A retrospective study on the prevalence of main clinical findings in brown bears (Ursus arctos) rescued from substandard husbandry conditions
Brown bears (Ursus arctos) are kept under varied captive conditions, some of which may greatly compromise their welfare. Four Paws is an NGO that rescues some of these bears kept in substandard conditions and houses them in species-appropriate sanctuaries, where preventive and reactive veterinary care is provided. This retrospective study aims to provide an overview […]
Effects of food-based enrichment on enclosure use and behavioral patterns in captive mammalian predators: a case study from an Austrian wildlife park
Combining naturalistic enclosure design and animal welfare with visitor interests and education can be challenging for zoos and wildlife parks. To accomplish both purposes, different types of enrichment (food-based or non-food-based items, such as environmental, sensory, cognitive, social) can be used. The aim of the present study is to investigate the effect of food-based and […]
Don’t poke the bear: using tracking data to quantify behavioural syndromes in elusive wildlife
Animal personality traits and the emergence of behavioural syndromes, i.e. between-individual correlation of behaviours, are commonly quantified from behavioural observations in controlled environments. Subjecting large and elusive wildlife to controlled test situations is, however, rarely possible, suggesting that ecologists should exploit alternative measures of behaviours for quantifying differences between individuals. Our goal was to test […]
Brown Bear Conservation and the Ghost of Persecution Past
Large carnivores, such as brown bears, are focal species for conservation efforts. Historically, brown bears were persecuted in Europe for centuries before their gradual elimination from much of Western Europe. In contrast, large carnivore populations in North America were eradicated within two centuries in the east and within a few decades in the west. After […]
Aggressive behaviors of the Japanese brown bear
Film analysis and direct observation suggest that 2 very different types of intraspecific fights occur among Japanese brown bears maintained in laige,stable colonies.Disputes arising over food are short, and involve such activities as threatening, muzzling,chasing, and flight. Weapon use during feeding fights primarily involves slashingblows to the back or head areas of the opponent. In […]
The function of strategic tree selectivity in the chemical signalling of brown bears
Large mammals select conspicuous objects on which to deposit their scent marks, which may function to supplement the olfactory signal, visually and/or chemically. Analysing marking sites is paramount to understanding whether signallers could mitigate potential fitness costs by placing scents strategically to reduce time and energy investment. The defining characteristics of marking sites are unclear […]
Physiological evidence for a human-induced landscape of fear in brown bears (Ursus arctos)
Human persecution is a major cause of mortality for large carnivores. Consequently, large carnivores avoid humans, but may use human-dominated landscapes by being nocturnal and elusive. Behavioral studies indicate that certain ecological systems are “landscapes of fear”, driven by antipredator behavior. Because behavior and physiology are closely interrelated, physiological assessments may provide insight into the […]
A work‐for‐food enrichment program increases exploration and decreases stereotypies in four species of bears
Zoo‐housed bears are prone to exhibiting stereotypic behaviors, generally considered indicators of negative welfare. We explored the effects of a variable‐time feeding enrichment schedule on behavioral indicators of welfare in four bear species at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. We distributed the diets of eight bears in one of five enrichment items, for two consecutive days each, […]