Why Culture Is Important For Captive Animals
Evidence increasingly shows that many species of animals have culture — that is, “socially inherited patterns of behavior and information.” Because of this, many animals, including those in captivity, may have cultural needs that are important to their well-being. However, most researchers have largely ignored the importance of culture in considerations of captive animal welfare.
In this article, the authors argue that many captive animals are cultural beings, and that allowing them to carry out their cultural practices is as vital to their welfare as other considerations (like emotional and physical needs). This, in turn, has larger implications for animal welfare in general.
The authors begin by pointing out that many types of animals held in captivity possess cultural needs that are distinct from their physiological and social needs. For example, social learning has been seen in many farmed animals as well as rats and mice housed in laboratories. Traditionally, animal welfare concerns have focused on the natural behaviors and affective states of animals as central to their well-being, but neglecting the cultural needs of animals may cause them harm. An example is housing animals in isolation or in unnatural social groups, thus preventing them from learning from their conspecifics.
Evidence of sociocultural learning in captive animals raises three main ethical issues for animal welfare. First, captive animals may need specific kinds of social relationships to acquire and pass on knowledge and to maintain psychological well-being. Second, captive animals may need the opportunity to build their own culture in the captive setting (an example is captive primates who develop “hair pulling” behaviors that aren’t seen in the wild). Third, when captive social groups change (such as when older group members are removed from a zoo enclosure), humans may be harming the community culture of that group.
In addition to reconsidering the ways that human caretakers house animals and alter social groups, the authors point out other practical implications for captive animals. For example, to support the development of culture in captivity, it may be necessary to provide certain environmental enrichments.
The authors offer several more insights into why humans should understand cultural diversity among other species. As humans, we already assume that learning about human cultures is necessary to understand people’s needs. If other animals are just as cultural, it follows that we cannot really know what they need or how to help them without knowing their cultural attributes. Additionally, if culture is a key factor helping animals adapt to their environments, then the authors believe that valuing culture is as important as valuing biodiversity itself.
Furthermore, by understanding animal cultures, the authors believe we can better understand behaviors that were previously considered “abnormal” or “atypical” in captivity. When assessing captive animal welfare, it’s common practice to measure animals’ “normal” or “species-typical” behaviors. However, this can create a skewed idea of what constitutes well-being. Some species’ cultural practices may seem strange (such as certain primates’ feces-spreading behaviors), but this doesn’t necessarily bear any relation to their welfare.
Lastly, human cultures have “normative status” — meaning many people think that preserving them is a public good. According to the authors, rethinking the way we view animals as cultural beings can allow us to value nonhuman cultures as having equal intrinsic value. Just as it is for humans, the authors argue that culture is a requirement for certain animals to “be themselves.” This perspective may open the door to a new framework in animal welfare.
Animal advocates who campaign for welfare improvements on farms, in laboratories, and other captive settings may consider how culture fits into their “asks.” In addition to promoting physical, mental, and social welfare, finding ways to preserve and promote cultural traditions may be another way to ease the suffering of countless animals in captivity.