Animal’s social introduction in captivity: Scarlet Macaw (Ara Macao) case study

The main subject of the proposed thesis is the procedure to be followed for the social introduction of a new individual within a group. Focusing initially on some theories of behavioral biology we will talk about social behaviors and how captivity can negatively affect social hierarchies. To address the problem of social isolation in captivity, general social introduction theories and models will be introduced, specifying in particular enclosure and individual management and monitoring methods. Later, the introduction applied to the Scarlet Macaw as a case study, respecting their biology, their behavior and the social structure of the species, will be analyzed.