Search

Plains zebras are commonly hosted in zoos, but few welfare-related studies are available in the literature. This research aimed to assess the effect of enclosure design on two groups of captive zebras housed at the Giardino Zoologico di Pistoia – GZP (Italy) and Parco Faunistico Valcorba – PFV (Italy) through the analysis of behavior and enclosure use. The groups consisted of an adult pair and a male juvenile at GZP and six adult females at PFV. We collected data in 2019 over 19 sampling days using the continuous focal animal sampling technique. We performed 12 observation sessions per day, with each session lasting 30 min. We analyzed the subjects' behavioral time budget and enclosure use using Generalized Linear Mixed Models and the Electivity Index. The results showed that the time allocated to feeding behavior varied from 8–16% in the enclosure with gravel substrate (GZP) to 72–85% in the exhibit enriched with a pasture (PFV), with this last percentage resembling data reported for wild zebras. Results showed that institution was a significant predictor of feeding behavior, suggesting that the presence of a pasture can stimulate food-related behavioral patterns. Regarding enclosure use, the presence of hay and water troughs influenced the animals' space use. Our findings also suggest that evaluating both behavior and enclosure use can provide a more comprehensive overview of the welfare state of the animals. However, future studies are needed to better investigate the influence of social factors on the behavior and enclosure usage of captive Plains zebras. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Calves, and particularly heifers, play a crucial role in the future of any herd, making them an essential component of dairy farms. Rearing calves, especially those intended for replacement, involves a significant investment of resources and time to achieve profitability. Therefore, ensuring the optimal health and performance of calves is of the utmost importance on dairy farms. One effective approach is to provide calves with a hay-based ration, which promotes better intakes, reduces the sorting of forage and concentrates, and ultimately enhances their overall health and welfare. This study evaluates the growth parameters of calves fed on a hay-based ration, and it also proposes a preliminary prediction model that could help farmers to make informed management decisions and select the best animals for the replacement of culled cows, thereby improving the overall productivity and efficiency of the herd. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a complete hay-based total mixed ration (TMR) for calves, focusing on their feed intake, animal growth performance, and fecal output, and to develop a preliminary estimation equation for solid feed intake and body weight in Holstein heifer calves. Twenty female Italian Holstein calves (37.14 ± 2.72 kg) born between February and July were studied from the day of birth until 77 days of age. From the fourth day of life, they were fed 3 L/day of pasteurized milk twice daily and supplemented with the same hay-based TMR. The data on feed intake, fecal characteristics, and growth performances were collected and showed that these calves had adequate parameters. Moreover, the data collected was used to create equations to predict body weight and solid feed intake using a mixed model. The goodness of fit of the developed equations was evaluated by coefficients of determinations (R2). The equation obtained shows high R2 (0.98 for solid feed intake and 0.99 for calf weight), indicating the satisfactory precision and accuracy needed to predict female calves' body weight and solid feed intake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Domestic dogs tested in a free-choice task between two sets of food prefer that of a larger quantity. A recent study pointed out the critical role of the first trial. Dogs succeeded only after being allowed at least once to eat the selected food. Here we explore the importance of the actual experience of consuming the selected reward on dogs' capability to redirect their choice to solve numerical discriminations. Dogs tested in the 2 vs 4 and 1 vs 8 comparisons could never consume the quantity selected but always obtained a single dogs' treat. Despite never experiencing a difference in the eaten quantity, dogs discriminated between the two sets, preferring the larger. Whereas they behaved at chance at first choice, they successfully redirected their preference toward the larger set already on their second trial. We discuss our results in terms of motivational biases toward the larger quantity that can bear relevant ecological value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Public awareness about animal welfare is increasing and new research interest in this field is the evaluation of affective states. This research aimed to highlight possible limitations in the application of a spatial judgment bias test for the assessment of affective states in horses, considering the influence of personality traits, stress levels, and the structure of the test. Horses were trained to distinguish between a positive position, where they found a bucket with food reward, and a negative position where the bucket was empty. The training ended when the subjects approached the positive position faster than the negative one. Then, three ambiguous positions (Near Positive, Middle, Near Negative) were presented to them, and the latency to reach these three positions allowed their classification as pessimistic or optimistic. Our results showed that some personality traits can influence horses' responses to ambiguous cues. In addition, the spatial nature of such a test seems inappropriate for horses, which use lateralization when evaluating new objects. Therefore, this preliminary study suggested that this type of test should be modified considering species-specific and individual peculiarities. Affective states are of increasing interest in the assessment of animal welfare. This research aimed to evaluate the possible limitations in the application of a spatial judgment bias test (JBT) in horses, considering the influence of stress level, personality traits, and the possible bias due to the test structure itself. The distinction between two positions, one rewarded (Positive) and the other not (Negative), was learned by 10 horses and 4 ponies,. Then, the latency to reach three unrewarded ambiguous positions (Near Positive, Middle, Near Negative) was measured. Furthermore, the validated Equine Behavior Assessment and Research Questionnaire (E-BARQ) was employed to assess personality traits. Fecal and hair cortisol levels were measured through radioimmunoassay (RIA), and the frequency of behavioral stress indicators was recorded. Results showed that horses that had the rewarded position (Positive) on the right approached Near Negative and Middle faster than those that had Positive on the left. Certain personality traits influenced the latency to reach Middle and Near Positive, but chronic stress did not seem to affect horses' judgment bias. This preliminary study highlighted several limitations in the employment of spatial JBT for the assessment of affective state in horses and that personality traits can partially influence the cognitive process. Further research is needed to refine the use of this test in horses, considering the peculiarities both of species and of individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Dog Behavior is the property of Edizioni ETS s.r.l. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Captive breeding is vital for primate conservation, with modern zoos serving a crucial role in breeding populations of threatened species and educating the general public. However, captive populations can experience welfare issues that may also undermine their reproductive success. To enhance the wellbeing of endangered zoo primates, we conducted a study to assess the effects of a new scent enrichment program on captive red‐ruffed lemurs (Varecia rubra), black howler monkeys (Alouatta caraya), siamangs (Symphalangus syndactylus), lar gibbons (Hylobates lar) and orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus pygmaeus). We combined behavioral observations and fecal endocrinology analyses to evaluate the effects of a series of essential oils (benzoin, lavender, lemongrass) on five captive troops (N = 19) housed at Dudley Zoo & Castle and Twycross Zoo (UK). We recorded observations of natural species‐specific and abnormal stress‐related behaviors for 480 h using instantaneous scan sampling. We collected 189 fecal samples and measured the fecal cortisol concentrations using radioimmunoassay. We found a significant effect of the scent enrichment on behaviors, with red‐ruffed lemurs and black howler monkeys reducing their social interactions, as well as red‐ruffed lemurs and lar gibbons decreasing their stress‐related behaviors after they were exposed to the series of essential oils. We also found that red‐ruffed lemurs displayed a significant increase in fecal glucocorticoids following exposure to essential oils. Our contradictory findings suggest that the effects of this series of essential oils may change depending on the species‐specific social lives and olfactory repertoires of primates. In conclusion, we cannot recommend using these essential oils widely with zoo primates without additional evaluation. Research Highlights: Essential oils, such as benzoin, lavender, and lemongrass, may work as scent enrichment to decrease the stress levels of zoo primates across the major lineages.This is particularly the case of social primate species where odor plays a crucial role, such as red‐ruffed lemurs.Following exposure to the series of essential oils, red‐ruffed lemurs spent less time engaging with reassurance‐derived social interactions and exhibited lower rates of stress‐related behaviors.Red‐ruffed lemurs also increased their levels of fecal glucocorticoid concentrations, which may be associated with an increase in activity by individual lemurs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing interest in animal welfare and the knowledge of equine physiological and ethological needs have led to the development of different types of horses' management and housing systems. The research presented here aimed to assess the daytime activity budget of horses. Focal animal sampling was used as an observational sampling method, and the five animals were observed for a total of 9920 minutes in the paddock and inside the stall. The results showed that horses spent most of the daytime in foraging behaviors, followed by resting behaviors, and locomotion. Social behaviors (s.e. allogrooming, olfactory investigation) were rare, and the stereotypic behaviors (s.e. oral and locomotor stereotypies) occupied 2.74%±2.74% of the total time. The percentage of time spent in foraging, resting, and locomotion, reflects the activity budget observed in free-roaming feral horses. However, the rare occurrence of positive social interactions and the presence of some stereotypies could be aspects to ameliorate. This kind of housing facility could be considered a good alternative to traditional management; indeed, it might offer a better trade-off between the needs of the horse and the management goals from humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tamarins and marmosets are small‐bodied social callitrichines. Wild callitrichines feed on exudates, such as sap and gum; particularly, marmosets are mainly gummivores, while tamarins consume gums only occasionally and opportunistically. Zoo marmosets and tamarins are usually provided with gum arabic as an alternative to the exudates normally found in the wild. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a gum feeder on the behavior and well‐being of four zoo‐managed callitrichines. We studied four cotton‐top tamarins (Saguinus oedipus), four red‐handed tamarins (S. midas), two pygmy marmosets (Cebuella pygmaea), and three Geoffroy's marmosets (Callithrix geoffroyi) housed at Parco Natura Viva (Italy). We conducted the study over two different periods, a baseline (control, without the gum feeder) and then a gum feeder (when the gum feeder was provided) period. We used continuous focal animal sampling to collect behavioral data, including durations of social and individual behaviors. We collected 240 min of observations per period per study subject, with a total of 3,120 min for all the subjects in the same period and of 6,240 min in both periods. We analyzed data by using nonparametric statistical tests. First, we found that the gum feeder promoted species‐specific behaviors, such as exploration, and diminished self‐directed behaviors, suggesting an enriching effect on tamarin and marmoset behavior. Moreover, in red‐handed tamarins, the provision of the gum feeder reduced the performance of self‐directed and abnormal behavior, specifically coprophagy. These results confirm that gum feeders are effective foraging enrichment tools for zoo marmosets and tamarins. Research Highlights: Wooden gum feeders can improve the welfare of zoo marmosets and tamarins by stimulating their natural species‐specific behaviors and decreasing stress‐related behavior.Zoo callitrichines, managed by adequate enrichment programs, may show positive welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Behavioral studies demonstrate that not only humans, but all other animals including dogs, can suffer from depression. A quantitative molecular evaluation of fatty acids in human and animal platelets has already evidenced similarities between people suffering from depression and German Shepherds, suggesting that domestication has led dogs to be similar to humans. In order to verify whether humans and dogs suffering from similar pathologies also share similar microorganisms at the intestinal level, in this study the gut-microbiota composition of 12 German Shepherds was compared to that of 15 dogs belonging to mixed breeds which do not suffer from depression. Moreover, the relation between the microbiota of the German Shepherd's group and that of patients with depression has been investigated. The results indicate that the German Shepherd's gut-microbiota has a different composition compared to other dog breeds and is characterized by microbial groups identified in humans with depression, highlighting the existence of a "core" microbiota associated with depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing population of wild boar has made this wild game species acquire commercial interest. Consumers appreciate this type of meat for its high nutritional value. In our research, we have compared fat composition of different types of meat. The loin of 9 hunted wild boars, 9 intensively kept commercial swines and 14 crossbreed Mora Romagnola pigs, kept in the open, have been sampled. Moreover, we have collected samples from ham and shoulder of wild boars, to identify which cut could have the most favourable characteristics. All animals came from Bologna District. A.O.A.C. Official Method 996.06 was used to determine lipid composition. Finally, statistical analysis was performed. According to our results, wild boar meat had a significantly lowest content of fatty acids, highest PFA:SFA ratio and highest content of ω-3 and EPA. Crossbreed Mora Romagnola registered the highest content of fatty acids, a low value of PUFA:SFA ratio, like the hybrid pigs, but the value of ω-6:ω-3 ratio was closer to that of wild boar. This preliminary research suggests that the wild boar meat has the most favourable fatty acids composition, and that crossbreed Mora Romagnola pigs could be considered in a middle position between wild boar and commercial swine. Future researches are needed to deepen these aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Dog Behavior is the property of Edizioni ETS s.r.l. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Mammalian gastrointestinal tract is colonized by a large number of microorganisms, known as gut microbiota, that play a key role in the physiological and pathological states. In particular, the gastrointestinal tract of dogs and cats harbors a complex and highly biodiverse microbial ecosystem. Recent studies see it involved in a wide range of life processes, including energy needs, metabolism, immunological activity, and neuro-behavioral development. This review focuses on the role of the microbiota on the health of pets and will discuss changes that occur in the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Dog Behavior is the property of Edizioni ETS s.r.l. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)