In captivity, animals are restricted not only by space but also by a less diverse diet and a lack of mental and sensory stimulation. For their well-being, it is important that they have appropriate behavioral stimulation. The purpose of the thesis was to analyze the impact of food enrichment items on the behavior of banded mongooses (Mungos mungo) in the Tropical House in Celje. A group of seven banded mongooses was exposed to five different food enrichment items. The enrichment differed in how the animals accessed the reward and in the number of added objects. The animals were recorded for 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after the introduction of each enrichment item. The recordings were analyzed with the program for behavioral analysis BORIS, and the proportions of duration and frequency of individual behaviors were calculated. We were interested in whether the presence of enrichment items would reduce the frequency and duration of active and stereotypic behaviors and increase the frequency and duration of social behaviors. We observed that the presence of enrichment items decreased the duration and frequency of stereotypic behaviors. The presence of certain enrichment items increased the frequency and duration of active behaviors. The frequency of social behaviors increased with the presence of enrichment items, but their duration was not extend. We conclude that the use of selected food enrichment items improves animal welfare and reduces stereotypic behaviors.
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