Giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis feeding: How stereotypies and other behaviours changed at Kolmårdens djurpark in Sweden
Kolmården djurpark keeps one of the most northern living giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis groups in the world, and this comes with its challenges. For a long part of the year, the outside temperature is too cold for giraffes, resulting in extended periods spent indoors, combined with a shorter duration of trees bearing leaves than further south. […]
Behavioral characterization of musth in Asian elephants (Elephas maximus): defining progressive stages of male sexual behavior in in-situ and ex-situ populations
Complementary studies of wild and zoo-housed animals offer insight into behavioral variation across a range of conditions including the context under which various behaviors evolved in natural settings. This information can be used to improve the sustainability of in-situ and ex-situ populations and enhance the well-being of individuals. Managed ex-situ populations are critical to the […]
Preliminary Findings on How Different Management Systems and Social Interactions Influence Fecal Glucocorticoid Metabolites in White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum)
White rhinoceroses (Ceratotherium simum) are the most social and gregarious species of all rhinoceroses known worldwide. One of the most critical effects of elevated glucocorticoid concentrations, especially in threatened species, is its relation to chronic stress, which could potentially lead to immunosuppression and reduced reproductive activity. Our aim is to determine how different social environments […]
Can behavioural management improve behaviour and reproduction in captive blue-and-yellow macaws (Ara ararauna)?
Environments that do not provide animals with appropriate stimuli may affect their welfare and reproduction, for example by precluding them from exhibiting their full behavioural repertoire. In this study, we sought to evaluate the effectiveness of behavioural management techniques to stimulate the exhibition of normal behaviours, and to promote breeding improvement of nine captive pairs […]
Understanding behaviour to improve the welfare of an ornamental fish
Some common practices in aquaculture, ornamental trade, and fish facilities may disturb the behavioural repertoire of fish and its natural adaptive value, reducing welfare and unsettling fish production. Hence, it is necessary to understand individuals’ behaviour, as well as the factors affecting it, in order to improve their quality of life. Here, we reviewed the […]
Comparative endocrine investigations in three bear species based on urinary steroid metabolites and volatiles
In order to improve breeding of in situ populations of bears, a comprehensive study of reproductive physiology in Brown (Ursus arctos), Spectacled (Tremarctos ornatus) and Giant panda bears (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) was performed. The objective was to perform non-invasive analyses of urinary and fecal steroid metabolites. In addition, we investigated the presence of reproduction-related urinary volatile […]
Name that tune: call discrimination and individual recognition in Magellanic penguins
Individual recognition via vocalizations is key to reproductive success in many species. We explored individual recognition and call discrimination in Magellanic penguins, Spheniscus magellanicus, through several playback experiments. By using two call types in multiple social contexts, we demonstrate, for the first time in a Spheniscus species, that adults and chicks can discriminate between conspecific […]
Hormonal correlates of parental behavior in yellow-eyed penguins (Megadyptes antipodes)
Penguins show varying degrees of brood reduction behavior, from obligate brood reducers to brood maximizers, and we hypothesize that this is associated with differences in prolactin secretion. To address this hypothesis, we determined the breeding season prolactin profile of the yelloweyed penguin (Megadyptes antipodes) for comparison with those of other penguin species found in the […]
Invited review: Body condition score and its association with dairy cow productivity, health, and welfare
The body condition score (BCS) of a dairy cow is an assessment of the proportion of body fat that it possesses, and it is recognized by animal scientists and producers as being an important factor in dairy cattle management. The scale used to measure BCS differs between countries, but low values always reflect emaciation and […]
Stress, behaviour and reproductive performance in female cattle and pigs
Female farm animals are exposed to a great variety of environmental and management related stressors. As a consequence, their reproductive and maternal abilities may be compromised through mechanisms acting on the hypothalamic, pituitary, ovarian and uterine function. Responses to short- and long-term stressors may differ as short-term stressors often fail to affect reproduction or even […]