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Taylor Nelson
Miss B.
Project 4
4-30-14

Student Analysis of Orangutan and Siamang Case Study
MLA Citation:
Pearson, Elissa, Joanne Davis, and Carla Litchfield. A Case Study of Orangutan and Siamang
Behavior Within a Mixed-Species Zoo Exhibit. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare
Science 13.4 (2010): 330-348. Web. 22 April 2014.
Article Overview:
This article is a continuation of mixed species exhibits at zoos. Most previous research is
about bird exhibits with several species in them while this is the first recorded attempt of
orangutans and siamang primates. The researchers put a male and female orangutan with a male
and female siamang. The female orangutan interacted well with the siamang primates while the
male did not show much like or dislike. The overall experiment was a success and the two
species interacted well enough to continue relations in the same enclosure.
Why I chose it:
I chose this article because I spent four years volunteering at a small zoo. The zoo did not
have much space and mixed species exhibits would bring many possibilities to the Columbian
Park Zoo. Also, I want to study animal behavior and wellbeing, this article states that there is no
previous research done for the behavior and wellbeing of these two species. The lack of previous
research is why this project took place and shows me that there are many possible projects to
start once I reach graduate school.
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CARS Model:
The authors follow the majority of the steps in John Swales CARS Model for research
introductions. The context of the first page and a half are focused on previous research done on
mixed species exhibits in zoos. It explains how having multiple species in the same exhibit can
increase the welfare of the animals by allowing them interactions that would commonly occur in
the wild. The authors states that potential benets include reducing boredom, providing
opportunities for increasing behavioral diversity through interspecies interactions, maximizing
space utilization, and enhancing educational and recreational experiences for zoo visitors
(Pearson, Joanne, Litchfield 330-331).
Claiming Centrality:
The authors inform the readers that the issue is widely reported on but the previous
research highlights different subjects. The article explains that research is being conducted not
only on mixed species exhibits of animals from the same areas but about animals that interact
well together; matching animals temperaments and the individual personalities of the animals
individually and not just as a species.
Making Topic Generalizations:
Researchers know that mixed species exhibits are thought to be good for the zoo and for
the people attending the zoo. It creates a better mood and tone for the visitors and the workers.
The article also explains that most interspecies exhibits and research are has been done for
aviaries and larger animals that live together naturally in the wild. An example would be the
commonly scene exhibit of gazelle and giraffes.
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Reviewing Previous Studies of Research:
Several studies have looked at mixed species exhibits. The authors summarize previous
research be stating that management of nonhuman animals within mixed-species zoo exhibits is
globally becoming increasingly common. This has been proposed as an enrichment technique or
a process designed to enhance captivity environments through encouragement of natural
behavior patterns and increased activity levels, resulting in improved animal welfare (330). This
quote is an elongated way of saying a mixed species exhibits have been known to increase the
animals quality of life while in captivity by allowing them to have more social interactions and
using natural instincts.
Counter Claiming:
While other researchers found out the benefits of having several species in an exhibit the
authors or this article found out that the previous studies did not focus at all on the actual state of
the animals. The only prior concern was if they would coexist or not. This article shows the
reader that having certain species in exhibits together can affect the animals behavior and impact
its quality of life.
Indicating a Gap:
In previous studies the researchers did not look in depth at how the living conditions
affected the animals behavior and wellbeing. The authors stated that less published research is
available detailing the impact of mixed-species combinations on behavior and animal welfare
(331). Because there is an overall lack of behavior research done, these researchers started their
own behavior and wellbeing based research. This article goes further and actually picks out two
specific species of primate and records the behaviors and interactions between the species.
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Question-Raising:
There is no question-raising in the introduction. It is implied in the introduction that this
research is conducted to fill in open gaps from pas t research, but the introduction does not state
to which project it is a continuation of or what questions arise from the previous research.
Outlining Purpose:
The main purpose of this article is to see if orangutans and siamang primates can not only
coexists in the same enclose, but also interact in ways that benefit both species. The primates
involved were a male and female orangutan, and a male and female siamang. The authors did
this by actively recording what the primates did, when and how they interacted, what areas of the
enclosure they were in during that time, and which primates were interacting.
Announcing Present Research:
Past researchers have looked at which animals can coexist in the same environment and
how well they can coexist; meaning that they can live together without causing physical harm to
the other species. This experiment looks at the behavior and over all wellbeing of the animals
looking past just physical harm into the emotional spectrum.
Announcing Principal Findings:
The results of the studies were shocking to the authors. The siamang spent more time in
the lower levels of the exhibit then the orangutans, but they interacted in all part of the enclosure.
There were no boundaries or main territories set by either species. The female orangutan
interacted more with the siamang primates then the male orangutan; the female would even lay
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on her back allowing siamang to climb over her showing that the female orangutan was being
submissive to the smaller siamang primates.
Indicating the Structure of the Research Article:
The paper is structured as fallowed: introduction, method, management practice,
enclosure, materials, procedure, results, discussion, and conclusion. There are several scattered
charts and graphs throughout the journal showing the activity of the four primates and giving
percentages based on activities for each of the four primates.
Research Methods:
The author uses several research methods. The authors stated that Data were collected at
3-min intervals according to instantaneous scan sampling methods for general behavior, location,
and proximity. All instances of mixed-species interactions were recorded. The study utilized an
observational design, with data collected between 09:3013:30h and 14:0016:00h (6 hr per day)
from Thursday through Monday during May and June 2007, from the two public viewing areas
which provided a total observation period of 174 hr. All observations were recorded by the same
researcher. The activity budget was constructed by determining the percentage of total scans
each behavioral category occurred for in each hour across the day, for the entire study period
(334). This means that for several hours a day, six days a week, data was collected the see hoe
the primates interacted based on their behavior and location in the enclosures.
Methods for Citing Sources:
The author used proper MLA citing for the references works cited pages. They also use
citing within their paper to show where they used other researchers words, to show that there
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has been past research found and that there can still be more things discovered; in order to
continue the ongoing academic conversation.
Tone/Writing Style:
This article is rather monotone. It is compiled of facts and explanations. The authors
write there paper in chronological order as the experiment would have actually happened. They
have the bigger bolded heading for main sections and those sections are divided into other
subsections.
Format/Design:
The authors start with their introduction where they tell the reader about research that has
already been done, where there is a gap, and what they will be doing. There is a chart giving
pullet points telling brief summaries of the attempts and the phases of the experiment. The
introduction is followed by the method which contains the subjects, management practice,
enclosure, apparatus/materials, and the procedure. The next heading is the results which first has
a chart that gives definitions to terms used, absence of aggressive or agonistic encounters
between species, uninhibited use of exhibit space without segregation by species, naturalistic
patterns of behavior (which contains a chart for each individual primate), and idiosyncratic or
aberrant behaviors. The next heading is the discussion which has the subtopics of presence of
affiliative interactions, absence of aggressive or agonistic encounters between species,
uninhibited use of exhibit space without segregation by species, naturalistic patterns of behavior,
idiosyncratic or aberrant behaviors, and post study injury of siamang by orangutan (330-348).
What They Say About the Discourse:
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The tone, style, and design demonstrate that the discourse is semi-formal and based
around data. The majority of the article is graphs and charts with headers to show were the intro,
methods, and ext. is within the paper. It was written for others that were interested in the data
collected not for people who want a fully constructed, perfect, research paper.
Thesis:
The thesis of the paper is somewhat unclear but it seems to be This case study aimed to
empirically examine the behavior and welfare of two orangutans and two siamangs within this
mixed-species environment (330). The paper is not searching for a specific action to occur; the
researches are trying to find out if the tow species can live together in a mutually benefitting
way. There was no actual argument or claim made in this article.
My opinion:
I personally believe that this is a great topic for research. There is so much research done
on animals but very little of that focuses on the behavior and wellbeing of the animals. Meaning
that there is little research done on how the animals interact with one another and with different
species; like body language, interactions, and communications. It is an area that interests me.