Zoo Biology最新文献

Human-animal interactions (HAIs) are commonplace in zoos and aquariums, with a large proportion of these being animal-visitor interactions (AVIs). These AVIs range from visual contact through a barrier to direct physical contact in animal handling sessions. Due to the popularity of AVIs with a range of species, there is a need to understand what AVIs are occurring and to direct future animal welfare and visitor-based research. The present study investigated the quantity and diversity of AVIs that occur in BIAZA-accredited zoos and aquariums through a website review. The websites of full BIAZA members (n = 118) were assessed for opportunities where visitors interact with animals in an additional capacity, outside of interactions that form part of a traditional zoo visit. In total, 86% (n = 101) of members offered additional AVIs, with "meet and greet" (n = 389), "keeper for a day" (n = 137), and "walkthrough" (n = 96) being the most offered AVIs. Meet and greets were offered with 56 taxonomic families, and the mean cost and mean individual animals per organization were positively related to the number of meet and greets offered. Individual organization management style also had an impact on the model and should be an area for future study. Finally, a taxonomic bias was identified for meet and greets, as 71% (n = 41) of families were reported to be from the Mammalia class. This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of the quantity and quality of AVIs occurring in BIAZA organizations and highlights diversity in both species and types of interactions available to visitors. There is a need for further research on specific categories of AVIs most commonly seen: meet and greet, keeper for a day experiences, and walkthrough exhibits, as well as the impact of participating in the AVI from both animal welfare and visitor outcome perspectives.

Open science and big data approaches (i.e., approaches which enable the development of large and complex data sets) facilitate comparative analyses and thus more robust, evidence-based decision-making. Whilst there has been an increase in published research arising from zoological institutions over several decades, most research has arisen from small-scale case studies, often involving one or two zoos from a small geographical radius. Data from several zoos can be combined and compared retrospectively, but this is difficult when studies adopt different methods. The benefit of wider, simultaneous multi-institution research was recently demonstrated when researchers assessed the impact of zoo closures during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this paper, we introduce a new consortium initiative called ManyZoos, which aims to address the critical need for zoo science to expand even further geographically while incorporating additional institutions and disciplines. Like other "Many X" initiatives (e.g., ManyPrimates, ManyDogs), ManyZoos aims to foster more productive research collaborations between zoological collections and other animal collections, academia, government, and nongovernment organizations. In doing so, ManyZoos will address several current limitations of zoo research including small sample sizes and siloed expertise. ManyZoos embeds collaboration at every stage of research, from study conception to dissemination of results, producing large open data sets with transparent protocols. ManyZoos has the potential to lead to more robust, evidence-based decision-making for zoo animal management and conservation.

The thorough, objective, and regular assessment of animal welfare in zoos and aquariums is rapidly becoming an essential task for these institutions. Traditional welfare assessment methods are, however, difficult to scale to the number of species and individuals housed in zoos and aquariums. Automation, using artificial intelligence (AI) can provide solutions to these challenges. This literature review provides an overview of recent advances in this field, with a focus on studies relevant to zoo and aquarium animal welfare. AI in animal behavior and welfare monitoring, particularly in farm animals, has become increasingly commonplace in recent years. Recent studies have investigated AI's capability to identify and assess animal behavior in poultry, pigs, sheep, and cattle, including estrus prediction in cows; classification of animal vocalizations; and detection of potential welfare concerns, including early signs of lameness in cattle and sheep. In companion animals, AI has been used for facial recognition, vocalization-based emotion recognition, and behavioral monitoring. Laboratory animal behavior monitoring through AI tools has also rapidly increased since 2000. AI is increasingly used in zoos, including the identification of individual animals; monitoring of their movement within their enclosure; and quantifying behavior, including time spent using enrichment. The rapid increase in AI use in animal welfare shows promise in improving animal management and welfare in zoos and aquariums, through improved and more efficient monitoring and prediction.

An 11-year-old male green-winged macaw (Ara chloropterus) diagnosed with severe anemia required a packed red blood cell transfusion rather than whole blood based on crossmatching results. Crossmatching performed with a harlequin macaw (Ara ararauna x Ara chloropterus) revealed a compatible major crossmatch and incompatible minor crossmatch. Whole blood was collected from the donor macaw and, using readily available clinical supplies and low-speed centrifugation, processed into packed red blood cells for transfusion. The patient showed a rapid recovery and normalization of hematocrit 2 weeks post-transfusion. This report demonstrates the importance of performing crossmatching and a method for packed red blood cell processing and administration in critical avian patients.

The purpose of the present study was to characterize the profiles of gut microbiota and fecal metabolites in African penguins (Spheniscus demersus) of different ages. The combination of metagenome and metabolome was performed on the feces of captive African penguins of varying age groups, including juvenile (1-3 years old), adult (4-15 years old) and senior (16-20 years old) individuals. The results of the metagenome showed that microbial abundance was significantly different between groups. Adult penguins had higher abundances of Gallilactobacillus and Ligilactobacillus compared to juvenile penguins. Senior penguins exhibited higher abundances of Gammaproteobacteria and Escherichia coli than adult penguins. We further identified differentially expressed metabolites across the groups using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. Correlation analysis showed that age was correlated significantly with certain differential microbial species and fecal metabolites. The results revealed that age is a key factor influencing gut microbiota and metabolism in African penguins. Our results provide baseline information on gut microbial structure and fecal metabolite characteristics in African penguins of different ages, which is vital for the management and ex situ conservation of this endangered species.

The Puerto Rican crested toad (Peltophyrne lemur [P. lemur]) is Puerto Rico's only endemic toad and has undergone rapid population decline within the last 40 years. As a hedge against extinction, captive assurance colonies have been established at several zoological institutions for breeding and reintroduction. However, reproductive output has remained low, despite the use of hormone therapies to attempt to bypass missing abiotic cues and stimulate reproductive behaviors. This low output necessitates a better understanding of natural fluctuations in gamete, specifically sperm, quality in captive individuals. To generate an understanding of natural gametic cycles in captive P. lemur, we administered male P. lemur (n = 86) housed under natural temperature and photoperiod cycles with exogenous hormones monthly for 1 year. Samples were analyzed for motility and concentration to assess variations in sperm quality by month. Spermiation was successfully stimulated every month, but quality fluctuated; sperm motility was highest in June and July, while sperm concentration was highest in December, January, and March. These results indicate that, while hormones can be utilized to stimulate gamete production in P. lemur year-round, sperm quality is not consistent. Furthermore, the seasonal occurrence of peak sperm production of captive males differed from natural peaks reported for wild P. lemur. Our results illustrate the need for more biologically informed strategies for breeding of at-risk anuran populations.

Female-biased sexual size dimorphism (SSD) is the most widespread form of SSD in snakes and is often linked to increased female fecundity. Although the exact mechanisms underlying SSD development in snakes remain unclear, differences in growth rates between sexes are thought to be a primary driver. In this study, we tracked the growth rates of a litter of Bothrops jararacussu raised under a controlled environmental and feeding conditions. We compared the snout-vent length (SVL), mass, and specific growth rate indexes (L_SG and M_SG) between sexes over a 570-day period. At birth, both male and female snakes had the same SVL and mass, and their growth rates were similar during the first year. However, during the second year, male growth rates began to decline while female growth rates remained high, leading to the development of SSD. Notably, SSD emerged independently of food consumption and became statistically significant after males reached sexual maturation sizes. We suggest that the decrease in the male's growth rates was mediated by intrinsic factors, rather than energetic restriction. These findings contrast with those reported for male-biased SSD species and highlight the physiological strategies adopted by species evolving under different selective pressures.

Bears are commonly displayed in zoos worldwide. Historically, bears have been housed in poor conditions and even now can be found in inhumane bear pits despite an increased knowledge of animal welfare and husbandry practices. In many developing countries, regular and comprehensive welfare assessments are rarely conducted, especially if not required or enforced by regulatory bodies. A majority of zoos in these countries are also not members of zoo associations. To this end, we focused on evaluating bear exhibits in Thailand, a country with numerous zoos, weak regulations and enforcement pertaining to captive wildlife. We developed a simple assessment of front-of-house conditions using environmental parameters to evaluate whether zoos are providing appropriate enclosures as an indicator of welfare potential. We found 77 bears of four species on display in 37 exhibits in 17 zoos (6 accredited, 6 government and 5 private). Our results suggest that more than half of bears displayed in Thai zoos experience poor welfare in exhibits that do not meet basic standards. Overall, 49% of the 37 exhibits were below minimum size, with 54% having no vegetation and 62% having no enrichment. Accredited zoos had significantly better exhibits than government and private zoos. Our research highlights the need for the implementation of zoo standards, in addition to strengthened regulatory measures and enforcement regulating the care of captive wildlife in Thailand.

In the wild, orangutans live in an individual fission-fusion social system. This semi-isolated lifestyle means females are the sole caretakers of infants. However, recent social media posts from zoos and sanctuaries depict adult male orangutans engaging in behavior suggesting paternal involvement in offspring care. In captivity, orangutans are often housed socially, allowing fathers to interact with their offspring and raising the question of whether, and how, orangutans may potentially demonstrate paternal behavior. We examined interactions among immature offspring and their family groups in captive, hybrid (Pongo pygmaeus x abelii) and Sumatran orangutans (Pongo abelii). We conducted 168 focal follows on three immature orangutans from three separate family groups. Across all three locations, male orangutans engaged in direct paternal behaviors, such as playing, food-sharing, and contact, and indirect paternal behaviors such as proximity, tolerance, and defense. Immature orangutans at all three sites initiated significantly more interactions with their fathers than vice versa. Significant differences were also observed between the number of interactions initiated by offspring and those initiated by their fathers, suggesting that immatures drive interactions. These findings demonstrate that some captive male orangutans engage in paternal care of their offspring and, when given the opportunity, offspring take advantage of the presence of their fathers as partners in social interactions. This study emphasizes the importance of making observations across multiple contexts and group compositions to better understand the behavioral and social diversity of orangutans.

Measuring how food presentation influences behavior helps encourage practices that support natural foraging efforts for species housed in zoos. To test the effect of food presentation on a commonly housed zoo primate, observations of the behavior of ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta), housed at Tropiquaria Zoo in the UK, were undertaken to analyze how different food presentation conditions elicited variation in activity budgets, positive behavioral diversity, and performance of foraging behavior. Lemur behaviors were analyzed in relation to two food presentation conditions (chopped produce and whole produce) using a Shannon's Diversity Index (H-index) adapted for behavioral data. A repeated measures ANOVA was used to investigate whether factors including weather, temperature, and visitor presence had an impact on foraging behavior or if food presentation style was the most important factor. Higher rates of foraging and exploration (locomotion) were observed when lemurs were fed chopped food, whereas animals spent more time eating and performing maintenance behaviors when provided with whole food. There was no significant difference in calculated positive behavioral diversity between chopped and whole food. Food presentation style and weather conditions were important influences of time spent foraging, but temperature and visitor presence had no effect. Our findings show how other influencing factors, alongside of food presentation style, are likely to affect how zoo animals engage with, and ultimately consume, the diet they are offered. We suggest that providing zoo-housed lemurs with both chopped and whole food items is likely to promote a range of natural foraging behaviors and enhance overall animal welfare outputs.