Regurgitation and reingestion in captive gorillas: Description and intervention

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Direct observation of regurgitation and reingestion (r/r) of captive gorillas was used to describe and catalog this behavior and thus lay the groundwork for possible intervention in the r/r cycle. Analysis of questionnaires regarding 117 gorillas at 17 zoos suggests that social deficits during early development contribute to the occurrence of r/r later in life. Wild‐caught and captive‐born, hand‐reared gorillas show higher incidence of r/r than that of mother‐reared infants. R/r increases the daily ingestion time. Feeding browse decreases r/r and increases time spent feeding from about 11% of the day to 27% of the day.