Zoo Biology最新文献

{"title":"What Makes a Mother? Investigating Maternal Success in Ex Situ Cheetahs.","authors":"Sian Barr, Yu-Mei Chang, Lars Versteege, María Díez-León","doi":"10.1002/zoo.21894","DOIUrl":"10.1002/zoo.21894","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Understanding the factors influencing the likelihood of breeding success is essential to the sustainable management of ex situ populations. Using keeper questionnaires and studbook data, we investigate maternal success in Southern Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus jubatus) in relation to life history and husbandry factors. Maternal success was measured using five maternal success indicators: (i) overall litter size; (ii) proportion of liveborn cubs in a litter; (iii) proportion of liveborn cubs raised by their mother surviving the 6-week neonatal stage; (iv) proportion of liveborn cubs raised by their mother surviving to 12 months; and (v) absence of maternal neglect. Cheetahs rep the feeding of ruminant meat and carcasses to cheetahs was found to be significantly related to a larger average litter size while the practice of starve days was associated with a higher stillbirth rate. Females who were moved to new enclosures for the pregnancy, lactation and parenting period also had poorer maternal success. While enrichment provision did not appear to result in a more positive mothering outcome, feederballs and catnip use were associated with lower mothering success, highlighting the importance of evidence-based practice in ex situ collections.</p>","PeriodicalId":24035,"journal":{"name":"Zoo Biology","volume":" ","pages":"332-344"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12335232/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144052723","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Optimal Weight Loss of Pink Pigeon (Nesoenas mayeri) Eggs During Incubation.","authors":"Ksenia Potapova, Harriet Whitford, Josh A Hodge, Eluned Price","doi":"10.1002/zoo.21898","DOIUrl":"10.1002/zoo.21898","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Incubation of pink pigeon (Nesoenas mayeri) eggs under foster doves is an important element of the captive breeding program for this threatened species, and determining optimal species-specific incubation conditions could help to maximize hatchability. We analyzed 7 years of records (n = 104 eggs) from a captive collection to investigate whether the existing guideline for optimal total weight loss of 15% is appropriate for the pink pigeon. Successfully hatched eggs lost on average 14% of their initial mass during incubation, while a weight loss of 15.5% was associated with embryo mortality, and successful eggs lost slightly less weight per day, both as raw weight and as percentage of fresh weight. Eggs weighing at least 14 g at laying were significantly more likely to hatch than lighter eggs, indicating that low fresh weight may be the most useful predictor of embryo death in pink pigeons.</p>","PeriodicalId":24035,"journal":{"name":"Zoo Biology","volume":" ","pages":"324-331"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143617423","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessment of Vitamin D Status in Great Apes in Human Care.","authors":"Matyas Liptovszky, Christopher Reeves, Rachel Jarvis, Kerstin Baiker, Phillipa Dobbs, Kate White, Sophie Moittié","doi":"10.1002/zoo.21908","DOIUrl":"10.1002/zoo.21908","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Reliably assessing vitamin D status in nonhuman great apes presents unique challenges, including the optimal collection, handling and storage of appropriate samples, assay selection, and interpretation of results. In recent decades, significant scientific evidence accumulated on these matters in humans, but a comprehensive overview of this topic in nonhuman great apes is currently lacking. This paper provides a review of the various sample types, storage and transport considerations, the wide range of available assays and their respective advantages and disadvantages, as well as important considerations for the reporting and interpretation of results, including environmental and individual animal-related factors. A thorough discussion of the reasons behind inter- and intra-assay variability of vitamin D metabolite concentration measurement is provided with the intent to support those caring for great apes to be able to reliably assess vitamin D status and interpret results. We also highlight the limitations of current human reference intervals, cover the existing literature on nonhuman great apes, and the importance of standardization across institutions to improve animal welfare and facilitate robust research. Finally, we provide a set of recommendations based on primarily current human literature to support zoo and sanctuary practitioners.</p>","PeriodicalId":24035,"journal":{"name":"Zoo Biology","volume":" ","pages":"304-312"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12335231/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144259047","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of Carcass Feeds on Feeding Behavior and Social Interactions in Zoo-Based African Wild Dogs (Lycaon pictus).","authors":"Neil R Jordan, Emily Therese Boyd, Jennifer Conaghan, Jordan Michelmore, Michelle E Shaw, Benjamin J Pitcher","doi":"10.1002/zoo.21895","DOIUrl":"10.1002/zoo.21895","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Management of African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) in zoos involves several challenges, including the difficulty of providing appropriate stimulation and enrichment for naturally wide-ranging, energetic, cursorial hunters. Perhaps consequently, zoo packs can exhibit bouts of extreme intra-pack aggression rarely seen in the wild. As with other species, considerable efforts are required to balance the retention and exhibition of wild-type behaviors, against ensuring that the nutritional and welfare needs of individual group-living animals are met. While some behaviors, such as hunting and wide-ranging movements are impossible to mimic in zoos, the provision of food may be refined to allow natural feeding behavior to be displayed. We conducted a feeding experiment on a breeding pack of nine African wild dogs at Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Australia, presenting food in three treatments (individual pieces, butchered carcasses, and whole carcasses) to determine whether: (1) natural age-related patterns of feeding behavior were observed; (2) food type or presentation affected feeding behavior, duration, and interactions. Free-ranging African wild dogs exhibit an age-based feeding structure at kill sites that is rare in other species. We found that carcass and butchered carcass feeds more closely exhibited the age-based feeding observed in the wild. The pack spent twenty times as long consuming carcasses than food presented as individual pieces, with consumption times matching those in the wild. Carcass and butchered carcass feeds also increased the number and rate of interactions over food compared to individual pieces, with a high proportion of interactions resulting in sharing outcomes. This suggests that carcass feeds allow the exhibition of natural patterns of behavior without increasing the risk of negative social interactions. Our results highlight the importance and possibility of managing socially complex carnivores through husbandry that balances the display of natural behavior with positive animal welfare.</p>","PeriodicalId":24035,"journal":{"name":"Zoo Biology","volume":" ","pages":"313-323"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12335230/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143606248","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Feeder Insects: The Ethics of Live Feeding in Zoos and Aquariums.","authors":"Bob Fischer","doi":"10.1002/zoo.21902","DOIUrl":"10.1002/zoo.21902","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>While there is no consensus about whether insects are sentient, the possibility alone raises an important question for zoos and aquariums. What ethical responsibilities, if any, do zoos and aquariums have concerning their feeder insects? There has been very little scholarly discussion of these questions. This is not surprising, as scholars have largely ignored feeder animals. So, this paper takes up two tasks. First, it surveys the main welfare-focused ethical questions associated with feeder animals generally and feeder insects in particular. The aim here is to identify the main considerations that bear on a full assessment of the ethics of using feeder animals as a resource, thereby facilitating future research. Second, in the interest of making practical recommendations in the face of significant moral complexity and uncertainty, this paper adopts a standard institutional ethical framework-the 3Rs-and considers its implications for the use of feeder insects.</p>","PeriodicalId":24035,"journal":{"name":"Zoo Biology","volume":" ","pages":"353-359"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12335229/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144002830","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Incorporating the Enclosure MonitoR Use (EMU) App to ZooMonitor Observations Technical Report.","authors":"James Edward Brereton, Jono Tuke, Eduardo J Fernandez","doi":"10.1002/zoo.21909","DOIUrl":"10.1002/zoo.21909","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Welfare audits that contain behavior and enclosure use assessments are commonly used in zoos and aquaria. However, the two components are often used separately from one another, and many enclosure use studies are limited by analytical problems, despite the fact that enclosure use indices such as Entropy, modified Spread of Participation Index, and Electivity Index are available. The dawning of behavior monitoring apps has facilitated zoo behavioral research, but some of the original challenges experienced when analyzing enclosure use remain. There is a need, therefore, to make enclosure use indices compatible with modern behavior recording apps, and to provide ways in which behavior and space use can be analyzed together. ZooMonitor, a behavior recording app created by Lincoln Park Zoo and built by Tracks Data Solutions, is frequently used by zoo researchers, and as such is a good focus for developments in enclosure use analysis. This paper introduces a new ShinyApp, entitled the Enclosure MonitoR Use (EMU). This new app uses ZooMonitor-based behavior and XY enclosure use data to evaluate animal data. The app is able to (1) provide heat maps of space use, showing where each behavior occurs, and (2) facilitate the use of enclosure use indices, whilst also generating indices for individual behaviors. These tools have the potential to identify areas that an animal finds valuable in its exhibit for specific behavior types and can be used to inform exhibit design decisions. EMU also allows researchers to look beyond the previous assumptions that an animal should use all its exhibit to experience the best welfare. In combination with ZooMonitor, this tool removes many obstacles that prevent detailed analysis of animal space use. Future developments of EMU may further facilitate animal space use studies.</p>","PeriodicalId":24035,"journal":{"name":"Zoo Biology","volume":" ","pages":"383-390"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144226909","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluation and Ultrasonographic Validation of the Body Condition Score in Giant Anteaters (Myrmecophaga tridactyla Linnaeus, 1758).","authors":"Fernanda Mara Aragão Macedo Pereira, Alexandre Luiz da Costa Bicudo, Danyele Karoline Avante Mangueira, Débora Regina Yogui, Miriã Ribeiro Costa, Arnaud Leonard Jean Desbiez, Carolyne Assis Engenheer Pinke Testa, Priscylla Tatiana Chalfun Guimarães-Okamoto, Ellen Sue Dierenfeld, Alessandra Melchert","doi":"10.1002/zoo.21901","DOIUrl":"10.1002/zoo.21901","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) is a unique species in risk of extinction nationally and internationally due to ongoing environmental and anthropogenic pressures, therefore requiring continuous conservation efforts. Under human care, obesity and nutrition-related diseases are major concerns. Body condition scoring (BCS) is an important tool for assessing animal fitness in natural and ex situ environments. This study aims to evaluate the applicability and reliability of BCS and morphometric measures, associated with ultrasound measurements of subcutaneous fat thickness (SFT), as tools to estimate the body condition of giant anteaters. Twenty free-ranging and twenty-two zoo-kept giant anteaters were assessed. The animals were weighed and classified by BCS, followed by biometric measurements and calculations of two body condition indices-the ratio index (RI) and the condition index 2 (ICC2). Subcutaneous fat measurements were taken by ultrasound in the lumbar, hip and flank of the captive anteaters. Captive animals exhibited higher body mass, BCS, measures of forearm, thorax, abdomen, neck, femur, tibia, humerus, RI and ICC2 compared to their free-ranging counterparts. Body mass correlated positively with all parameters except SFT. BCS showed moderate to strong correlations with body mass, RI, ICC2, thoracic, and abdominal circumferences. SFT correlated with BCS. Free-ranging anteaters consistently showed moderate BCS, while captive ones ranged from lean to obese, with relevant subcutaneous fat accumulation in the flank and hip. The resulting BCS protocol for the species was considered adequate to evaluate nutritional status under both free-range and managed-care conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":24035,"journal":{"name":"Zoo Biology","volume":" ","pages":"345-352"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144038121","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An Open-Door Policy: How Removal of a Visual Barrier Improved Welfare in Zoo-Housed Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus).","authors":"Alexis M Hart, Dominique Augustin, Sandra M Troxell-Smith, Molly McGuire","doi":"10.1002/zoo.21893","DOIUrl":"10.1002/zoo.21893","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Birds of prey are renowned for their excellent visual acuity, but they are often not given visual access consistent with their natural behavior when housed under managed care. Often, these birds are housed under managed care after sustaining injuries, which prohibits their return to the wild. In addition, many of these rescued raptors do not have the same history of acclimation to human presence as other zoo animals due to being wild-hatched. These factors lead to a potential welfare concern for raptors under managed care, which may not appropriately address their natural and individual histories. We assessed how the removal of a visual barrier (two large doors) may have affected behavior and space use of two bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) housed at Zoo Miami. Before the visual barrier being removed, the eagles could not see people approaching their habitat from one out of two possible sides. We found that for one individual, stress behaviors such as gular fluttering significantly decreased after the removal of the visual barrier, and resting significantly increased. The birds also utilized their habitat more evenly after the visual barrier was removed and were seen at higher, more species-typical altitudes within the habitat. These findings suggest that increased environmental visual access for zoo-housed raptors may be a simple way to improve their overall welfare.</p>","PeriodicalId":24035,"journal":{"name":"Zoo Biology","volume":" ","pages":"262-270"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143477071","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dusky Gopher Frog (Lithobates sevosus) Repatriation at a Reintroduction Site Through Zoo-Led Captive-Release Efforts.","authors":"Allison Bogisich, Ana Karen Candia, Jessica Cantrell, Cassandra Collins, Steven B Reichling, Sinlan Poo","doi":"10.1002/zoo.21889","DOIUrl":"10.1002/zoo.21889","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Captive-release programs are an increasingly popular conservation strategy to combat wild extinctions. However, it is critical to determine if translocating animals from captive colonies (\"source populations\") leads to the establishment of new wild populations that are both stable and self-sustaining. To fill this knowledge gap, we provide a case study from the dusky gopher frog (Lithobates sevosus) reintroduction program to serve as an example for other critically endangered amphibians. In this study, we provide quantitative information on the reintroduction and survivorship of zoo-bred individuals that are released into the wild. This unique opportunity is the culmination of close to 20 years of collective efforts across multiple agencies. By taking advantage of the key monitoring window shortly after initial releases, we can formally declare the first successfully reintroduced, breeding population of dusky gopher frogs founded solely from a captive-bred colony.</p>","PeriodicalId":24035,"journal":{"name":"Zoo Biology","volume":" ","pages":"230-236"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143190736","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Behavior of Rio Sao Francisco Piranhas in Response to Changes in Space and Density.","authors":"Ronald G Oldfield, Josie E Thal, Nick J Zarlinga, Kristen E Lukas, Jason D Wark","doi":"10.1002/zoo.21899","DOIUrl":"10.1002/zoo.21899","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Previous observations of Rio Sao Francisco piranhas (Pygocentrus piraya) at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo revealed frequent aggressive interactions, which were associated with the injury and death of some individuals. Fishes are known to increase aggressive behavior when available space is limited. We compared the behavior of the piranhas longitudinally across three different space/density conditions: (1) in a group held in a small aquarium before the death of one individual, (2) in the same group after the death of one individual, (3) and in one individual of the group after it was later moved into a larger, multispecies aquarium. In the smaller aquarium, individuals maintained stable positions in the tank and remained inactive except to behave aggressively toward each other, retreat, or feed when food was offered. After the death of one individual, aggression decreased significantly but so did overall activity, including swimming behavior. After one individual was moved to a larger aquarium, it exhibited a striking increase in the amount of time spent swimming. Our data suggest that the well-being of P. piraya, and possibly other species of piranhas, might be better in large aquariums than in the small single-species exhibits often used in zoos and public aquariums. This study takes an important step in addressing the psychological and social well-being of bony fishes, an underrepresented area of research in zoos and aquariums.</p>","PeriodicalId":24035,"journal":{"name":"Zoo Biology","volume":" ","pages":"271-282"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12131670/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143664813","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}