Stimulation of instinct behaviour in captive Jungle Cat (Felis Chaus) with feeding and sensory enrichments at Rajkot Zoological Park-Rajkot

Behavioural observations and various enrichment tools help to stimulate instinct behaviours in wild captive animals and provide better physical and mental health for the animals. The present study was conducted from October 2018 to February 2019, at Rajkot Zoological Park, Rajkot, Gujarat. Two male Jungle cats (Felis chaus) were observed in captivity through direct observations. The observations were made thrice in a week from 9:00 am to 12pm. The frequency of behavioural activities was recorded and calculated by Altman focal sampling method. Two types of enrichments were provided (feeding and sensory) randomly to avoid habituation. Results of the data analysis of pre and post enrichment experiments show that enrichment can reduce stereotypic and inactive behaviours in both the cats, and increased the active behaviours. In this paper, we report the recent sightings of the Sociable.