Tracking Enclosure Use in Mixed-Species Exhibits: Insights from the Zoo-Observer App

Abstract

Understanding how zoo animals use their enclosures is essential for welfare-oriented management. This study demonstrates how digital tools like the Zoo-Observer app can enhance spatial behaviour monitoring by enabling the collection of fine-scale positional data, including home range estimates and walking distances. We applied this approach to Rothschild’s giraffes Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi, Grant’s zebras Equus quagga boehmi, and blue wildebeests Connochaetes taurinus taurinus housed in a mixed-species savannah exhibit at Opel-Zoo, Germany. Data were collected over two consecutive years, enabling a unique comparison to be made of the behaviour of the same social groups before and after the birth of juveniles. The temporary relocation of hay feeding sites was used as a low-effort intervention to test behavioural flexibility. While zebras adjusted their enclosure use, giraffes and wildebeests remained spatially stable, reflecting their species-specific foraging strategies and social dynamics. Our findings demonstrate that combining behavioural observations with spatial metrics, such as covered distance, provides a more comprehensive understanding of enclosure use and activity patterns. This approach informs evidence-based, species-specific husbandry decisions and demonstrates the potential of app-based tools for monitoring.