Effects of social stress on the welfare of captive male Alpine musk deer: Stereotypic behavior, fecal cortisol, and musk secretion
Wild Alpine musk deer (Moschus chrysogaster), which are native to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and surrounding areas, have been kept in captivity as an effective way to conserve musk deer ex situ and sustainably utilize musk resources. From 1 November to 31 December of 2019, the behaviors of 40 captive Alpine musk deer in Xinglongshan Musk […]
Conservation, animal behaviour, and human-animal relationship in zoos. Why is animal welfare so important?
Although zoos are committed to wildlife conservation and have a long-term positive impact on visitors’ attitudes towards wildlife, the question of whether maintaining wild animals in human care is justified remains as animal welfare concerns grow and human understanding of animal intelligence and capacities broadens. Zoos have always been the subject of debate, with conflicts […]
Integrated Collection Assessment and Planning (ICAP) workshop: Helping zoos move toward the One Plan Approach
Most threatened species do not yet have an integrated conservation plan to guide zoos and aquariums in species selection and conservation action. To address this issue, the Conservation Planning Specialist Group (CPSG), in collaboration with regional zoo and aquarium associations, has developed a new process—an Integrated Collection Assessment and Planning (ICAP) workshop. This brings in […]
Evaluation of management in North American zoos to enhance breeding success of the fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) ex situ population
The ex situ population of fishing cats (Prionailurus viverrinus) face many challenges to its sustainability such as mate incompatibility, low founder numbers and disease prevalence. The North American population was monitored for a three-year period during institutional transfers and breeding introductions. In total, 26 fishing cats, including 15 different breeding pairs were monitored during 20 […]
Evidence of effects of human disturbance on alert response in Père David’s deer (Elaphurus davidianus)
Abstract 10.1002/zoo.20132.abs To understand effects of human disturbance on alert response of Père David’s deer, we carried out an experiment in the Dafeng Père David’s Deer Reserve (32°59′–33°03′N, 120°47′–120°53′E), China. In the spring and summer, we observed alert responses (including stare, walking away, and flee) of deer and recorded the intensity of tourist disturbance in […]
Dangerous animals in captivity: Ex situ tiger conflict and implications for private ownership of exotic animals
Abstract 10.1002/zoo.10117.abs The risks associated with tiger attacks on people in the wild are well documented. There may currently be more tigers in captivity than in the wild, but relatively little is known about the risks of injury or death associated with owning and managing captive tigers and other large carnivores. The purpose of this […]
Regional collection planning for speciose taxonomic groups
Abstract Regional collection planning and implementation are essential if professional zoological parks and aquariums are to achieve their collective conservation and animal management goals. Several regional associations currently have taxon advisory groups (TAGs) in place whose primary role is to develop taxon-specific collection plans. During their planning process, TAGs review all known taxa of interest […]
The pitfall with PIT tags: marking freshwater bivalves for translocation induces short-term behavioural costs
Tagging animals is frequently employed in ecological studies to monitor individual behaviour, for example postrelease survival and dispersal of captive-bred animals used in conservation programmes. While the majority of studies focus on the efficacy of tags in facilitating the relocation and identification of individuals, few assess the direct effects of tagging in biasing animal behaviour. […]
Maintaining behavioural diversity in captivity for conservation: natural behaviour management
Behavioural management in zoos is often practiced within the confines of environmental enrichment, a well-known method which attempts to increase the welfare of captive animals. For the successful conservation and reintroduction of threatened or endangered species, however, it is also important to manage behaviour in such a way as to maintain behavioural diversity. The development […]
Effects of parental number and duration of the breeding period on the effective population size and genetic diversity of a captive population of the endangered Tokyo bitterling Tanakia tanago (Teleostei: Cyprinidae)
The maintenance of genetic diversity is one of the chief concerns in the captive breeding of endangered species. Using microsatellite and mtDNA markers, we examined the effects of two key variables (parental number and duration of breeding period) on effective population size (Ne) and genetic diversity of offspring in an experimental breeding program for the […]