Publicação
A pilot welfare assessment study in three captive african elephants (Loxodonta africana) at Barcelona zoo
| Resumo: | The welfare of wild animals in captivity is an increasingly discussed topic these days. The African elephant (Loxodonta africana) is an intelligent, charismatic animal, with specific social and environmental needs. The species L. africana is currently considered endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The decreasing number of individuals in the wild is mainly due to poaching for ivory. African elephants housed in captivity act as ambassadors for their wild counterparts, enabling the research on factors that may impact health, longevity, or reproduction, that may be extrapolated to wild populations. Hence, the importance of studying and promoting the welfare of these animals in man-made environments is highlighted. This study sought to develop a tool to assess the welfare of three adult female African elephants (E1, E2, and E3) housed at Barcelona Zoo, Spain. For this purpose, saliva samples were collected on a daily basis to measure cortisol, as well as behavioral observations, between October and December 2018. Salivary cortisol is increasingly used when studying changes in animal welfare. It is considered an effective method for quantifying cortisol levels, capable of detecting acute stress fluctuations, in addition to being a less invasive method than measuring cortisol in the blood. The objectives of this study were to establish baseline cortisol values for the three individuals of the species L. africana, and to explore the relationship between salivary cortisol and stereotypic behavior, specifically head bobbing. Saliva cortisol values ranged from 0.123 to 3.307 ng/ml. The results showed that the animal with the highest mean cortisol, E3, also corresponded to the animal that had a higher rate of stereotypic behaviors. However, the positive correlation between cortisol and head bobbing was not statistically significant (p-value = 0.71). During the study period, a change in the hierarchy was observed among the three elephants based on the analysis of social behaviors. In terms of agonistic behaviors, E2 faced E3 a total of 50 times. In addition, these animals allocate a large part of their time foraging. This pilot study contributes to increasing the psychological well-being of elephants in captivity by elucidating which factors influence well-being and stereotypic behavior. Projects of this nature are essential for the proper management of these magnificent animals in captivity.; |
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| Autores principais: | Melo, Miguel Trindade de |
| Assunto: | African elephant Cortisol Saliva Behavior Well-being Elefante Africano Cortisol Saliva |
| Ano: | 2022 |
| País: | Portugal |
| Tipo de documento: | dissertação de mestrado |
| Tipo de acesso: | acesso aberto |
| Instituição associada: | Universidade de Lisboa |
| Idioma: | inglês |
| Origem: | Repositório da Universidade de Lisboa |
| Resumo: | The welfare of wild animals in captivity is an increasingly discussed topic these days. The African elephant (Loxodonta africana) is an intelligent, charismatic animal, with specific social and environmental needs. The species L. africana is currently considered endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The decreasing number of individuals in the wild is mainly due to poaching for ivory. African elephants housed in captivity act as ambassadors for their wild counterparts, enabling the research on factors that may impact health, longevity, or reproduction, that may be extrapolated to wild populations. Hence, the importance of studying and promoting the welfare of these animals in man-made environments is highlighted. This study sought to develop a tool to assess the welfare of three adult female African elephants (E1, E2, and E3) housed at Barcelona Zoo, Spain. For this purpose, saliva samples were collected on a daily basis to measure cortisol, as well as behavioral observations, between October and December 2018. Salivary cortisol is increasingly used when studying changes in animal welfare. It is considered an effective method for quantifying cortisol levels, capable of detecting acute stress fluctuations, in addition to being a less invasive method than measuring cortisol in the blood. The objectives of this study were to establish baseline cortisol values for the three individuals of the species L. africana, and to explore the relationship between salivary cortisol and stereotypic behavior, specifically head bobbing. Saliva cortisol values ranged from 0.123 to 3.307 ng/ml. The results showed that the animal with the highest mean cortisol, E3, also corresponded to the animal that had a higher rate of stereotypic behaviors. However, the positive correlation between cortisol and head bobbing was not statistically significant (p-value = 0.71). During the study period, a change in the hierarchy was observed among the three elephants based on the analysis of social behaviors. In terms of agonistic behaviors, E2 faced E3 a total of 50 times. In addition, these animals allocate a large part of their time foraging. This pilot study contributes to increasing the psychological well-being of elephants in captivity by elucidating which factors influence well-being and stereotypic behavior. Projects of this nature are essential for the proper management of these magnificent animals in captivity.; |
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