Behaviors related to positive, neutral, or negative valence in Odocoileus virginianus in below ground level or ground level exhibitor and influx of visitors
Publication Type: |
Journal Article |
Year of Publication: |
2023 |
Authors: |
Nelly Elizabeth Puc-Balam, Luis Armando Sarmiento-Franco, Pedro Geraldo González-Pech |
Publication/Journal: |
Journal of Veterinary Behavior |
Keywords: |
animal welfare, visitor effects, white-tailed deer, zoo |
ISBN: |
1558-7878 |
Abstract:
The frequency of behaviors related to positive, neutral, or negative emotional valence in Odocoileus virginianus in two zoos were compared, with below ground level (3m) (BGe) or ground level (Ge) exhibitor during days of no, low and high influx of visitors. In BGe 11 deer with visual barriers and 4m from visitors were used and in Ge 18 deer without visual barriers and 2m from visitors. The rest-relaxed, rest-alert, rest-on feet, and grooming were considered behaviors of positive valence. Trophic behaviors interaction, elimination, intake of feed, intake of water as neutrals. The alarm head posture, alarm-body posture, flight, and interruption as behaviors of negative valence. Scan sampling observations were performed in both zoos on alternate days, six days per week. During each week a day of no, low, and high, influx was used to determine the number of visitors and crowd noise (in decibels). The weekly observations were performed three times on each exhibitor 14 days apart. The medians of visitors’ affluence were compared using Mann-Whitney test and the means of crowd noise with analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post-hoc Tukey-HSD. A one-way multivariate ANOVA was used to identify which of the observed behaviors were sensitive to the exhibitor type or influx. Post-hoc median comparisons served to esstablish differences between significant behaviors. In addition, Chi-square tests served to compare the cumulative frequencies of positive, neutral, and negative behaviors between exhibitors for the same influx. A different number of visitors was confirmed (P0.05) between exhibitors at the same influx. In BGe the crowd was higher than in Ge only during no influx (Pneutral>negatives which confirm the good general conditions in both exhibitors. Flight, intake of feed and water, and rest of feet resulted affected by the exhibitor type. During the absence of visitors, a lower frequency of intake of feed was observed in BGe and lower frequency of rest relaxed in both exhibitors, probably due to a silent environment that demands on prey animals, higher levels of alertness, but also habituation could be involved. Positive behaviors were more frequent during low and high influx in both exhibitors suggesting habituation, probably stronger on Ge.