Comments on: Captive hyenas think ‘outside the box’ http://www.futurity.org/science-technology/captive-hyenas-think-outside-the-box/ Research news from leading universities Sat, 25 May 2013 08:57:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: Tigley http://www.futurity.org/science-technology/captive-hyenas-think-outside-the-box/comment-page-1/#comment-547082 Tigley Wed, 09 Jan 2013 05:25:25 +0000 http://www.futurity.org/?p=262302#comment-547082 I'm missing the point of this study apparently b/c I don't see what they're proving that isn't already well-established. We know that wild animals foraging behavior changes depending on variables like hunger drive, age, health, predator risk, etc, and that these variables are known and more controlled in captive settings than in the wild. So a wild hyena who *can* open a smelly box by working on it for a while will likely not be motivated to overcome the risks and do so in most situations. Easier just to move along and keep foraging. So is the study saying wild hyenas *can't* or *will never ever* exhibit the same problem-solving skills as captive ones? That would require accounting for all of the above factors and also following them around for a very long time. I can't imagine they did that or how anyone even could without a lot of difficulty. I’m missing the point of this study apparently b/c I don’t see what they’re proving that isn’t already well-established. We know that wild animals foraging behavior changes depending on variables like hunger drive, age, health, predator risk, etc, and that these variables are known and more controlled in captive settings than in the wild. So a wild hyena who *can* open a smelly box by working on it for a while will likely not be motivated to overcome the risks and do so in most situations. Easier just to move along and keep foraging.

So is the study saying wild hyenas *can’t* or *will never ever* exhibit the same problem-solving skills as captive ones? That would require accounting for all of the above factors and also following them around for a very long time. I can’t imagine they did that or how anyone even could without a lot of difficulty.

]]> By: Villainess http://www.futurity.org/science-technology/captive-hyenas-think-outside-the-box/comment-page-1/#comment-546882 Villainess Tue, 08 Jan 2013 23:13:03 +0000 http://www.futurity.org/?p=262302#comment-546882 Baron's got something there! Wild animals should be supremely suspicious of metal bar boxes that stink of us. Remember, captive animals are already trapped behind bars and accept our stink every day if they want to eat. If testing of puzzle-solving ability is wanted, it's gonna have to be extremely natural. These scientists need to start in the wild habitat and bring the wild tests to their caged animals. This is a poorly designed test. Culture is everything. Baron’s got something there! Wild animals should be supremely suspicious of metal bar boxes that stink of us. Remember, captive animals are already trapped behind bars and accept our stink every day if they want to eat.

If testing of puzzle-solving ability is wanted, it’s gonna have to be extremely natural. These scientists need to start in the wild habitat and bring the wild tests to their caged animals.

This is a poorly designed test. Culture is everything.

]]> By: Baron Pike http://www.futurity.org/science-technology/captive-hyenas-think-outside-the-box/comment-page-1/#comment-546822 Baron Pike Tue, 08 Jan 2013 20:56:14 +0000 http://www.futurity.org/?p=262302#comment-546822 Animals in the wild are more suspicious about the predatory deception that may lie behind the puzzle than those in relatively safe captivity are. Animals in the wild are more suspicious about the predatory deception that may lie behind the puzzle than those in relatively safe captivity are.

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