DOCSLIB.ORG

HUSBANDRY MANUAL for the BROWN BEAR Ursus Arctos

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

HUSBANDRY MANUAL FOR THE BROWN BEAR Ursus arctos Author: Shontelle Lorenzo Date of preparation: November 2009 TAFE NSW- Richmond college Course name: Captive Animals Management Lecturer: Graeme Phipps TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION………………………………………………….…6 1.2 OH & S………………………………………………………….....6-8 2 TAXONOMY……………………………………………………….…9 2.1 Nomenclature……………………………………………………………….….9 2.2 Subspecies……………………………………………………………….....….9 2.3 Recent Synonyms………………………………………………………...….10 2.4 Other Common Names…………………………………………………..….11 3 NATURAL HISTORY………………………………………………12 3.1 Morphometrics……………………………………………….……12 3.1.1 Mass and Basic Body Measurement………………………………….12-13 3.1.2 Sexual Dimorphism………………………………………………...……..13 3.1.3 Distinguishing Features………………………………………….……13-15 3.1.4 Basic Anatomy………………………………………………………..……16 3.2 Distribution and Habitat……………………………………....16-18 3.3 Conservation Status……………………………………………18-19 3.4 Longevity…………………………………………………….……..19 3.5 Techniques Used to Determine Age in Adults……………….…..19 3.6 Physiological notes…………………………………………....……19 3.7 Hibernation/ Aestivation………………………………………19-20 4 HOUSING……………………………………………………………21 4.1 Exhibit/ Enclosure Design……………………………………..21-22 4.2 Holding Area Design………………………………………………22 4.3 Spatial Requirements………………………………………..…22-23 4.4 Position of Enclosure………………………………………....……23 4.5 Weather protection………………………………………….……..23 4.6 Temperature Requirements………………………………...…23-24 4.7 Substrate…………………………………………………..……24-26 4.8 Nesting/ Bedding…………………………………………..……24-26 4.9 Enclosure Furnishing…………………………………………..26-33 5 GENERAL HUSBANDRY…………………………………...……..34 2 5.1 Hygiene and Cleaning……………………………….…………34-36 5.2 Record Keeping…………………………………………..………..36 5.3 Methods of Identification……………………………...…………..37 5.4 Routine Data collection………………………………...………37-38 6 FEEDING REQUIREMENTS……………………………...………39 6.1 Wild Diet………………………………………………….…..…….39 6.2 Captive Diet……………………………………………….……39-41 6.3 Supplements………………………………………………..………41 6.4 presentation of Food…………………………………….……..41-44 7 HANDLING AND TRANSPORT………………………….………45 7.1 Husbandry Training……………………………………...……45-47 7.2 Timing of Capture and Transport……………………….……47-48 7.3 Catching Equipment………………………………………..……..48 7.4 Capture and Restraint Techniques……………………..……..48-49 7.5 Weighing and Examination………………………………...……..49 7.6 Release………………………………………………….…..………49 7.7 Transport Requirements…………………………………..………50 7.7.1 Box Design………………………………………………….……………50 7.7.2 Furnishings………………………………………………………………50 7.7.3 Food and Water…………………………………………….….………….51 7.7.4 Animals per Box…………………………………………….…..…………51 7.7.5 Timing of Transportation…………………………………………………..51 7.7.6 Release from Box……………………………………………..…………51-52 8 HEALTH……………………………………………………….……53 8.1 Daily Health Checks………………………………………….……53 8.2 Detailed Physical Examination……………………………...…….53 8.1.1 Physical Restraint…………………………………………….…………53 8.1.2 Chemical restraint……………………………………………..……..53-56 8.3 Routine Treatments……………………………………………56-57 8.4 Known Health Problems………………………………………57-65 8.5 Quarantine Procedures………………………………………..65-66 9 BEHAVIOUR………………………………………………….…….67 9.1 Activity………………………………………………….…………..67 9.2 Social Behaviour…………………………………………...………67 9.2.1 Social Structure and Relationships…………………………….………….67-68 9.2.2 Social Interactions…………………………………………………………67-68 9.2.3 Communication…………………………………………………...….………..68 3 9.2.4 Predation…………………………………………………………..…………..68 9.2.5 Learning…………………………………………………………….…………68 9.3 Reproductive Behaviour…………………………………….…68-69 9.4 Bathing………………………………………………………...……69 9.5 Behavioural Problems…………………………………….……70-76 9.6 Signs of Stress………………………………………………..…70-76 9.7 Behavioural Enrichment………………………………………76-84 9.8 Introductions and Removals……………………………….….84-85 9.9 Intraspecific Compatibility……………………………….………86 9.10 Interspecific Compatibility………………………………………86 9.11 Suitability to Captivity……………………………………...........86 10 BREEDING…………………………………………………………87 10.1 Mating System……………………………………………………87 10.2 Ease of Breeding……………………………………….…………87 10.3 Reproductive Condition………………………………….………87 10.4 Techniques used to Control Breeding………………….……87-90 10.5 Occurrence of Hybrids………………………………….……90-91 10.6 Timing of Breeding………………………………………….……91 10.7 Age of Breeding…………………………………………...………91 10.8 Ability to Breed Every Year……………………………..………91 10.9 Ability to Breed more than Once a Year………………..………91 10.10 Nesting and Den Requirements……………………………..91-94 10.11 Breeding Diet……………………………………………..……..94 10.12 Oestrous Cycle and Gestation Period…………………….……95 10.13 Litter Size…………………………………………………..……95 10.14 Age at Weaning…………………………………………………95 10.15 Age of Removal of Parents…………………………….……95-96 10.16 Growth and Development……………………………..……95-96 11 ARTIFICIAL REARING…………………………………………97 11.1 Housing……………………………………………………..…97-98 11.2 Temperature Requirements…………………………….……97-98 11.3 Diet and Feeding Routine………………………………...…98-100 11.4 Specific Requirements…………………………………..…100-101 11.5 Data Recording……………………………………………….…101 11.6 Identification Methods………………………………….………101 11.7 Hygiene……………………………………………………...101-102 11.8 Behavioural Considerations…………………………....………102 11.9 Use of Foster Species………………………………….……102-103 4 11.10 Weaning……………………………………………...…………103 11.11 Rehabilitations and Release Procedures…………...……103-104 12 REFERENCES……………………………………….………104-116 13 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS………………………………...…….116 5 1 Introduction Brown bears in large population groups are considered fairly stable at the moment; therefore they are currently being displayed for their educational value and general interest from the public rather then for breeding purposes. Brown bears are an impressive carnivore to display due to their size and gentle looking appearance. They are an intelligent, curious and fascinating animal deserving of great respect. Figure 1 Zoo guide educating school children 1.2 OH&S WARNING- DANGEROUS ANIMAL Due to its power, size and unpredictable behavior, the brown bear is considered a threat to humans. Working in the enclosure/yards with the brown bears could be harmful or fatal. To ensure the safety of keepers, staff and public many zoos work with 2 keepers double checking locks are secure before entering a yard or den. It is important that the keepers have perfect communication when working together on a dangerous animal section to ensure there is no miscommunications. 1.2.1 Example of an effective safety procedure from National Zoo & Aquarium, Canberra. The theory behind this safety procedure is to call out loud over the 2-way radio as you check locks are secure so that the other trained keepers can follow your security process as you enter and leave dens/enclosures. It also is a way of telling ‘yourself’ that you have secured locks. By only having one trained keeper working with the bears for each day there is no chance of miscommunications. Personal tags from each 6 extra people (volunteers, tours, maintenance) must be hung on the keeper access door as the personnel enter enclosures and removed when they exit, so the keeper knows exactly who and how many people are entering the enclosure. This is especially important if the volunteers, maintenance etc are left unattended by the keeper. Figure 2 These tags show that there are two volunteers currently working in the enclosure. BROWN BEAR PROCEDURES FOR TRAINED BEAR KEEPERS (for keepers that are training- a second trained keeper double checks the locks and holds the key to access dens and enclosure.) BROWN BEAR KEY/LOCKED BOX PROCEDURE 1. Use “A” key to enter den and raceway 2. Collect “bear two” key from locked box; for slides and enclosure entry 3. Put “bear two” key chain around neck until all work finished 4. Once all work finished replace “bear two” key in locked box 5. Lock doors on the way out LOCK BROWN BEARS INTO DENS 6. Call bears into dens. 7. Separate bears and close slides, check that pins are across 8. Lock padlocks when slides are down, bolt across 9. Double-check that locks are secured and call action over two way radio i.e. “brown bears secured in den though slides 2, 4” etc until you’ve checked EVERY slide that leads into the enclosure. 10. Wait for call to be copied. Repeat call if not copied. 11. Enter yard. All extra persons entering the enclosure (maintenance, volunteers, tours) MUST hang their personal tag on the access door BEFORE entering the enclosure. 12. Clean yard, enrichment, food and water (as per schedule) 13. All extra people are to REMOVE their tag as they leave the enclosure. 14. Check there are no tags left on door to ensure every extra person has left the enclosure. 15. Secure enclosure 7 16. Double-check that locks are secured and call action over two way radio i.e. “brown bears enclosure secured.” 17. Wait for call to be copied. Repeat call if not copied. 18. Release bears into enclosure/rotate bears ENTER AND CLEAN DENS 1. Close slides; to secure bears in yard; check that pins are across 2. Lock padlocks when slides are down, bolt across 3. Double-check that locks are secured and call action over two way radio i.e. “brown bears dens secured for keeper access through slides 2, 4” etc until you’ve checked every slide that leads into the dens. 4. Wait for call to be copied. Repeat call if not copied. 5. Unlock dens for cleaning 6. Clean dens/water 7. Lock den doors 8. Double-check that locks are secured and call action over two way radio i.e. “brown bears dens secured through keeper access doors A,B…etc” until you’ve check every keeper access door that leads into the dens 9. Wait for call to be copied. Repeat call if not copied. 10. Unlock slides for animal rotations. 8 2 Taxonomy 2.1 Nomenclature
Recommended publications
  • The Status of Wilderness Game in Alaska

    The Status of Wilderness Game in Alaska

    PROCEEDDIGS OF THE FORTY-THIRD ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF WESTERN ASSOCIATION OF STA.TE GAME AND FISH COMMISSIONERS TUCSON, ARIZONA JUNE 10-12, 1963 -l~******** OFFICERS Robert J. Smith, President Ben Glading, Secretary Arizona California Walter J. Everin, 1st Vice President Montana Walter T. Shannon, 2nd Vice President California THE STATUS OF WILDERNESS GAME m .ALASKA ~ 1 ' JAMES W,. BROOKS .ALASKA DEP.AR'IMEJNT OF FISH .AND GAME The commonly held belief that wilderness types of wildlife cannot exist in close proximity to man or his land developments has helped to stim­ ulate the recent establishment of immense game refuges in Alaska and a contin­ uing agitation for additional wilderness areas and national parks. The belief stems from the early and permanent decl:lnes outside of Alaska suffered by wilderness species such as the timber wolf, grizzly bear, mountain sheep, and caribou which apparently coincided with the advance of civilization. In most cases it has been difficult or impossible to precisely identify proximate causes for such declines, though direct killing by man, diseases, change or usurption of habitat, or simply the presence of man or his cultural elements in the environment were undoubtedly involved. In .Alaska at this time we r...ave an opportunity to observe the reaction of various species and populations of wilderness types of wildlife to known influences. Our game research and man­ agement programs in most instances were initiated prior to significant hun1an intervention in the ecology of these forms •. The present status of wilderness types of :wildlife in Alaska often reflects the response of these animals to known levels and :types of exploi­ tation or other disrupting influences.
  • Fall 2017 Vol

    Fall 2017 Vol

    International Bear News Tri-Annual Newsletter of the International Association for Bear Research and Management (IBA) and the IUCN/SSC Bear Specialist Group Fall 2017 Vol. 26 no. 3 Sun bear. (Photo: Free the Bears) Read about the first Sun Bear Symposium that took place in Malaysia on pages 34-35. IBA website: www.bearbiology.org Table of Contents INTERNATIONAL BEAR NEWS 3 International Bear News, ISSN #1064-1564 MANAGER’S CORNER IBA PRESIDENT/IUCN BSG CO-CHAIRS 4 President’s Column 29 A Discussion of Black Bear Management 5 The World’s Least Known Bear Species Gets 30 People are Building a Better Bear Trap its Day in the Sun 33 Florida Provides over $1 million in Incentive 7 Do You Have a Paper on Sun Bears in Your Grants to Reduce Human-Bear Conflicts Head? WORKSHOP REPORTS IBA GRANTS PROGRAM NEWS 34 Shining a Light on Sun Bears 8 Learning About Bears - An Experience and Exchange Opportunity in Sweden WORKSHOP ANNOUNCEMENTS 10 Spectacled Bears of the Dry Tropical Forest 36 5th International Human-Bear Conflict in North-Western Peru Workshop 12 IBA Experience and Exchange Grant Report: 36 13th Western Black Bear Workshop Sun Bear Research in Malaysia CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENTS CONSERVATION 37 26th International Conference on Bear 14 Revival of Handicraft Aides Survey for Research & Management Asiatic Black Bear Corridors in Hormozgan Province, Iran STUDENT FORUM 16 The Andean Bear in Manu Biosphere 38 Truman Listserv and Facebook Page Reserve, Rival or Ally for Communities? 39 Post-Conference Homework for Students HUMAN BEAR CONFLICTS PUBLICATIONS
  • MOLECULAR GENETIC IDENTIFICATION of a MEXICAN ONZA SPECIMEN AS a PUMA (PUMA CONCOLOR) in the Americas, There Are Two Documented

    MOLECULAR GENETIC IDENTIFICATION of a MEXICAN ONZA SPECIMEN AS a PUMA (PUMA CONCOLOR) in the Americas, There Are Two Documented

    Cryptozoology, 12, 1993-1996, 42-49 © 1996 International Society of Cryptozoology MOLECULAR GENETIC IDENTIFICATION OF A MEXICAN ONZA SPECIMEN AS A PUMA (PUMA CONCOLOR) PE tit A. DRATCH Laboratory of Viral Carcinogenesis, National Cancer Institute, Frederick Cancer Research and Development Center, Building 560/Room 21-105, Frederick, Maryland 21702, U.S.A. and National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Laboratory Ashland, Oregon 96520, U.S.A. WENDY RosLuND National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Laboratory Ashland, Oregon 96520, U.S.A. JANICE S. MARTENSON, MELANIE CULVER, AND STEPHEN J. O'BRIEN' Laboratory of Viral Carcinogenesis, National Cancer Institute, Frederick Cancer Research and Development Center, Building 560/Room 21-105, Frederick, Maryland 21702, U.S.A. ABSTRACT: Tissue samples from an alleged Mexican Onza, shot in the western Sierra Madre in 1986, were subjected to several biochemical assays in an attempt to determine the specimen's relationship to felid species of North America. Protein analyses included isoenzyme electrophoresis and albumin isoelectric focusing. Mi- tochondrial DNA was assayed for restriction fragment lengths with 28 restriction enzymes, and the NÐ5 gene was sequenced. The resulting protein and rnitochondrial DNA characteristics of the Onza were indistinguishable from those of North Amer- ican pumas. INTRODUCTION In the Americas, there are two documented species of large cats: 1) Puma concolor, the puma, also called mountain lion, cougar, and panther in dif- ferent regions of North America, and known as leon in Mexico; and 2) Panthera onca, the jaguar, or tigre as it is known south of the U.S. border. To whom correspondence should be addressed. 42 DRATCH ET AL.: ONZA MOLECULAR GENETIC IDENTIFICATION 43 Flo.
  • Morphometric Analyses of Cave Bear Mandibles (Carnivora, Ursidae)

    Morphometric Analyses of Cave Bear Mandibles (Carnivora, Ursidae)

    Revue de Paléobiologie, Genève (décembre 2018) 37 (2): 379-393 ISSN 0253-6730 Morphometric analyses of cave bear mandibles (Carnivora, Ursidae) Gennady F. BARYSHNIKOV1*, Andrei Yu. PUZACHENKO2 & Svetlana V. BARYSHNIKOVA1 1 Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Universitetskaya nab. 1, 199034 Saint Petersburg, Russia 2 Institute of Geography, Russian Academy of Sciences, Staromonetnyi per. 29, 109017 Moscow, Russia * Corresponding author: E-mail: [email protected] Abstract Morphometric variability of cave and brown bears and their ancestors (Ursus minimus and U. etruscus) is examined using multivariate statistics based on measurements of 679 mandibles from 90 localities in Northern Eurasia. The variability is dependent on sexual dimorphism in size: it is well seen in big cave bears (U. spelaeus, U. kanivetz = ingressus, U. kudarensis), whose males are nearly 25% larger than females. In the morphological space, we identified two main types of mandibles: the “arctoid” type [U. minimus, U. etruscus, U. arctos, U. rodei (?)], and the “spelaeoid” type (U. spelaeus spelaeus, U. s. eremus, U. kanivetz, U. kudarensis). The intermediate “deningeroid” type includes U. deningeri, U. savini, U. rossicus (males), and U. spelaeus ladinicus. An additional unit is formed by female sample of U. rossicus. The mandible bones are less informative for understanding of cave bear evolution, because in comparison to crania, they have a rather simple shape. Keywords Ursus, cave bears, morphometrics, variations, mandible, evolution, adaptation, Pleistocene. Résumé Analyse morphométrique de la mandibule chez les ours des cavernes. - La variabilité morphométrique des ours des cavernes, des ours bruns et de leurs ancêtres (Ursus minimus et U. etruscus) est étudiée à partir des mesures de 679 mandibules de 90 sites d’Eurasie du nord, à l’aide des méthodes d’analyses statistiques multivariées.
  • Dental and Temporomandibular Joint Pathology of the Kit Fox (Vulpes Macrotis)

    Dental and Temporomandibular Joint Pathology of the Kit Fox (Vulpes Macrotis)

    Author's Personal Copy J. Comp. Path. 2019, Vol. 167, 60e72 Available online at www.sciencedirect.com ScienceDirect www.elsevier.com/locate/jcpa DISEASE IN WILDLIFE OR EXOTIC SPECIES Dental and Temporomandibular Joint Pathology of the Kit Fox (Vulpes macrotis) N. Yanagisawa*, R. E. Wilson*, P. H. Kass† and F. J. M. Verstraete* *Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences and † Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, California, USA Summary Skull specimens from 836 kit foxes (Vulpes macrotis) were examined macroscopically according to predefined criteria; 559 specimens were included in this study. The study group consisted of 248 (44.4%) females, 267 (47.8%) males and 44 (7.9%) specimens of unknown sex; 128 (22.9%) skulls were from young adults and 431 (77.1%) were from adults. Of the 23,478 possible teeth, 21,883 teeth (93.2%) were present for examina- tion, 45 (1.9%) were absent congenitally, 405 (1.7%) were acquired losses and 1,145 (4.9%) were missing ar- tefactually. No persistent deciduous teeth were observed. Eight (0.04%) supernumerary teeth were found in seven (1.3%) specimens and 13 (0.06%) teeth from 12 (2.1%) specimens were malformed. Root number vari- ation was present in 20.3% (403/1,984) of the present maxillary and mandibular first premolar teeth. Eleven (2.0%) foxes had lesions consistent with enamel hypoplasia and 77 (13.8%) had fenestrations in the maxillary alveolar bone. Periodontitis and attrition/abrasion affected the majority of foxes (71.6% and 90.5%, respec- tively).
  • The Red and Gray Fox

    The Red and Gray Fox

    The Red and Gray Fox There are five species of foxes found in North America but only two, the red (Vulpes vulpes), And the gray (Urocyon cinereoargentus) live in towns or cities. Fox are canids and close relatives of coyotes, wolves and domestic dogs. Foxes are not large animals, The red fox is the larger of the two typically weighing 7 to 5 pounds, and reaching as much as 3 feet in length (not including the tail, which can be as long as 1 to 1 and a half feet in length). Gray foxes rarely exceed 11 or 12 pounds and are often much smaller. Coloration among fox greatly varies, and it is not always a sure bet that a red colored fox is indeed a “red fox” and a gray colored fox is indeed a “gray fox. The one sure way to tell them apart is the white tip of a red fox’s tail. Gray Fox (Urocyon cinereoargentus) Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) Regardless of which fox both prefer diverse habitats, including fields, woods, shrubby cover, farmland or other. Both species readily adapt to urban and suburban areas. Foxes are primarily nocturnal in urban areas but this is more an accommodation in avoiding other wildlife and humans. Just because you may see it during the day doesn’t necessarily mean it’s sick. Sometimes red fox will exhibit a brazenness that is so overt as to be disarming. A homeowner hanging laundry may watch a fox walk through the yard, going about its business, seemingly oblivious to the human nearby.
  • WLD What Bear Goes Where MI Adaptation

    WLD What Bear Goes Where MI Adaptation

    DNRE - Wildlife Division Michigan Adaptation What Bear Goes Where? Teacher Plan Nuts and Bolts Objective: Students will [1] identify three species of bears and their habitats, and [2] generalize that animals have adapted in order to live where they do. Grade level: K – 4 Time: about 30 minutes Group size: Three groups of three to six students each. Setting: Indoors The major purpose of this activity is for students to recognize that animals can adapt to living in different environments, as shown in the example of three different kinds of bears. Materials Pictures of the three North American bear species, three large sheets of paper with the outline of one bear species on each and labeled, construction paper, pencils, scissors, glue. Background Information Polar bears have long necks, slender heads, and are white in appearance. They live along the Arctic coasts, mostly on the polar ice. The carnivorous polar bears feed mainly on fish and seals. Their thick fur keeps them warm, and the webbing between their toes makes them good swimmers. Unlike other bears, they have fur on the soles of their feet. Grizzly bears can dig up most of their food and can catch fish with their long claws. They also have a distinctive hump between their shoulders. They eat roots, tubers, gophers, marmots, and smaller rodents as well as carrion (rotten meat). They Adapted from Project Wild K-12 Curriculum and Activity Guide. Council for Environmental Education 2004. Lesson: What Bear Goes Where? DNRE - Wildlife Division Michigan Adaptation occasionally kill a larger animal for food. Grizzlies tend to live in the edges of forests but feed mostly in mountain meadows.
  • Spatial Characteristics of Residential Development Shift Large Carnivore Prey Habits

    Spatial Characteristics of Residential Development Shift Large Carnivore Prey Habits

    The Journal of Wildlife Management; DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21098 Research Article Spatial Characteristics of Residential Development Shift Large Carnivore Prey Habits JUSTINE A. SMITH,1 Department of Environmental Studies, Center for Integrated Spatial Research, University of California, Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA YIWEI WANG, San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory, 524 Valley Way, Milpitas, CA 95035, USA CHRISTOPHER C. WILMERS, Department of Environmental Studies, Center for Integrated Spatial Research, University of California, Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA ABSTRACT Understanding how anthropogenic development affects food webs is essential to implementing sustainable growth measures, yet little is known about how the spatial configuration of residential development affects the foraging behavior and prey habits of top predators. We examined the influence of the spatial characteristics of residential development on prey composition in the puma (Puma concolor). We located the prey remains of kills from 32 pumas fitted with global positioning system (GPS) satellite collars to determine the housing characteristics most influencing prey size and species composition. We examined how differences in housing density, proximity, and clustering influenced puma prey size and diversity. We found that at both local (150 m) and regional (1 km) spatial scales surrounding puma kill sites, housing density (but not the clustering of housing) was the greatest contributor to puma consumption of small prey (<20 kg), which primarily comprised human commensals or pets. The species-specific relationships between housing density and prey occupancy and detection rates assessed using camera traps were not always similar to those between housing density and proportions of diet, suggesting that pumas may exercise some diet selectivity.
  • The Effect of Positive Reinforcement Training on an Adult Female Western Lowland Gorilla’S (Gorilla Gorilla Gorilla) Rate of Abnormal and Aggressive Behavior

    The Effect of Positive Reinforcement Training on an Adult Female Western Lowland Gorilla’S (Gorilla Gorilla Gorilla) Rate of Abnormal and Aggressive Behavior

    ABC 2016, 3(2):78-87 Animal Behavior and Cognition DOI: 10.12966/abc.02.05.2016 ©Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0) The Effect of Positive Reinforcement Training on an Adult Female Western Lowland Gorilla’s (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) Rate of Abnormal and Aggressive Behavior Austin Leeds1,2, Roby Elsner3, & Kristen E. Lukas1,2 1Cleveland Metroparks Zoo 2Case Western Reserve University 3Audubon Zoo *Corresponding author (Email: [email protected]) Citation – Leeds, A., Elsner, R., & Lukas, K. E. (2016). The effect of positive reinforcement training on an adult female Western lowland gorilla’s (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) rate of abnormal and aggressive behavior. Animal Behavior and Cognition, 3(2), 78–87. doi: 10.12966/abc.02.05.2016 Abstract - Positive reinforcement training (PRT) has become a widely used tool in improving the ease with which husbandry and veterinary procedures are performed for animals under human care. PRT provides positive social interaction, cognitive stimulation, and choice, in addition to desensitization towards potentially stressful situations. As a result, PRT has been used as enrichment to decrease abnormal and aggressive behavior in various primate species, however, this has not been empirically tested in western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla). This study used an ABA design to test the effect of PRT on the abnormal and aggressive behavior of an adult female gorilla both during and outside of interaction sessions. No change in behavior was observed during the PRT phase of this study. However, a decrease in ear covering and keeper-directed aggression were observed in the post-training period. Here we argue that the combination of both PRT and non-training interactions cumulatively provided social and cognitive stimuli resulting in the observed changes.
  • Brown Bear (Ursus Arctos) John Schoen and Scott Gende Images by John Schoen

    Brown Bear (Ursus Arctos) John Schoen and Scott Gende Images by John Schoen

    Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) John Schoen and Scott Gende images by John Schoen Two hundred years ago, brown (also known as grizzly) bears were abundant and widely distributed across western North America from the Mississippi River to the Pacific and from northern Mexico to the Arctic (Trevino and Jonkel 1986). Following settlement of the west, brown bear populations south of Canada declined significantly and now occupy only a fraction of their original range, where the brown bear has been listed as threatened since 1975 (Servheen 1989, 1990). Today, Alaska remains the last stronghold in North America for this adaptable, large omnivore (Miller and Schoen 1999) (Fig 1). Brown bears are indigenous to Southeastern Alaska (Southeast), and on the northern islands they occur in some of the highest-density FIG 1. Brown bears occur throughout much of southern populations on earth (Schoen and Beier 1990, Miller et coastal Alaska where they are closely associated with salmon spawning streams. Although brown bears and grizzly bears al. 1997). are the same species, northern and interior populations are The brown bear in Southeast is highly valued by commonly called grizzlies while southern coastal populations big game hunters, bear viewers, and general wildlife are referred to as brown bears. Because of the availability of abundant, high-quality food (e.g. salmon), brown bears enthusiasts. Hiking up a fish stream on the northern are generally much larger, occur at high densities, and have islands of Admiralty, Baranof, or Chichagof during late smaller home ranges than grizzly bears. summer reveals a network of deeply rutted bear trails winding through tunnels of devil’s club (Oplopanx (Klein 1965, MacDonald and Cook 1999) (Fig 2).
  • Vulpes Vulpes) Evolved Throughout History?

    Vulpes Vulpes) Evolved Throughout History?

    University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Environmental Studies Undergraduate Student Theses Environmental Studies Program 2020 TO WHAT EXTENT HAS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HUMANS AND RED FOXES (VULPES VULPES) EVOLVED THROUGHOUT HISTORY? Abigail Misfeldt University of Nebraska-Lincoln Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/envstudtheses Part of the Environmental Education Commons, Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, and the Sustainability Commons Disclaimer: The following thesis was produced in the Environmental Studies Program as a student senior capstone project. Misfeldt, Abigail, "TO WHAT EXTENT HAS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HUMANS AND RED FOXES (VULPES VULPES) EVOLVED THROUGHOUT HISTORY?" (2020). Environmental Studies Undergraduate Student Theses. 283. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/envstudtheses/283 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Environmental Studies Program at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Environmental Studies Undergraduate Student Theses by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. TO WHAT EXTENT HAS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HUMANS AND RED FOXES (VULPES VULPES) EVOLVED THROUGHOUT HISTORY? By Abigail Misfeldt A THESIS Presented to the Faculty of The University of Nebraska-Lincoln In Partial Fulfillment of Requirements For the Degree of Bachelor of Science Major: Environmental Studies Under the Supervision of Dr. David Gosselin Lincoln, Nebraska November 2020 Abstract Red foxes are one of the few creatures able to adapt to living alongside humans as we have evolved. All humans and wildlife have some id of relationship, be it a friendly one or one of mutual hatred, or simply a neutral one. Through a systematic research review of legends, books, and journal articles, I mapped how humans and foxes have evolved together.
  • Carpals and Tarsals of Mule Deer, Black Bear and Human: an Osteology Guide for the Archaeologist

    Carpals and Tarsals of Mule Deer, Black Bear and Human: an Osteology Guide for the Archaeologist

    Western Washington University Western CEDAR WWU Graduate School Collection WWU Graduate and Undergraduate Scholarship 2009 Carpals and tarsals of mule deer, black bear and human: an osteology guide for the archaeologist Tamela S. Smart Western Washington University Follow this and additional works at: https://cedar.wwu.edu/wwuet Part of the Anthropology Commons Recommended Citation Smart, Tamela S., "Carpals and tarsals of mule deer, black bear and human: an osteology guide for the archaeologist" (2009). WWU Graduate School Collection. 19. https://cedar.wwu.edu/wwuet/19 This Masters Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the WWU Graduate and Undergraduate Scholarship at Western CEDAR. It has been accepted for inclusion in WWU Graduate School Collection by an authorized administrator of Western CEDAR. For more information, please contact [email protected]. MASTER'S THESIS In presenting this thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a master's degree at Western Washington University, I grant to Western Washington University the non-exclusive royalty-free right to archive, reproduce, distribute, and display the thesis in any and all forms, including electronic format, via any digital library mechanisms maintained by WWu. I represent and warrant this is my original work, and does not infringe or violate any rights of others. I warrant that I have obtained written permissions from the owner of any third party copyrighted material included in these files. I acknowledge that I retain ownership rights to the copyright of this work, including but not limited to the right to use all or part of this work in future works, such as articles or books.