Environmental enrichment and welfare assessment in laboratory rabbits
Objective: To connect enrichment design with measurable rabbit welfare outcomes.
Synthesis: Rabbits are social, exploratory and highly motivated to forage, hide and adopt upright postures. Effective programmes provide usable space, social opportunity, refuges, manipulable fibre and choice.
Assessment: Resource provision alone is insufficient; behaviour, physical health, human–animal interaction and use of resources must be monitored.
Conclusion: Enrichment should be treated as a testable refinement programme with predefined outcomes, not as a static object list.