These findings may apply to other brainy captive creatures including great apes, elephants and whales, said the head of the research group, Dr Georgia Mason, Director of the University of Guelph’s Campbell Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare.
“This study provides the first empirical evidence that intelligent animals can struggle in captivity,” said Dr Mason, a professor in the Department of Integrative Biology.
"Our findings could help pet owners identify which species may be more challenging to cater for as pets, because of their welfare requirements” added one of the lead authors, Dr Emma Mellor from the University of Bristol's School of Biological Sciences.
The study, also conducted by other researchers at University of Bristol and Utrecht University in the Netherlands, revealed for the first time that this issue can in particular hinder large-brained parrots’ in confinement.