ENVIRONMENTAL ENRICHMENT

Environmental enrichment

The European Directive 2010/63/UE

The European Directive 2010/63 / EU defines new rules on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes. It is now acknowledged that the maintenance of excellent animal well-being is a key factor in the outcome of any scientific experiments, leading to more reliable results.
These are minimum requirements which allow Animal Facility Managers and veterinary doctors to create tailor-made solutions based on the specific needs arising from individual research projects, particularly with regard to environmental enrichment and to the monitoring of microbiological and microclimatic conditions.

Environmental enrichment improves the physiological and psychological well-being of the animal, preventing stereotyped behaviors, promotes the expression of a specific behavior and nest building. Therefore, environmental enrichment is an essential component of a successful research program. A research environment can be an unnatural and stressful environment for laboratory animals. It has been shown that environmental enrichment can be entered in the protocols without disturbing the research results.