The Effect of Visitor Number on the Behavior of Zoo-Housed Macropods
Free-range exhibits are used by zoos to allow visitors to experience or interact with animals in a semi-natural setting; close interactions with animals have been shown to increase empathy and contribute to conservation outcomes, and as such zoos are increasingly implementing free-range style exhibits to facilitate this goal. We aimed to investigate whether this close […]
A report of capture myopathy in the Tasmanian pademelon (Thylogale billardierii)
In Tasmania, a small island state of Australia, wildlife is under increasing pressure from anthropogenic activities. Multiple species of native herbivores compete directly for resources with humans, such that wildlife populations are regularly managed to reduce their impact on agricultural and forestry landscapes. There is an increasing need to quantify the impacts of such wildlife […]
A welfare assessment of methods used for harvesting, hunting and population control of kangaroos and wallabies
In Australia, several macropod species are subjected to commercial harvesting, recreational hunting and population management, using both lethal and non-lethal measures. Some techniques for killing macropods can cause prolonged and/or severe suffering, and of particular concern is the welfare of remaining pouch young or young-at-foot, when females with dependent young are killed. Non-lethal methods are […]
Successful transfer of a Goodfellow’s tree kangaroo (Dendrolagus goodfellowi) pouch young to a yellow-footed rock wallaby (Petrogale xanthopus) surrogate
A 47-day-old orphaned Goodfellow’s tree kangaroo (Dendrolagus goodfellowi) joey was successfully cross-fostered onto a yellow-footed rock wallaby (Petrogale xanthopus). The joey was subsequently taken for hand-rearing at age 5 months. This is the first report of the cross-fostering technique, well-established in other macropods, being applied to a Dendrolagus sp. This technique can be considered as […]