Utilizing Thermal Imaging to Improve Ungulate Husbandry Kaitlyn WhismanVanderwall – Ungulate Keeper Zoo Miami Overview • Other facilities utilizing thermal imaging • Obtaining a thermal imaging camera for your staff • Utilizing thermal imaging to improve ungulate health • Scientific studies could help improve ungulate management • Camera is wonderful for keeper morale and training keepers how to detect problems in hoofstock Other Facilities Utilizing Thermal Imaging • Cheyenne Mountain Zoo • Decided to obtain camera after attending the Giraffe Care Workshop Keepers worked together to fund raise for the thermal imaging camera Animals also helped… • Elephant painted bulbs • Replica of koala handprint Recycling Items From Your Ungulates • Old browse that was “kissed” by a giraffe • Hay bale twine • Giraffe stamp Recycling Items From Your Ungulates • Old browse that was “touched” by an okapi • Magnet Painting for the Wild • Offer a chance to paint an animal with a keeper followed by an animal encounter • High profit event FLIR E8 • About $4,000 • FLIR company can help give discounts for zoos • Our model is not as advanced as some facilities but instead is a rugged model, which allows keepers to have access to the camera in the field. • As price of camera increases, accuracy pinpointing the inflammation will increase. Keepers Work With Vet Staff • Keepers are trained on how to properly use and care for the camera and are signed off before use • Vet staff reviews and interprets images that keepers think are of concern Helpful Tips • Take images in the morning or in a cool barn to avoid influence from the environment • Take images of both sides of the body to compare and contrast Improving Hoof Care • Newer hoofstock keepers can see the inflammation around the hooves and compare to how the actual hoof looks to learn when animals need hoof trims • This influenced keepers to want to learn how to trim hooves Pin Pointing Areas of Concern • Abscess underneath the skin can be monitored. If the hot spot did not decrease in size over the course of time, the vets would provide medical care • Can see inflammation caused by mounting attempts Pin Pointing Areas of Concern • Veterinarians also use to pinpoint more specific areas where they should provide radiographs or care • Monitor how different substrates effect hooves and legs Thermal Imaging Can Help Space Utilization in Exhibits • Image shows an enlarged vein on the back of the nyala’s leg • Also useful to learn about your animal’s enclosure. For example, in the image, the feed tub is very warm indicating it may need to be moved to a cooler location Promoting Keepers to Invest in The Animals by Giving Them a Tool to Conduct Research • Fosters keeper’s desires to keep learning and growing by utilizing their science degrees • Gives keepers opportunity to discover new things and possibly make a difference in animal management or science Promoting Keepers to Invest in The Animals by Giving Them a Tool to Conduct Research • Gets keepers to ask questions and pay closer attention to the animals • Keeps keepers from becoming stagnant in the same routine Utilization of Thermal Imaging to Monitor Progression of Pregnancy in Giraffe Nick Pottratz/ Kaitlyn Vanderwall • Began taking images of 0.1 Rothschild giraffe’s vulva 45 days before birth • Each image taken as closely to 7:30 am as possible • We hypothesized that vulva temperature would increase closer to labor in 0.1 giraffe. Utilization of Thermal Imaging to Monitor Progression of Pregnancy in Giraffe • Image 1. Taken 28 days before birth • Image 2. Taken 10 days before birth • Image 3. Taken about 4 hours before labor We consulted the experts… • Our hypothesis that vulva temperature of giraffe would increase closer to labor, turned out to be false. In fact, throughout the 45 days before labor, 0.1 vulva remained almost consistently at 35 degree Celsius • Lower abdomen began reading 33 degree Celsius two weeks before birth • On the day of birth, temperature raised throughout the giraffe’s body Why Care? • Could be a useful in herd management and knowing when to separate the dam for the birthing event • Would like to increase the sample size of this study with our other 0.2 breeding Reticulated giraffe to determine if this occurs in all giraffe or only certain individuals Future Studies? • Finding correlation in body temperature of anoa and anoa breeding cycle- could be helpful for facilities that house anoa solitary and want to do introductions • Endless possibilities of hypothesis to be answered by keepers Summary • With some effort, a thermal camera is obtainable for any facility (Yes, you thermal can!) • In conjunction with a veterinarian, the camera can help diagnose ungulate health issues • The camera can help create more aware/ involved keepers • Discoveries made with the camera could be helpful in animal management and also with exhibit space utilization .