Comparing Space Use and Fecal Glucocorticoid Concentrations during and after the COVID-19 Closure to Investigate Visitor Effects in Multiple Species
We used the COVID-19 pandemic closure at the Saint Louis Zoo to examine visitor effects on space use and glucocorticoid levels in banteng, grizzly bears, polar bears, and western lowland gorillas. The study was divided into four six-week phases: closure in spring 2020, reopening in summer 2020, fall 2020, and spring 2021 as a seasonal […]
Case study: Modifying repetitive behavior in a polar bear (Ursus maritimus)
Stereotypic pacing in zoo-housed carnivores has been intensively researched for decades, revealing that it is a subtly complex behavior with a highly variable etiology. While pacing can be an indicator of poor welfare, it can also be anticipatory in nature, or even have a completely different motivating operation. In this case study, the pacing of […]
Appetitive Search Behaviors and Stereotypies in Polar Bears (Ursus maritimus)
Stereotypies in captive animals have been defined as repetitive, largely invariant patterns of behavior that serve no obvious goal or function. Stereotypies are commonly attributed to boredom or stress and are typically treated by enriching captivity with distracting, appealing stimuli. These stimuli often include food presented at times other than regular feedings, and as a […]
Estimating the energetic contribution of polar bear (Ursus maritimus) summer diets to the total energy budget
Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) are faced with potential drastic changes to their ice habitat in the near future. Climate models predict that the ice-covered period during which bears use the sea ice to hunt seals is getting shorter, and that the ice-free season will become extended. Bears will not have enough ice time to accumulate […]
Determinants of Home Range Size for Polar Bears (Ursus maritimus)
The mean home range size of female polar bears (Ursus maritimus; 125 100 km2 ± 11 800; n = 93) is substantially larger than the predicted value (514 km2) for a terrestrial carnivore of similar weight. To understand this difference, we correlated home range size and sea ice characteristics. Home range size was related to […]
Defining pacing quantitatively: A comparison of gait characteristics between pacing and non-repetitive locomotion in zoo-housed polar bears
Pacing is a commonly investigated behavior in zoo animals, however, little data have been published to support a precise definition of pacing. High speed video of pacing behavior in 11 zoo-housed polar bears (Ursus maritimus) was compared with goal-oriented locomotion in the same bears. Specifically, step cycle duration and head height ratio were measured, as […]