J. Zool. Bot. Gard., Volume 4, Issue 3 (September 2023) – 9 articles

Invasive alien plant species (IAPS) pose one of the most significant threats to native biodiversity. Swietenia macrophylla, or big leaf mahogany, is among the most threatening invasive plants in the Philippines. This article aimed to formally document the presence of S. macrophylla along the edges of Mt. Banahaw de Nagcarlan, a protected area on Luzon Island, Philippines. The study also sought to identify the management strategies being implemented by various government institutions to address big leaf mahogany and other invasive plants. A total of 1591 individuals of S. macrophylla were documented in mixed land-use areas and roadsides. These were found to have been introduced by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in 1991 as a reforestation species. Fortunately, no individuals were observed beyond the buffer zone towards the protected area. The identification of management strategies for big leaf mahogany and other IAPS revealed that there is no established approach specifically addressing the presence of S. macrophylla at the site. However, some institutions advocate for the conservation of native plants through tree planting activities and educational campaigns. Furthermore, no collaborative efforts were observed among stakeholders and institutions. The results of this study highlight the urgent need to manage the S. macrophylla population. Planning and enforcement of strategies require collaborative efforts among stakeholders to prevent its entry into the protected area and ensure the preservation of native biodiversity. Full article

For giraffes, few standardized methods exist for quantifying chronic stress. Allostatic load index is quantified from a panel of multi-system stress biomarkers to estimate cumulative stress. Our objective was to determine whether a panel of biomarkers selected for their role in allostatic load would reflect the number of documented stress events experienced by giraffes. Cortisol, DHEA-S, cholesterol, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), and fructosamine were determined in serum samples from zoo-housed giraffes (n = 18). These were correlated with the overall number and frequency of ZIMS-documented stress events experienced prior to blood collection. We also compared giraffes grouped by high vs. low total stress events and event frequencies. Giraffes experiencing higher total stress events tended to have 1.65-fold greater (p < 0.10) serum cortisol, had 1.49-fold greater (p < 0.05) serum fructosamine, and had 3.9-fold greater (p < 0.05) allostatic load. Giraffes experiencing higher stress-event frequency had 2.4-fold greater (p < 0.05) serum NEFA. Correlations for individual biomarkers with individual stress event categories were inconsistent, but DHEA-S (r = −0.44), cortisol/DHEA-S (r = 0.49), fructosamine (r = 0.54), and allostatic load (r = 0.49) correlated (p < 0.10) with total stress events. These findings indicate that the allostatic load index robustly reflected total cumulative stress events for these giraffes and was more consistent than the individual biomarkers used for its calculation. We conclude that allostatic load index is a promising tool for assessing stress in captive giraffes, although revision of the biomarker panel is warranted. Full article

Certain species within the order Anura are relatively new in the context of exotic animals as pets, and the precise conditions required for their optimal care and well-being are still not well understood. This knowledge gap highlights the crucial need to develop effective strategies to measjournal oure the welfare of these animals. To address this need, the objective of this study was to review the existing literature on welfare indices related to amphibians kept under human care. A systematic review was conducted across eight scientific databases, with a focus on identifying relevant articles that explored welfare indices specifically within the order Anura. The search was performed using two specific keywords. In total, 1568 English language results were obtained. Following a refinement process, 19 articles were selected for further analysis. The most investigated welfare indices in amphibians included individual survival, life expectancy, reproduction, hibernation, and body condition. However, it is important to note that studies specifically examining the behavior of amphibians within the order Anura are limited in scope. It is evident that there is still much work to be conducted in order to gain a deeper understanding of the environmental conditions and cognitive processes that affect the well-being of these animals. Full article

The long-term sustainability of ex situ animal populations requires coordination across facilities through cooperative breeding programs. Here, we investigate the reasons for inconsistent reproductive success in the zoo-based North American Asian small-clawed otter (ASCO; Aonyx cinereus) population. Reproductive viability analysis (RVA) was used to identify which characteristics of ASCOs in breeding pairs were most predictive of reproductive success. The RVA identified pair type, contraception history, and age as the most significant predictors of offspring production. The use of deslorelin in males and long-term deslorelin use in females hinder future reproductive potential and should, therefore, be considered carefully in genetically valuable individuals and potential breeders. Moreover, genetically valuable animals should be paired with younger mates, as advancing male and female age decreases the likelihood of success. The lack of reproductive success observed after 1 year of attempted breeding among new pairs provides evidence of potential mate incompatibility, therefore, population managers should consider splitting up pairs that remain unsuccessful over time, because the likelihood of offspring production is low. Lastly, the inclusion of dens and/or caves and pools designed with ample shallow water areas in ASCO habitats may improve breeding success. Full article

Photobiomodulation therapy (cold laser or low-level laser therapy) has been evaluated in human and small animal medicine; however, there is a lack of knowledge about the role photobiomodulation therapy could play in reptile rehabilitation and release. This study used a quantifiable unit, Hounsfield units (bone density measurement), in computed tomography (CT) to evaluate if photobiomodulation therapy showed a significant healing difference between groups treated with photobiomodulation and those that were not. This study included 20 eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina) presented to a rehabilitation center that sustained shell fractures without penetrating the coelom. They all received similar medical treatments, except that the photobiomodulation group received 250 Hz of red light laser for three minutes three times a week for eight weeks. The turtles were evaluated over the course of two months of therapy. Computed tomography scans were performed prior to therapy, at the midpoint of treatment (one month postinjury), and at the end of the study (two months postinjury). The average Hounsfield units of the fractures were evaluated using nonparametric means, the Wilcoxon/Kruskal–Wallis tests (ranked sums), and found that there were no significant differences in shell density between the photobiomodulation and control groups amongst the scans. This study did find that there was a significant difference (p = 0.0455) between the two groups in regard to the width of the fracture between pre- and post-treatment scans. This study found that the photobiomodulation group had a significantly decreased width of the fracture site between pre-treatment and post-treatment measurements, showing that photobiomodulation could be a relatively easy and effective treatment to promote healing of fractured turtle shells. Full article

Swimming is an important behavior for all penguin species. However, zoo-housed penguins typically do not swim as often as their wild counterparts, which may have consequences for their health and welfare. In an effort to increase the swimming time of the African penguin (Spheniscus demersus) population at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, IL, USA (21 adults: 13 males, 8 females), we introduced a commercially available bubble curtain to the outdoor pool within the penguins’ habitat. The bubble curtain pushes pressurized air out through a hose fitted with small holes to create a stream of bubbles that generate water movement, which could entice penguins to swim. Over the course of 2 months, the penguins were exposed to a series of alternating conditions characterized by the bubble curtain being off or on for 2-week periods. A total of 228 swimming bouts were observed during this study. The bubble curtain did not increase the amount of time the penguins spent swimming, nor the maximum number of penguins in the pool during swim bouts. Rather, the penguins spent more time swimming when the bubble curtain was turned off, and the number of penguins in the pool during swim bouts was consistent across experimental phases. Additionally, we found that penguins swam the most when air temperatures were between 31 and 40 °F (approximately −1 to −4 °C). Unexpectedly, at least three individual penguins swam overnight between the hours of midnight and 6:00, highlighting the value of monitoring animals during entire 24 h periods. Collectively, this study provides detailed information about the swimming behavior of a zoo-housed African penguin population, and indicates that a bubble curtain was ineffective at stimulating swimming. Full article

Measurement of zoo animal welfare states enables improvement to husbandry and management to be evidence-based and implemented according to species’ needs. Theoretical welfare concepts are often discussed, and whilst it is helpful to ensure wide consensus across all stakeholders on what welfare comprises, practical application of such evidence-based information is as equally important. All species housed in zoos will have specific needs that must be met by their housing, husbandry, and care to enable them to thrive. Therefore, this paper examined how to identify key animal care needs and an animal’s responses to them to form a basis for species-specific welfare assessment approaches. There are examples of familiar-to-the-zoo species that still pose challenges regarding delivery of optimal husbandry and management. As such, the identification and evaluation of core concepts of the biology, behaviour, “needs and wants” of these species is required to support validation and refinement of physical, behavioural, and psychological welfare measures. This article evaluated the use of evidence to build capacity in welfare measurement for a familiar zoo-housed species, the giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis, Linnaeus 1758), by outlining seven key needs and requirements that must be provided in the zoo (“giraffe W-E-L-F-A-R-E” = Warmth, Enrichment, Leaves, Feeding, Alfalfa, Rumination, Exercise). Provision of these inputs, and opportunities for all giraffes in a herd to engage with them, provides the foundation for further welfare assessment to be implemented. Specifically, the validation and measurement of mental states that are more likely to be positive if key behavioural and ecological needs have already been met. This paper advocated for this evidence-based approach to “welfare-focussed husbandry”, with distillation of key information that supports species-relevant care, to be developed for other zoo-housed species as support for their welfare assessment protocols. Such welfare-focussed husbandry is layered on top of the basic animal care requirements of the species in the zoo to ensure all individuals have the best opportunity to attain positive welfare states. In this way, and once validated, foundational welfare assessment can be easily completed by busy animal care staff, capacity is built into zoo operations as all stakeholders are aware of exactly what each species needs, and deeper dive welfare assessment (especially concerning animal mental states) can be targeted more effectively. Further evolution of these seven steps for the giraffe is suggested and extrapolation of this approach, to aid identification of key welfare indicators across all zoo-housed species, is encouraged. Full article

Knowledge about ecological conditions and processes in centers of endemism (CoEs) is still limited with respect to various systematic groups of organisms, ecosystem types, ecological conditions, and ecosystem services. We review the characterization, identification, and meaning of CoEs. Endemics play an increasing and prominent role in nature conservation monitoring and management and in the organization of zoos, aquaria, and botanical gardens. We examine the importance of different groups of organisms and indicators for the characterization of endemic-rich regions, e.g., with regard to the richness of endemics per region and degree of endemism, the importance of heterogeneity in space, continuity in time, isolation, and ex situ management for the survival of endemic species. Currently, conversion of land cover and land use change are the most important causes of biodiversity decline and extinction risk of endemic and endangered species. These are followed by climate change, including severe weather, and then natural processes such as volcanism, landslides, or tsunamis. For conservation purposes, the management of regional land use, zoos, aquaria, botanical gardens, and social aspects of the diversity of endemics and CoEs have to be taken into account as well. We find that the ex situ representation of endemics in general is limited, and conservation networks in this regard can be improved. We need better answers to questions about the relationship between ecoregions, CoEs and regional awareness of endemism, which is linked with human culture including aesthetics, well-being, health, and trade. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic forced many educators out of their traditional settings and into web-based learning environments. Zoos were no different, and throughout the pandemic they strived to reach their supporters using different approaches. By adapting quickly and using outreach activities and online learning, zoos continued to serve society through the pandemic. This study examined whether an in-person educational interaction with zoological specimens can enhance cognitive learning and increase primary-level students’ attitudes towards animals and science. Additionally, attention was drawn to the effectiveness of online learning methods for young pupils. A total of 165 paired questionnaires from primary-level students in three schools were analysed. Findings indicate significant positive increases in attitude but not in learning achievements. Thus, zoological specimens can be utilised for enhancing scientific attitudes in primary-level students. The effect of a face-to-face lesson on learning compared with online methods was positive but the difference was not statistically significant. This, taken together with a significant positive effect of a face-to-face lesson on attitude improvements, is sufficient to determine the importance of a traditional learning environment for students of this educational level. Additionally, gender differences relating to scientific attitudes and understanding are not apparent at primary level but this may become more apparent at secondary level. This research may be used for further investigations into the relationship between age, gender, and scientific learning. It may also be used to support studies examining the effectiveness of zoo outreach programs in schools versus zoo visits. Full article