Using Keeper Questionnaires to Capture Zoo-Housed Tiger (Panthera tigris) Personality: Considerations for Animal Management

Individual personalities affect animal experiences of zoo environments, impact on an animal’s coping ability and have potential implications for welfare. Keeper assessments been identified as a quick reliable way capturing data personality in range species practical application improving welfare individual level. Despite widespread recognition the importance within environment, there is paucity research into tiger this zoos. This investigated 34 tigers (19 Amur 15 Sumatran) across 14 facilities UK using keeper ratings changes keepers made husbandry to support Reliability (n = 49) was established nine adjectives principal component analysis three components: ‘anxious’, ‘quiet’ ‘sociable’. When subspecies were combined, no relationship between scores components age or sex (p > 0.05). Subspecies not related ‘sociable’ Sumatran scored more highly than ‘anxious’ (mean ± SD, Sumatran: 3.0 1.7, Amur: 1.8 0.6, p < Analysis found that male sociable females males: 5.5 0.707; females: 4.15 0.55). also negatively correlated with (R −0.742, No significant differences seen tigers. Keepers reported number routines based their perceptions tigers’ personality/needs. However, these evolutionary tigers, are specific guidelines has highlighted two display we advocate further area. Specifically, highlight need validate personality, management protocols behavioural physiological metrics will enable fuller understanding identification evidence-based best practice guidelines.