Cognitive and foraging enrichment is essential for great apes in captivity, preventing stereotypic behavior and supporting psychological wellbeing.
Great apes are among the most cognitively complex animals in captivity. Their intelligence means boredom and understimulation cause genuine psychological suffering, manifesting as stereotypies, depression, and self-injurious behavior. Effective enrichment programs address foraging, social, sensory, and cognitive needs simultaneously. Food puzzles, novel objects, inter-group visual access, and naturalistic habitats all contribute to meaningful welfare improvement.