provides exceptional challenges to carrying out good science, but with greater effort zoo research can approximate that found in the more controlled settings of the laboratory Zoo environments often offer little experimental control Researchers need to work more closely with animal care personnel to reduce the number of confounding variables that may affect the results Where possible, husbandry practices should be held constant during the course of an enrichment study Sample size, essential for legitimate statistical analysis and interpretation of results, is another problem plaguing zoo research When a zoo has only a few members of a species, researchers may need to collaborate with other zoos to obtain a sufficient sample size One frequent failing of zoo enrichment research is the tendency to use the everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach Here enrichment practitioners make so many changes to the environment at the same time, with the reasonable hope that at least something will help their animals, that it is impossible to determine which changes had beneficial effects In these cases, we learn little about the underlying motivation that led to improved well-being, and we are ill equipped to provide guidance to others who need to know which enrichments work best For scientific purposes, one thing needs to be changed at a time, so that we can draw a conclusion about its