Efficacy and Animal Welfare Impacts of Novel Capture Methods for Two Species of Invasive Wild Mammals in New Zealand
All capture methods impose animal welfare impacts, but these impacts are rarely quantified or reported. We present data from two wildlife capture studies that trialled new methods for capturing Bennett’s wallabies (Notamacropus rufogriseus) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) in New Zealand. We used helicopter net-gunning for both species, and compared this method with ground-based netting […]
A Proposed Ethogram of Large-Carnivore Predatory Behavior, Exemplified by the Wolf
Although predatory behavior is traditionally described by a basic ethogram composed of 3 phases (search, pursue, and capture), behavioral studies of large terrestrial carnivores generally use the concept of a “hunt” to classify and measure foraging. This approach is problematic because there is no consensus on what behaviors constitute a hunt. We therefore examined how […]
Relationship between rank and plasma testosterone and cortisol in red deer males (Cervus elaphus)
The objective of this study was to assess the effect of a change in the social composition in a group of red deer males on the relationship between their rank and testosterone. A group of twelve adult red deer males (Cervus elaphus) was tested in two social settings. From April 15 to June 9 (Period […]
Welfare implications of culling red deer (Cervus Elaphus)
In southwestern England, red deer, Cervus elaphus, are culled by rifle (‘stalking’) or by hunting with hounds (‘hunting’). We compare the welfare costs of the two culling methods. Observations of hunts revealed that likely stressors such as close proximity to humans and hounds, active pursuit, noise, obstruction and physical restraint prior to despatch were very […]
A Comparison of Weaning Techniques in Farmed Wapiti (Cervus Elaphus)
Twenty-one wapiti calves, born between 24 May and 4 July were weaned on 5 September. They were weighed, divided into two groups (10 and 11 calves) and either moved to a familiar paddock, adjacent to their dams and allowed fence-line contact (contact wean CW), or moved to a familiar paddock which was visually obscured, and […]
Female aggregation interacts with population structure to influence the degree of polygyny in red deer
In polygynous systems, female aggregation may affect the degree of polygyny by increasing the variance in male mating success. However, other population features such as the sex ratio and the age structure of males may also affect the distribution of male mating success. We combined behavioural observations and genetic data to investigate the relationship between […]
Sexual segregation in red deer: is social behaviour more important than habitat preferences?
Sexual segregation among vertebrates is a common phenomenon, usually assumed to be associated with sexual body size dimorphism and explained by differences in habitat use or social behaviours. Various hypotheses explain sexual segregation in terms of social or habitat factors. The factors controlling sexual segregation are as yet unclear and the hypotheses put forward to […]
Monitoring the health and welfare of free-living deer in deer parks
Deer in enclosed parks are free-living, which means they cannot be handled, tested, vaccinated or effectively medicated. They are kept at densities that far exceed natural deer population densities in the wild and most enclosed herds cannot survive the winter without supplementary food. The welfare of deer in parks is increasingly a matter of public […]