Impact of diet and environmental enrichment management in stereotyped behaviours: a case study in tayra Eira barbara
Holistic approaches have been implemented to minimize stress expressed as stereotypies associated with low welfare conditions, which can arise from a range of factors such as frustration, adaptation attempts and neurological problems. Such behaviour was identified in a tayra housed in the facilities of the Santa Cruz Zoo (San Antonio de Tequendama, Colombia), for which […]
Supporting Geriatric Zoo Animal Welfare Through Nutrition
Aging wild animals undergo many physiological changes that are not visible to their keepers. Changes in their digestive system render them less efficient at absorbing nutrients, changes in their brain reduce mental acuity and inflammation builds up throughout the body, especially the joints. Eventually symptoms will be observed such as muscle loss, decreased activity and […]
Comparison of Estimated Wild Giant Anteater (Myrmecopahaga tridactyla Linnaeus, 1758) Diets with Commercial Diets for Insectivores: Implications for Anteater Health
Using the stomach contents of 24 wild road-killed giant anteaters as proxies for their diet, we found that estimated wild diets were much lower in calcium (about ten times less) and phosphorus compared with manufactured feeds commonly fed to anteaters under human care. Indicators of soil consumption, such as ash, iron, and manganese were higher […]
Bird Welfare in Zoos and Aquariums: General Insights across Industries
Animal welfare is a priority across accredited zoological institutions; however, historically, research has been prioritized for mammals. Bird-focused studies accounted for less than 10% of welfare research in zoos and aquariums over the last ten years. Due to the lack of scientific publications on bird welfare, zoo scientists and animal practitioners can look to other […]
A review of Asian and African elephant gastrointestinal anatomy, physiology and pharmacology
Elephants are susceptible to a variety of gastrointestinal problems. Knowledge of elephant nutrition and gastrointestinal anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology is essential for successful treatment, especially because diagnostic options are limited. The horse is considered the most appropriate model for extrapolation to the elephant. While similarities do exist, elephant-specific information is needed, especially in the areas […]
Canine coprophagic behavior is influenced by coprophagic cohabitant
Coprophagia is a common canine habit, although it is aversive for human beings. Despite absence of clinical risk to animals and their owners, this behavior may lead the owners to get rid of their dogs. The lack of information and effective corrective methods make it difficult for veterinary clinicians to contribute to eradication of this […]
Nutritional and behavioral effects of gorge and fast feeding in captive lions
Nonhuman animals in captivity manifest behaviors and physiological conditions that are not common in the wild. Lions in captivity face problems of obesity, inactivity, and stereotypy. To mediate common problems of captive lions, this study implemented a gorge and fast feeding schedule that better models naturalistic patterns: African lions (Panthera leo) gradually adapted from a […]
The Importance of Interactions Among Nutrition, Seasonality and Socio-sexual Factors in the Development of Hormone-free Methods for Controlling Fertility
Around the world, consumers are demanding animal products that are produced to agreed standards for human health, environmental management and animal welfare. This has led to the development in Australia of the concept of ‘clean, green and ethical’ (CGE) animal production based on the manipulation of nutrition (‘focus feeding’) and the application of phenomena, such […]
Tooth wear in captive wild ruminant species differs from that of free-ranging conspecifics
The mesowear method evaluates the wear patterns of herbivore cheek teeth by visually evaluating the facet development of the occlusal surfaces. It thus allows classification of most herbivorous ungulates into browsers, grazers or intermediate feeders, due to the fact that in grazers, tooth wear is characterized by a comparatively high degree of abrasion, most probably […]
Proceedings of The Fifth Annual Symposium on Zoo Research
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