Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens

Cognitive enrichment can provide zoo-housed primates with opportunities for exploration, problem solving and control, but outcomes may depend on individual engagement, social access, personality and device design. We studied 11 captive Geoffroy’s spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) using five food-rewarded puzzle devices (D1–D5). Five individuals were singly housed and six lived in two social groups of three; each individual or group was presented with each device in five trials. During group trials, three units of D1 were presented simultaneously, whereas D2–D5 were presented as single shared devices. We recorded contact latency, manipulation duration, frequency of use, reward acquisition, resolution time, agonistic displays and device monopolization. Because testing context was not experimentally assigned and the two contexts comprised different individuals, comparisons between contexts were interpreted descriptively. Singly housed individuals showed greater manipulation duration, higher frequency of use and shorter contact latency than group-tested individuals. The only personality association that remained significant after FDR correction, which we consider preliminary, was a negative relationship between neophilia and contact latency during group presentation of the shared devices D2–D5. Devices D1–D4 were solved in 76–88% of solitary trials and 40–90% of group presentations, whereas D5 was never solved in either context; the required functional action was not observed in any trial. Nevertheless, D5 showed the highest combined frequency of agonistic displays and monopolization. These findings suggest that cognitive enrichment should be evaluated across three complementary dimensions: individual engagement, equitable social access and functional solvability.

Urban green spaces (UGSs) are vital components of urban tourism, providing multifunctional settings for recreation, cultural engagement, and ecological appreciation. Despite their importance, limited research has explored how visitors allocate time, activities, and spatial use within these landscapes. This study examined visitor spatial and temporal behaviour at a South African botanical garden through a quantitative survey of 301 respondents. Results showed that weekend visits and half-day stays were the most common temporal patterns, while significant site–activity associations linked relaxation with the picnic area, hiking with the hiking trail, concert attendance with the concert area, and birdwatching with the wetland. Multivariate analyses further revealed differentiated patterns of visitor site use, visitor composition, and visit characteristics through NMDS and identified four underlying spatial–activity dimensions through PCA: restorative and active recreation, event-oriented use, nature observation, and visual–aesthetic engagement. These findings highlight opportunities to manage visitor concentration, improve spatial connectivity, and encourage greater use of underutilised areas through diversified recreational opportunities. This study contributes to sustainable urban tourism planning by demonstrating how evidence on visitor spatial and temporal behaviour can inform targeted management and the planning of multifunctional botanical gardens.

Introduction: The artificial environment of zoological gardens poses risks for the transmission of parasitic diseases, among which ascarid infections in bears are exceptionally common. Due to the zoonotic potential of Baylisascaris transfuga and the morphological overlap of its eggs with other roundworms, accurate diagnosis is critical within the “One Health” framework. Materials and Methods: Following anthelmintic treatment with ivermectin and praziquantel, adult nematodes were collected from a captive brown bear (Ursus arctos) at the Sofia Zoo, Bulgaria. Detailed morphometric examination was performed for species identification, complemented by molecular-genetic and phylogenetic analyses targeting the nuclear 28S rDNA and mitochondrial COI genes. Results: Morphometric analysis revealed a specific “miniaturised” morphotype of B. transfuga, characterized by body lengths and egg dimensions that fell within or below the minimum ranges reported for wild populations. Crucially, despite the observed changes in general morphometric parameters, the male reproductive structures—specifically the spicules—exhibited high metric conservativeness (533–570 µm), confirming their reliable diagnostic value. Nuclear 28S rDNA sequences provided definitive taxonomic validation, showing a match with Palearctic lineages and distinguishing the isolate from the Nearctic cluster. At the same time, the mitochondrial COI marker captured intraspecific diversity, identifying three distinct new haplotypes co-existing within the single host. Conclusions: The observed general reduction in morphological measurements combined with reproductive metric stability demonstrates environmentally induced phenotypic variation. Furthermore, the simultaneous presence of multiple COI haplotypes highlights the cumulative nature of the infection through successive exposure over time (trickle infection), although simultaneous infection with these genetic variants cannot be entirely discarded. The global macrogeographical differentiation captured by both markers suggests noticeable genetic divergence among geographic lineages within the distribution range of the taxon, while future broad-scale investigations are required to fully clarify underlying microevolutionary patterns. These findings underscore the high adaptive potential of B. transfuga and emphasize the necessity of integrating morphometrics with molecular tools for accurate wildlife monitoring in captivity.