Effects of captions on viewers’ perceptions of images depicting human−primate interaction
Promoting human contact with wildlife can be harmful to animal conservation and welfare by exposing animals to unsafe situations and driving demand for wildlife tourism and exotic pets. Conservationists and researchers justifiably use social media to raise awareness, but professionals posting pictures of themselves with animals can have unintended negative consequences for conservation. Though the […]
Getting to the Meat of It: The Effects of a Captive Diet upon the Skull Morphology of the Lion and Tiger
Zoo animals are crucial for conserving and potentially re-introducing species to the wild, yet it is known that the morphology of captive animals differs from that of wild animals. It is important to know how and why zoo and wild animal morphology differs to better care for captive animals and enhance their survival in reintroductions, […]
Ex situ population of Aldabrachelys gigantea (Reptilia: Testudines) in the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria and its perspectives: Hidden extinction and how to prevent it
For the needs of adequate management, we carried out an assessment of the Aldabrachelys gigantea (Schweigger, 1812) population in the institutions of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria. This population was established a hundred years ago and is continuously growing. Today it is the largest ex situ population of all regional zoo associations. Currently […]
Allostatic Load Index Effectively Measures Chronic Stress Status in Zoo-Housed Giraffes
For giraffes, few standardized methods exist for quantifying chronic stress. Allostatic load index is quantified from a panel of multi-system stress biomarkers to estimate cumulative stress. Our objective was to determine whether a panel of biomarkers selected for their role in allostatic load would reflect the number of documented stress events experienced by giraffes. Cortisol, […]
Personality traits in captive Antillean manatees (Trichechus manatus manatus) in Brazil and perspectives for the release of individuals
Personality refers to an individual feature which is consistent over time and contexts and modulates how animals perceive and interact with the surrounding environment, influencing life history traits such as foraging, dispersion and reproduction. So far, very little is known about the Antillean manatee’s personality. Here we aimed to investigate personality traits of nine captive […]
Welfare and Clinical Assessment on Physical Captures Followed by Anesthesia in Apennine Chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica ornata)
The Apennine chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica ornata) is one of the rarest subspecies in Italy, listed in Annexes II and IV of the Habitats Directive and currently included as a vulnerable subspecies in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. The Maiella National Park population has recently been defined as a source population […]
Environmental enrichment for collared peccaries Dicotyles tajacu, Tayassuidae in managed care: Different items provoke different behavioural responses
Being in human care often modifies the behaviour of animals, mainly because of the lack of environmental stimuli, and the ease of finding food and reproductive partners. Animals in human care may have a poorer behavioural repertoire and lower welfare than their wild conspecifics. Environmental enrichment is a technique that introduces stimuli into enclosures, thereby […]
The Future of Artificial Intelligence in Monitoring Animal Identification, Health, and Behaviour
With many advancements, technologies are now capable of recording non-human animals’ location, heart rate, and movement, often using a device that is physically attached to the monitored animals. However, to our knowledge, there is currently no technology that is able to do this unobtrusively and non-invasively. Here, we review the history of technology for use […]
Physical and behavioral indicators associated with hormonal changes during musth in zoo-housed and free-ranging Asian elephants (Elephas maximus)
In-situ and ex-situ Asian elephant populations are threatened with extinction, and male elephants pose unique challenges to long-term sustainability. The heightened sexual state of “musth” is accompanied by a suite of physical, behavioral and physiological changes. Furthermore, musth is unique to male elephants and requires special consideration when developing short- and long-term management strategies for […]
Rehabilitation of Marine Turtles and Welfare Improvement by Application of Environmental Enrichment Strategies
Sea turtles perform various ecological services in several marine environments and are considered architects of the marine landscape. At present, they are endangered species due to anthropogenic threats, pollution and degradation of marine habitats. These impacts make it urgent to increase protection and conservation efforts. Protective actions include the rescue and rehabilitation of injured individuals […]