Enriquecimento ambiental como ferramenta para o bem-estar do peixe-boi marinho em cativeiro

Abstract

The state of Ceará is the portion of the Brazilian coast with the highest record of strandings of Antillean manatees, Trichechus manatus. This relatively high number of strandings is due, at least in part, to the silting up of estuaries and rivers that, under normal conditions, function as a nursery for these animals. Due to these strandings, the NGO Association for Research and Preservation of Aquatic Ecosystems (Aquasis) created a successful preservation program for this species, in which live stranded marine manatees are rescued and taken to rehabilitation, where they receive veterinary care, food, water, spending years in captivity until the moment of release. Although essential for the rehabilitation of these animals, captivity can harm their health or wild instincts, given the routine and predictable access to resources to which they are subject. One way to mitigate these losses is the use of environmental enrichment strategies, which can reduce stereotyped behaviors. In this context, the present study aimed to test whether environmental enrichment improves the well-being of captive manatee. For this, different environmental enrichment techniques were applied to four manatees that were in captivity at Aquasis for rehabilitation (and subsequent release). The pre-enrichment and post-enrichment behavioral budget of these animals was recorded through observations following the scan sampling methodology. From this, it was evident that environmental enrichment alters the behavioral budget of manatees in captivity, with emphasis on the increase in the animals' movement through the enclosure, as well as in foraging behaviors, suggesting an improvement of their well-being. The interval between the animals' meals is the ideal period for the application of environmental enrichment, considering that the animal is active during this period, especially in the morning, before the first feeding. Environmental enrichment can be considered an indispensable strategy for the routine of manatees undergoing rehabilitation. It is recommended that additional studies with different types of enrichment be carried out.