From Beethoven to
Bieber, why playing music to chimps is falling on deaf ears
Playing music to
captive chimpanzees has no positive effect on their welfare, researchers have
concluded.
Previous research
conducted with chimpanzees living in laboratories has suggested that playing
music has positive effects on the animals' welfare, however, other research
with zoo-housed primates has yielded mixed results.
Many zoos continue
to broadcast music to their primates either as a form of enrichment or for the
enjoyment of caregivers.
Research conducted
by Dr Emma K Wallace, from the University of York's Department of Psychology,
investigated how classical and pop/rock music affected the behaviour of the
chimpanzees at RZSS Edinburgh Zoo to establish if it impacted positively or
negatively on their welfare.
Further research
involved a 'chimpanzee jukebox' , which allowed the chimpanzees at RZSS
Edinburgh Zoo and the National Centre for Chimpanzee Care, Texas, the option to
choose whether they wanted to listen to classical music, pop/rock music or
silence.
Some of the music
that the chimpanzees were able to select included work by Mozart, Beethoven,
Adele and Justin Bieber.
The combined results
of these studies show that neither classical nor pop/rock music has a positive
effect on the welfare of these chimpanzees. They also did not show any
consistent or persistent preferences for either type of music or silence.
Dr Wallace said:
"These results suggest that music is not something that is relevant to
captive chimpanzees and are supported by recent work with zoo-housed orangutans
that were unable to distinguish music from digitally scrambled noise.
"However,
whilst music does not appear to have a positive effect on captive chimpanzee
welfare, it equally did not have any negative effects.
"As such it
should not be considered a successful form of enrichment for these animals but,
providing that the animals have the option to avoid it, music can still be
played for animal caregivers."
"These results
also highlight the possibility that music appreciation is something that is a
uniquely human trait."The welfare of captive animals, especially those
living in zoos, is of the utmost importance to those who care for them.
Providing animals
with enrichment, such as toys, puzzle-feeders or unfamiliar smells, is a
commonly used method of presenting the animals with mental challenges or novel
forms of stimulation.
Peter Dickinson
Independent International Zoo Consultant        |
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