ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES ON SPACE UTILISATION AND THE ACTIVITY BUDGET OF CAPTIVE LEOPARDS (Panthera pardus fusca) IN FIVE ZOOS IN SOUTHERN INDIA DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO SAURASHTRA UNIVERSITY, RAJKOT, IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE MASTER’S DEGREE IN WILDLIFE SCIENCE, JUNE 1999 By AVANTI MALLAPUR UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF Dr. RAVI CHELLAM Mr. QAMAR QURESHI WILDLIFE INSTITUTE OF INDIA, DEHRADUN CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT…………………………………………………………….……………...III SUMMARY………………………………………………….………………………….…………..…VI 1. INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................................. 1 1.1. GENERAL INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................. 1 1.2. LITERATURE REVIEW .................................................................................................................... 3 1.2.1. Stereotypy and stress in captive animals .............................................................................. 3 1.2.2. Space utilisation by captive animals.....................................................................................5 1.2.3. Activity patterns in captive felids.......................................................................................... 6 1.2.4. Social interactions in captive solitary felids ......................................................................... 6 1.2.5. Leopard studies..................................................................................................................... 7 1.3. OBJECTIVES................................................................................................................................... 8 2. STUDY SITES .............................................................................................................................. 9 2.1. THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : ............................. 9 2.1.1. Study Area............................................................................................................................. 9 2.1.2. Exhibit Area.......................................................................................................................... 9 2.1.3. Study Animals ..................................................................................................................... 15 2.1.4. Husbandry practices........................................................................................................... 15 2.2. ARIGNAR ANNA ZOOLOGICAL PARK, CHENNAI: ......................................................................... 16 2.2.1. Study Area........................................................................................................................... 16 2.2.2. Exhibit Area........................................................................................................................ 16 2.2.3. Study Animals ..................................................................................................................... 19 2.2.4. Husbandry practices........................................................................................................... 19 2.3. CHILDREN’S’ PARK, GUINDY:..................................................................................................... 20 2.3.1. Study Area........................................................................................................................... 20 2.3.2. Exhibit Area ....................................................................................................................... 21 2.3.3. Study Animal....................................................................................................................... 22 2.3.4 Husbandry practices............................................................................................................ 22 2.4. SHRI. CHAMARAJENDRA ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS, MYSORE: ...................................................... 23 2.4.1. Study area ........................................................................................................................... 23 2.4.2. Exhibit Area........................................................................................................................ 23 2.4.3. Study Animals ..................................................................................................................... 30 2.4.4. Husbandry Practices........................................................................................................... 30 2.5. BANNERGHATTA ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS, BANGALORE: ............................................................ 31 2.5.1. Study Area........................................................................................................................... 31 2.5.2. Exhibit Area........................................................................................................................ 31 2.5.3. Study Animals ..................................................................................................................... 32 2.5.4. Husbandry Practices........................................................................................................... 33 3. METHODS.................................................................................................................................. 33 3.1. FIELD METHODS.......................................................................................................................... 34 3.1.1. Behavioural Sampling Methods......................................................................................... 34 3.1.2. Documentation of data from the zoo records with respect to each animal under study ..... 37 3.1.3. Determination of space utilisation with respect to enclosure features ............................... 38 3.1.4. Temperature, humidity and other environmental factors.................................................... 39 3.2. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS .............................................................................................................. 39 3.2.1. Analysis of behavioural differences in life history and across sex...................................... 40 3.2.2. Analysis of behavioural differences across visitor-presence and visitor-absence days...... 40 3.2.3. Analysis of behavioural differences exhibited on-exhibit and off-exhibit ........................... 41 3.2.4. Analysis of behavioural differences between pre-feeding and an average sampling hour . 41 3.2.5. Analysis of differences in the activity budget of leopards before and during social enrichment .......................................................................................................................... 42 3.2.6. Analysis of behavioural differences across time in a sampling day.................................... 42 3.2.7. Calculation and analysis of behavioural diversity.............................................................. 44 3.2.8. Calculation and analysis of diversity in the utilisation of space within an enclosure ........ 44 3.2.9. Analysis of the differences in behaviour patterns exhibited in structurally enriched and barren enclosures ............................................................................................................... 46 3.2.10. Correlation of enclosure complexity and various other parameters................................. 46 I 3.2.11 Analysis of the differences in various parameters across zoos.......................................... 48 3.2.12. Analysis of the differences in various parameters between singly and group-housed leopards ................................................................................................................. 48 4 RESULTS........................................................................................................................................... 50 4.1. DIFFERENCES IN ACTIVITY BUDGET WITH SEX AND HISTORY....................................................... 50 4.2. STEREOTYPIC PACING.................................................................................................................. 55 4.3. ACTIVITY BUDGET AND ZOOS ...................................................................................................... 55 4.4. ACTIVITY BUDGET AND ENCLOSURE SIZE .................................................................................... 54 4.5. DAILY ACTIVITY BUDGET………………………………………………………………………..57 4.6. FEED TIME AND ACTIVITY BUDGET FOR SINGLY AND GROUP-HOUSED LEOPARDS........................ 57 4.7. ACTIVITY BUDGET AND ENCLOSURE TYPE................................................................................... 60 4.8. ACTIVITY BUDGET AND VISITOR PRESENCE ................................................................................. 60 4.9. ACTIVITY BUDGET AND SOCIAL ENRICHMENT (AS A TREATMENT)............................................... 64 4.10. ACTIVITY BUDGET AND GROUP SIZE .......................................................................................... 64 4.11. ACTIVITY BUDGET AND UTILISATION OF SPACE......................................................................... 64 4.12. BEHAVIOURAL DIVERSITY…...……………..…………………………………………………75 4.13. DIVERSITY OF SPACE UTILISATION ............................................................................................ 75 4.14. ENCLOSURE TYPE AND THEIR STRUCTURAL FEATURES.............................................................. 76 4.15.