Keeper ratings of animal personality are an effective tool for improving the breeding, management and welfare of zoo animals. Keepers are able to reliably rate traits like fearfulness, dominance, and excitability based on long-term observations. These ratings have been shown to correlate with reproductive success and compatibility for breeding. Personality assessments can also help determine which individuals are best suited for social housing groups or reintroduction into the wild. The evaluation of personality traits, when carefully applied, provides valuable insights for zoo professionals.

1. Keeper ratings of animal personality as a tool for improving the
breeding, management and welfare of zoo animals u
Carly L. Tetley1 and Sean J. O’Hara
Centre for Environmental Systems and Wildlife Research, School of Environment and Life Sciences, Peel Building, University of Salford, Greater Manchester M5 4WT
1E-mail: c.l.tetley@edu.salford.ac.uk Tel: 0161 295 2942
The effect of individual differences on the behaviour and Applications of personality assessment in zoo animal
reproduction of zoo animals has long been recognised by management
zoo biologists, and people who work with animals often Fearful? Calm?
Captive breeding:
describe their different character traits.
To assess the reproductive failure of individuals
• Fearfulness has been correlated with reduced
A literature search of the Web of Science, Academic
individual reproductive success in cheetahs (Acinonyx
Search Premier, Zetoc and Scopus databases, using the
jubatus)1
key words zoo and temperament or zoo and personality,
• Dominance is related to increased breeding success in
revealed 29 studies of animal personality, carried out
female black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis), but
partly or entirely in zoos.
reduced success in males2
Aggressive? Excitable?
There has been an increase in the number of personality To determine which individuals are compatible for
studies over the last fifteen years, as the potential effect breeding
of individual differences in behaviour on the welfare and • A successful breeding pair of black rhinoceros likely
The most common method of assessing zoo animal
management of zoo animals is becoming apparent. consists of a dominant female and a submissive male2
personality is through keeper ratings.
Group housing:
Personality questionnaires allow information to be To plan the introduction of individuals into social groups
Zoo animal personality studies identified in our literature collected on a large number of animals at multiple
search • Male gorillas (Gorilla gorilla) scoring highly on an
16 institutions. “Understanding” personality factor were more likely to
14
12 Zoo keepers are able to reliably rate animal personality be housed in social groups, displaying high rates of
Number
10 traits based on their knowledge and long term affiliative behaviour and little contact aggression3
8
of Papers observations of the animals in their care. Conservation:
6
4 These ratings are valid: they are correlated with To determine which individuals are the best candidates for
2 successful re-release into the wild
independent measures of behaviour and reproductive
0
1995-2000 2001-2005 2006-2010 success. • Swift foxes (Vulpes velox) that were judged to be
Year of Publication bolder in captivity were less likely to survive beyond six
months than non-bold foxes following reintroduction4
Data collection methods used in zoo animal personality studies
Methods of assessing personality in zoo animals include: 7%
The assessment of personality, with careful application,
1. Behavioural coding: behaviour is recorded during is a potentially valuable tool for zoo professionals for
14%
specific tests and analysed in the context of personality improving captive breeding recommendations and
Keeper ratings
traits ensuring appropriate social housing, thereby improving
2. Observer ratings: people who are familiar with the the welfare of the animals in their care.
animals are asked to rate them on various personality Behavioural
coding
traits, using a questionnaire References
1. Wielebnowski NC. 1999. Behavioural differences as predictors of breeding status in captive cheetahs. Zoo Biology
18(4):335-349.
Both rating 2. Carlstead K, Mellen J, Kleiman DG. 1999. Black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) in U.S. zoos: I. Individual behaviour profiles
and coding 3.
and their relationship to breeding success. Zoo Biology 18:17-34.
Kuhar CW, Stoinski TS, Lukas KE, Maple TL. 2006. Gorilla Behaviour Index revisited: Age, housing and behaviour. Applied
Acknowledgement
79% Animal Behaviour Science 96(3-4):315-326.
Carly Tetley is supported by a Graduate Teaching Assistantship in the School of Environment and Life 4. Bremner-Harrison S, Prodohl PA, Elwood RW. 2004. Behavioural trait assessment as a release criterion: boldness predicts
Sciences at the University of Salford. early death in a reintroduction programme of captive-bred swift fox (Vulpes velox). Animal Conservation 7(3):313-320.