Assessing Giraffe Welfare During Seasonal Habitat Changes in Northern US Zoos
Although there has been an increase in research studying the impact of housing on zoo animal welfare, there is still a lack of literature regarding the impact of seasonal housing differences on animal welfare. In northern American zoos, animals native to warmer climates inhabit an outdoor habitat during the summer and an indoor habitat during […]
Monitoring the Behavioral and Adrenal Activity of Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) to Assess Welfare During Seasonal Housing Changes
In inclement weather, northern zoos are required to provide animals from warmer climates with indoor exhibits. These indoor exhibits are typically smaller, lack natural substrate, and have lower levels of stimulation for the animals. The purpose of this study was to examine the welfare of four reticulated giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata) exhibited at the Chicago […]
Mouse aversion to isoflurane versus carbon dioxide gas
Isoflurane and carbon dioxide (CO2) gas are used for rodent euthanasia. This study compared mouse aversion to isoflurane versus gradual-fill CO2 gas, and compared two methods of isoflurane delivery: vaporizer and drop. Mouse acclimation to a light–dark apparatus was used to create a light aversion test based on an unconditioned preference for dark versus light […]
Testing three measures of mouse insensibility following induction with isoflurane or carbon dioxide gas for a more humane euthanasia
Laboratory mice are commonly killed via exposure to gradually increasing concentrations of isoflurane and carbon dioxide (CO2) gas. Once rendered insensible using isoflurane or CO2, a high concentration of CO2 is used to decrease time to death. When the switch from isoflurane to a high flow rate of CO2 is made, it is important that […]
Recumbence Behavior in Zoo Elephants: Determination of Patterns and Frequency of Recumbent Rest and Associated Environmental and Social Factors
Resting behaviors are an essential component of animal welfare but have received little attention in zoological research. African savanna elephant (Loxodonta africana) and Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) rest includes recumbent postures, but no large-scale investigation of African and Asian zoo elephant recumbence has been previously conducted. We used anklets equipped with accelerometers to measure recumbence […]