What is the purpose of environmental enrichment, and can you give an example?

• A. To promote natural behaviors and welfare; example: nesting materials, tunnels, or foraging devices
• B. To increase diet variety; example: different foods
• C. To complicate housing; example: more cages
• D. To speed up experimentation; example: time pressure tasks

Answer: (C)

Environmental enrichment aims to support welfare by giving animals opportunities to perform species-typical behaviors and to reduce stress. Providing nesting materials, tunnels, or foraging devices lets animals engage in natural activities like nesting, exploring, and foraging, which boosts their mental well-being and comfort in captivity. While aspects like diet variety or housing complexity can be part of enrichment, the core idea is enabling natural behaviors to improve welfare. Conversely, using time-pressured tasks to speed up experiments would increase stress and does not align with the purpose of enrichment.