Carcass Feeding for Captive Vultures: Testing Assumptions About Zoos and Effects on Birds and Visitors
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City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works Dissertations and Theses City College of New York 2013 Carcass Feeding for Captive Vultures: Testing Assumptions about Zoos and Effects on Birds and Visitors Hannah Gaengler CUNY City College How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cc_etds_theses/414 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] Carcass Feeding for Captive Vultures Testing Assumptions about Zoos and Effects on Birds and Visitors Hannah Gaengler Master’s Program in Biology Department of Biology THE CITY COLLEGE OF NEW YORK 2013 © 2013 Hannah Gaengler All Rights Reserved ABSTRACT Carcass Feeding for Captive Vultures: Testing Assumptions about Zoos and Effects on Birds and Visitors Hannah Gaengler Carcass feeding is a potentially controversial feeding method for zoo animals. The common assumption is that many North American zoos refrain from feeding large carcasses to their carnivorous animals because zoo visitors might not approve of this feeding method. However, since there are several species of carnivores in zoos that feed from large carcasses in nature, this food type also has the potential to be beneficial to their welfare. In intelligent and usually inquisitive scavengers like vultures, a lack of activity and behavioral opportunities could be a welfare problem in captivity; providing them with a more complex food item might mitigate this. The goal of this study was, thus, to assess the frequency of carcass feeding for vultures in North American zoos, evaluate the opinion of North American zoo visitors and test behavioral benefits for zoo housed vultures. A survey among zoo staff revealed that small whole carcasses are implemented in the diet of vultures in most North American zoos but large carcasses are rarely used. A survey for zoo visitors showed that most people approve of carcass feeding for vultures and the majority would also like to observe the vultures eat. A behavioral study compared the reaction of captive Andean condors (Vultur gryphus) to several food items and found that larger carcasses occupy the birds longer than smaller carcasses and other food types. i TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures ································································································································· iii List of Tables ··································································································································· vi Acknowledgements ······················································································································ vii INTRODUCTION ······························································································································ 1 Feeding Carnivores in Zoos ································································································ 2 Physical Health Aspects and Practicability of Carnivore Zoo Diets ···································· 4 Behavioral Aspects of Carnivore Zoo Diets ········································································ 5 Feasibility of Carcass Feeding in Zoos ·············································································· 10 Influence of and on Visitors ······························································································ 11 Conclusions ······················································································································ 15 OBJECTIVES ··································································································································· 18 METHODS ······································································································································ 20 Zoo Survey ······················································································································· 20 Visitor Survey ··················································································································· 20 Behavioral Study ··············································································································· 21 Data Analysis ···················································································································· 25 RESULTS ········································································································································· 26 Zoo Survey ······················································································································· 26 Visitor Survey ··················································································································· 30 Behavioral Study ··············································································································· 38 DISCUSSION ··································································································································· 49 Zoo Survey ······················································································································· 49 ii Visitor Survey ··················································································································· 50 Behavioral Study ··············································································································· 53 CONCLUSION ································································································································ 60 References ···································································································································· 61 Appendix ······································································································································ 66 iii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1| Frequency Of Food Types In The Diet of Zoo-Housed Vultures. Percentages are calculated as number of responses per answer choice relative to total number of respondents. ......................................................................................................................... 27 Figure 2| Frequency Of Prey Species Used For Whole Carcass Feeding In Vultures. Percentages indicate how many zoos selected a prey species as part of their vultures' diet relative to the total number of carcass feeding zoos. Respondents were able to select several species. ... 28 Figure 3| Visitor Opinion On Animal Activity, Natural Behaviors and Animal Welfare. Visitors were asked to rate four statements. ..................................................................................... 31 Figure 4| Visitor Opinion Of Feeding Several Prey Species As Whole Carcasses To Vultures. Visitors were asked to state their opinion on carcass feeding for each of the listed prey species. .................................................................................................................................. 33 Figure 5| General Visitor Opinion On Carcass Feeding. Visitors were able to select more than one answer choice; only one person selected 'Other' and further specified that she trusts in the keepers ability to evaluate what is good for an animal. ................................................. 34 Figure 6| Visitor Opinion On Measures The Zoo Could Take To Make Carcass Feeding More Acceptable. Visitors were asked to rate the effectiveness of three approaches; visitors who skipped this question are not represented in the graph. ...................................................... 36 Figure 7| Visitor Opinion On Carcass Feeding For Other Carnivore Species. Visitors were asked to indicate their opinion on carcass feeding for 5 different carnivore groups; visitors who skipped this section are not represented in this figure. ........................................................ 37 Figure 8| Feeding Session Time For Each Observation Day. Total time from the initial presentation of a food type until 20 minutes after the last contact with the food item; data is presented as mean+sd; different letters indicate significantly different means (p<0.05). 39 Figure 9| Approach Time For Each Observation Day. Time that elapsed between initial food presentation and the first handling of the food item through the bird; data is presented as mean+sd; different letters indicate significantly different means (p<0.05). ......................... 41 Figure 10| Handling Time Of the Food Item For Each Observation Day. Total time birds spent handling the food item during the feeding session; data is presented as mean+sd; different letters indicate significantly different means (p<0.05). ........................................................ 43 iv Figure 11| Cleaning Time For Each Observation Day. Total time the birds spent performing cleaning behaviors between feeding bouts or immediately after feeding; data is presented as mean+sd; different letters indicate significantly different means (p<0.05). .................... 44 Figure 12| Levels Of Cleaning Behavior During Post Feeding Sessions For Each Observation Day. Number of scan samples that documented cleaning behaviors relative to the total number of samples of a session; data is presented as mean+sd; different letters indicate significantly different means (p<0.05). .................................................................................