Monitoring Thermoregulation Patterns in Asian Elephants (Elephas maximus) in Winter Months in Southwestern Ontario Using Infrared Thermography
Given the current and future threats to Asian elephants (Elephas maximus), maintaining a sustainable ex situ population is crucial for the longevity of the species. Using Infrared Thermography (IRT), thermoregulation of Asian elephants at low ambient temperatures was examined. Thermal images were taken at 15 min intervals over 60–90-min observation periods, once weekly, during January […]
Age‐based variation in calf independence, social behavior and play in a captive population of African elephant calves
African elephant calves are highly social and their behavioral development depends heavily on interactions with other elephants. Evaluating early social behaviors offers important information that can inform management decisions and maximize individual- and population-level welfare. We use data collected from the population of elephants at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in Escondido, CA to […]
Social associations in captive Caribbean flamingos Phoenicopterus ruber and their implications for flock management
Studying the flamingo’s preferential associations provides information on welfare indicators such as aggression and reproduction. This study investigated associations within the Caribbean flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber flock at Zoo de Granby, Québec, using an association index (AI) to measure the strength of associations. Based on previous literature, it was predicted that (1) pairs would remain stable […]
Characteristics of Cats Admitted to Czech Shelters
The aim of this study was to describe the numbers and characteristics of cats entering Czech shelters. Records of sheltered cats were collected from three cat shelters situated in different regions of the Czech Republic from 2011 to 2015. A total of 2170 cat admissions were analyzed in this study. Significantly (p < .001) greater numbers of […]
Age at sexual maturity of males and timing of the mating season of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in Greenland
Age at sexual maturity among male polar bears (Ursus maritimus) and timing of the mating season were studied by microscopic and macroscopic analysis of the reproductive organs from 165 male and 92 female Greenland polar bears. Males became sexually mature in the spring following their fifth birthday. Testes sampled during the spring reached 95% of […]
A review of injuries caused by elephants in captivity: an examination of predominant factors
Injuries to people caused by elephants in zoos can be lethal. Data on incidents of injury to keepers and visitors were collated from newspaper articles, personal communications with zoo directors and keepers, and published information from the European Elephant Group. Although the data were not of consistent quality and detail across the three sources, the […]
Sleep and social status in captive gelada baboons (Theropithecus gelada)
Sleep was investigated in 10 captive gelada baboons (Theropithecus gelada), belonging to two harem groups by continuous infrared video recording (n = 4 males, n = 3 females, n = 3 juveniles). The aim was to investigate the relation between sleep and social status. Social status was assessed during daytime activities, when the two harem […]
Middle-aged mice with enrichment-resistant stereotypic behaviour show reduced motivation for enrichment
For captive animals, living in barren conditions leads to stereotypic behaviour that is hard to alleviate using environmental enrichment. This resistance to enrichment is often explained via mechanisms that decouple abnormal behaviour from current welfare, such as ‘establishment’: a hypothetical process whereby repetition increases behaviour’s predictability and resistance to change. If such hypotheses are correct, […]
Nocturnal behavior in a group of female African elephants
Abstract 10.1002/zoo.20084.abs The nocturnal behavior of a stable group of female, African elephants (Loxodonta africana africana) was studied to: (1) examine their behavior as a function of hour of night; (2) qualitatively compare the elephants’ activity budgets to those reported in a previous study; and (3) document the presence of aggressive and stereotypic behaviors that […]
Age-specific fecundity of mammalian populations: A test of three mathematical models
Abstract 10.1002/zoo.10029.abs Empirical age-specific fecundity distributions are often based on small samples and hence include high levels of sampling error, particularly at the older ages. One solution to this problem is to smooth the distributions using appropriate models. The aim of this article is to compare the utility of three models for smoothing and/or graduating […]