A Comparative Multi-Zoo Survey Investigating the Housing and Husbandry of Callimico goeldii
Callimico (Callimico goeldii) are members of the callitrichid family, and a species of conservation concern managed within the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) ex situ program. They benefit from extensive ‘Best Practice’ guidelines developed by the Callitrichid Taxon Advisory Group (TAG), but there are gaps in species-specific knowledge and captive management research. A […]
Scottish wildcat (Felis silvestris grampia) personality and subjective well-being: Implications for captive management
Research in animal personality has been increasing over the last decade, as scientists realize its importance to health outcomes. In particular, personality has sometimes been used, in conjunction with other tools, for aspects of captive management, including decreasing stress, increasing positive health outcomes, successful breeding, and infant survival. A few such studies have focused on […]
The relationship between personality, season, and wounding receipt in zoo-housed Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata): A multi-institutional study
It is important to those managing Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) in captive settings to understand predictors of wounding. While studies have demonstrated that season (breeding or nonbreeding) and sex predict rates of wounding received by zoo-housed Japanese macaques, we investigated whether individual differences in personality ratings also might explain some of the observed interindividual variance […]
Age-Dependent Enclosure Use in Juvenile Chinese Crocodile Lizards, Shinisaurus crocodilurus crocodilurus
This study compared the resource use of juvenile zoo-living Chinese crocodile lizards, Shinisaurus crocodilurus crocodilurus across three observation windows, spanning nine months, accounting for time of day and lizard age, and under consistent environmental conditions. Lizards showed a significant difference in proportionate resource use, quantified using a modified spread of participation indices between the second […]
Diurnal variation of salivary cortisol in captive African elephants (Loxodonta africana) under routine management conditions and in relation to a translocation event
The present study assessed the diurnal variation in salivary cortisol in captive African elephants during routine management (baseline) and in relation to a potential stressor (translocation) to evaluate to what extent acute stress may affect diurnal cortisol patterns. Under baseline conditions, we collected morning and afternoon saliva samples of 10 animals (three zoos) on different […]
Behavioral and endocrine correlates of dominance in captive female Jackson’s hartebeest (Alcelaphus buselaphus)
For species that form dominance hierarchies, such as group-living ungulates, aggressive interactions can pose a challenge to successful captive management. For example, Jackson’s hartebeest (Alcelaphus buselaphus), a rare antelope of east Africa, can be difficult to maintain in captivity because aggression within female dominance hierarchies can lead to injury and death. We quantified behavioral and […]
The effect of pack separation on social relationships and behaviour in captive African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus)
African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) are endangered carnivores with a population size that is currently estimated at 6.600 adults in the wild. The European Endangered Species Program (EEP) for African wild dogs aims to maintain a healthy zoo population that is sustainable on the long-term and thereby prevent extinction of the species. Safaripark Beekse Bergen […]
What time is feeding?: How delays and anticipation of feeding schedules affect stump-tailed macaque behavior
Everyday animal care routines are essential to an animal’s physical well-being, but the effects of husbandry routines on the animals’ psychological well-being are not often considered. The scheduling of animal care routines may have an important impact on how they are perceived by the animals involved. It was the objective of this study to assess […]
A Preliminary Behavioral Comparison of Two Captive All-Male Gorilla Groups
Gorillas live in polygamous harem groups, generally composed of one male, several adult females, and their offspring. With an equal numbers of male and female gorillas born in captivity, however, housing gorillas in social breeding units inevitably means that some males will not have access to female social partners. Thus, the future of the captive […]
Successful captive breeding of Mitchell’s water monitor, Varanus mitchelli (Mertens 1958), at Perth Zoo
Abstract Mitchell’s water monitors (Varanus mitchelli) have been maintained on display at Perth Zoo since 1997. They are generally a timid species but have been maintained and bred in a mixed species water feature exhibit. In this article we describe their captive management and behavior with an insight into their reproductive biology. Between 2002 and […]