Personality traits in captive Antillean manatees (Trichechus manatus manatus) in Brazil and perspectives for the release of individuals
Personality refers to an individual feature which is consistent over time and contexts and modulates how animals perceive and interact with the surrounding environment, influencing life history traits such as foraging, dispersion and reproduction. So far, very little is known about the Antillean manatee’s personality. Here we aimed to investigate personality traits of nine captive […]
Environmental Enrichment Devices Are Safe and Effective at Reducing Undesirable Behaviors in California Sea Lions and Northern Elephant Seals during Rehabilitation
Environmental enrichment devices (EEDs) have been proven to promote positive wellbeing in zoos and aquariums, and support animals’ reintroduction success; however, their use in rehabilitation centers is still limited. This pilot study investigated the safety and efficacy of three EEDs, Artificial Kelp, Horse KONG™ and Wubba Kong™, and their ability to decrease and/or eliminate undesired […]
Rehabilitation of Marine Turtles and Welfare Improvement by Application of Environmental Enrichment Strategies
Sea turtles perform various ecological services in several marine environments and are considered architects of the marine landscape. At present, they are endangered species due to anthropogenic threats, pollution and degradation of marine habitats. These impacts make it urgent to increase protection and conservation efforts. Protective actions include the rescue and rehabilitation of injured individuals […]
Rehabilitation method affects behavior, welfare, and adaptation potential for subsequent release of orphaned white rhinoceros
Poaching is the primary threat to the survival of rhinoceros’ populations. One frequent consequence of poaching is the creation of orphan calves. If found, orphans are taken into captivity for rehabilitation and subsequent release. However, rehabilitation practices can influence their behavior and welfare, potentially compromising their post-release adaptation and survival. In this study, the effects […]
Diagnosis of hypothermia in the European hedgehog, Erinaceus europaeus, using infrared thermography
The European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) is the most common mammal species admitted to rescue centres in the UK. The temperature of a new admission is useful in assessing health status, hypothermia can indicate shock or impaired health, assessing this can be challenging due to their ability to curl tightly. Measuring body temperature using conventional rectal […]
Review of the rescue, rehabilitation and restoration of oiled seabirds in South Africa, especially African penguins Spheniscus demersus and Cape gannets Morus capensis, 1983-2005
South Africa is a global hotspot for oil pollution. The regional oiled seabird cleaning centre, the South African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB), has handled over 50 000 seabirds from its inception in 1968 until 2005. The majority of seabirds oiled in South Africa are African penguins Spheniscus demersus, followed by Cape […]
Unusual behaviour of captive-raised gibbons: implications for welfare
Unusual behaviours not normally seen in the wild were studied in 52 captive agile (Hylobates agilis albibarbis) and 23 Mu¨ llers gibbons (H. muelleri spp) at three locations within the Kalaweit Gibbon Rehabilitation Project. Unusual behaviours included stereotypic behaviour (SB), human-directed masturbation and posterior presenting. These data were collected over 18 months as part of […]
Hand-rearing and rehabilitation of orphaned wild giant otters, Pteronura brasiliensis, on the Rupununi river, Guyana, South America
From 1985–2003, 34 orphaned giant otters, Pteronura brasiliensis, (22 males, 12 females) were hand raised for eventual return to the wild at The Karanambu Cattle Company Limited Ranch (Karanambu), on the Rupununi River, Guyana, South America. The orphans ranged in age from 2 weeks to 9 months old; most were 8–10-week-old cubs. Feeding, housing, exercising, […]
Manual for bat rehabilitation
A review of Captive Care and Medical Reference for the Rehabilitation of Insectivorous Bats by Amanda Lollar and Barbara Schmidt-French
Strike-induced chemosensory searching (SICS) in northern Pacific rattlesnakes (Crotalus viridis oreganus, Holbrook, 1840) rescued from substandard husbandry conditions. II. Complete recovery of function after two years
Abstract 10.1002/(SICI)1098-2361(1999)18:23.3.CO;2-J Six northern Pacific rattlesnakes (Crotalus viridis oreganus) rescued from substandard husbandry conditions were shipped from Woodland Park Zoological Gardens to the University of Colorado in December 1994. The snakes accepted prey and rapidly gained weight, but their searching behavior after predatory strikes was seriously depressed. We administered repeated tests of strike-induced chemosensory searching […]