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Effect of housing and husbandry practices on adrenocortical activity in captive Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2023

KV Fanson  and
NC Wielebnowski
KV Fanson*
Affiliation:
School of Life and Environmental Science, Deakin University, 75 Pigdons Road, Waurn Ponds, VIC 3216, Australia
NC Wielebnowski
Affiliation:
Oregon Zoo, 4001 Southwest Canyon Road, Portland, OR 97221, USA
*
* Contact for correspondence and requests for reprints: kerryfanson@gmail.com
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Abstract

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In recent years, there has been an increasing focus on the study and assessment of animal welfare in captive settings, such as zoological gardens and aquaria. Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) are a relatively common species in zoos, yet are known to exhibit frequent reproductive problems in captive environments. We provide an exploratory analysis of housing and husbandry factors that are associated with patterns of adrenocortical activity in lynx. Adrenocortical activity was assessed using the non-invasive technique of monitoring faecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGM). First, we calculated baseline FGM values for each individual and controlled for sex, age class, and reproductive status. The residual values were used to determine how levels of adrenocortical activity correlated with institutional husbandry practices. Second, we compared the occurrence of FGM peaks to events and disturbances recorded by keepers. Our results highlighted that adrenocortical activity is strongly correlated with: (i) the size of the enclosure; (ii) the number of hiding locations available; and (iii) the social environment. Based on our findings, we recommend that lynx should generally be housed alone (unless with dependant offspring or temporarily paired up for mating purposes), in larger enclosures and with the provision of several species-appropriate hiding locations.

Keywords

animal welfareCanada lynxcaptive breedingfaecal glucocorticoid metabolitesfelidstress
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 22 , Issue 2 , May 2013 , pp. 159 - 165
Copyright
© 2013 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

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