Effects of Restraint Stress on Circulating Corticosterone and Met Enkephalin in Chickens: Induction of Shifts in Insulin Secretion and Carbohydrate Metabolism
This study examined the effects of acute restraint stress in the presence or absence of naltrexone on the circulating concentrations of insulin, glucose, Met-enkephalin and corticosterone in 14-week-old chickens [design: 2 sex × 2 stress/non-stress × 2 +/- naltrexone]. In chickens (five male and five females per treatment) subjected to restraint for 30 min, there […]
Assessment of faecal cortisol in captive elephants of Tamil Nadu state: An indicator of stress
A study was undertaken to assess the faecal cortisol levels in captive elephants of Tamil Nadu state. Fresh dung samples from 25 temple elephants, 7 elephants in mudumalai camp and 18 elephants in Anamalai camp were collected in 80% methanol added air tight containers. The overtaxing extraction method was used for extraction of glucocorticoids from […]
Responses to Reduced Feeding Frequency in Captive-Born Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus): Implications for Behavioural and Physiological Stress and Gastrointestinal Health
Unnatural diet composition and frequent feeding regimes may play an aetiological role in the multiple diseases prevalent in captive cheetahs. This study investigated the responses of captive-born (hand-reared) cheetahs (n = 6) to a reduced feeding frequency schedule distinguished by offering larger quantities of food less frequently. The study cheetahs were fed four once-daily meals […]
Blood biochemistry parameters of Broad snouted caiman, Caiman latirostris subjected to stress conditions, appliying micro-volume techniques
Abstract Plasma biochemistry values represent a crucial and minimally invasive tool for evaluating nutritional and physiological condition of the animal. Biochemical data provides valuable information in those species exposed to environmental stressors. In this study, we aimed to apply for the first time micro-volume plasma tests to measured total plasma protein, albumin, and glucose in […]
Analytical Validation and Assessment of Baseline Fecal Glucocorticoid Metabolites in Northern Sea Otters (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) in Human Care
Fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGMs) have been used as a non-invasive and indirect measurement of the complex stress response in a variety of species. Animals in facilities under managed care allow for the longitudinal study of FGMs in a controlled environment. Animal histories often include environmental, husbandry, and medical notes that can be matched to FGM […]
Welfare impacts associated with using aversive geofencing devices on captive Asian elephants
Animal-borne aversive geofencing devices (AGDs, or satellite-linked shock collars) are commercially available and used on livestock to restrict their movement within a virtual boundary. This technology has potential application as a human-wildlife conflict mitigation tool, where problem animals might be conditioned to avoid human-dominated habitats by associating an audio warning with a subsequent electric shock, […]
Zoo Animal Welfare Assessment: Where Do We Stand?
Zoological institutions, such as zoos and aquariums, have made animal welfare a top priority, as it is not only a moral obligation but also crucial for fulfilling their roles in education and conservation. There is a need for science-based tools to assess and monitor animal welfare in these settings. However, assessing the welfare of zoo […]
Comparing Predictors and Outcomes of Higher Allostatic Load across Zoo-Housed African Great Apes
Stressors over the lifespan can contribute to physiological dysregulation, or allostatic load. Allostatic load has been studied in humans using allostatic load indices (ALIs) for over 25 years, but the same methods are rarely applied to other species. We constructed an ALI for zoo-housed western lowland gorillas, chimpanzees, and bonobos and tested potential predictors of […]
Immune and stress physiology of two captively‐housed tortoise species
Ecoimmunology affords us the ability to better understand immunological processes through consideration of external factors, such as the thermal microenvironment. This consideration is imperative when examining the immunological processes of ectothermic organisms like reptiles. Reptiles uniquely rely heavily on their innate immune function but remain poorly understood in immunological studies. In this study, we examined […]
Welfare and Clinical Assessment on Physical Captures Followed by Anesthesia in Apennine Chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica ornata)
The Apennine chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica ornata) is one of the rarest subspecies in Italy, listed in Annexes II and IV of the Habitats Directive and currently included as a vulnerable subspecies in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. The Maiella National Park population has recently been defined as a source population […]