Behavioral enrichment serves to promote the psychological well-being of captive animals by enriching their environment.
The goal of this is to provide mental stimulation and increases the intellectual focus of an animal.
Problems:
Cheetah is the fastest land animal in the world, reaching speeds between 112 and 120 km per hour in short bursts covering distances up to 460 m. It also has the ability to accelerate from 0 to 103 km per hour in just three seconds!
Although cheetahs have all the adaptations that allow them to reach top speeds, they often lack the opportunity to run freely in captivity.
Solutions:
- “Cheetah run” is now a popular form of enrichment for cheetahs in captivity (Quirke et al., 2013).
- The lure system that is used in cheetah run is comprised with food hanging just above the ground and its support is powered by a mechanism controlled by an operator in a tower overlooking the cheetah enclosure. Whole rabbit and chicken are usually used as bait in this lure system.
- “Cheetah run” provides an opportunity for cheetahs to express different stages of natural hunting behavior in captivity. Also provides the zoological institutions an opportunity to condition their animals and provide public spectacles that can be used for the purpose of education.