Comparative Analysis of the Behavior of Llamas Housed in a Research Facility in Response to Different Environmental Enrichment Stimuli

Source: PubMed Central Open Access, NCBI / U.S. National Library of Medicine

ABSTRACT Environmental enrichment (EE) is essential for promoting welfare and reducing atypical behaviors in captive research animals, but we know little about effective EE strategies for llamas (). This study evaluated the behavioral responses to EE items provided to llamas housed in a biomedical research facility in Brazil, where they are maintained as biomodels for nanobody production. Eight EE items—including feeding, physical, and sensory stimuli—were tested through a longitudinal observational design supported by video analysis and ethograms. Descriptive statistics, repeated‐measures ANOVA, and cluster analysis (‐means, hierarchical clustering, and principal component analysis [PCA]) were used to characterize behavioral patterns. Llamas showed a marked most time spent with the PVC pipe filled with hay or elephant grass, averaging 3.9 daily interactions. ANOVA indicated significant differences among animals (< 0.001), with large effect sizes. Cluster analysis revealed two distinct behavioral profiles, confirming individual variation and identifying one llama with a unique interaction pattern. Sensory and recreational items (tire, grooming brush, and empty perforated ball) elicited low interaction, whereas forage‐containing items consistently ranked highest. These findings highlight the importance of forage‐based enrichment and demonstrate the value of behavioral analytics for designing dynamic EE programs that enhance welfare in llamas used in biomedical research.