Setting Goals for an Enrichment Program: Is Scan Sampling Effective for a Preliminary Description of the Social Structure in a Group of Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)?

Abstract

Environmental enrichment is vital for captive animal welfare and should be integrated into tailored action programs. Setting objectives requires information on time use, enclosure use, and social compatibility. While activity and space are commonly assessed through instantaneous scan sampling, social relationships usually demand time-consuming focal sampling of affiliative or agonistic interactions. Since scan sampling also records social behavior, it raises the question of whether this method could offer a quicker yet reliable way to evaluate social relationships within groups. We studied grooming exchanges in a zoo-housed chimpanzee group, comparing social structures from scan and focal sampling. Results showed scan sampling yielded estimates of grooming similar to focal sampling. By reducing data collection time, scan sampling streamlines early enrichment program stages, enabling faster diagnosis of group dynamics and more efficient establishment of enrichment objectives, thus supporting animal welfare without compromising data quality.