Number of nearby visitors and noise level affect vigilance in captive koalas
Number of nearby visitors and noise level affect vigilance in captive koalas
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DOI：
10.1016/j.applanim.2014.02.005
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发表时间：
2014-05-01
影响因子：
2.3
通讯作者：
Rault, Jean-Loup
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Larsen, Megan J.;Sherwen, Sally L.;Rault, Jean-Loup
了解人与动物的互动对于向公众展示动物的机构尤为重要，因为它们与不熟悉的人类进行频繁，有时甚至是激烈的互动。过去的研究表明，游客可以通过激活压力反应，影响能量代谢，对各种圈养动物园物种的福利产生负面影响。考拉（Phascolarctos cinereus）是在一种能量含量极低的特定饮食中进化而来的，因此可能特别容易受到压力的影响。然而，游客对圈养考拉行为和福利的影响的知识几乎是不存在的。游客数量（研究1）和游客噪音（研究2）的影响进行了调查，在人口圈养考拉。在研究1中，对考拉进行了为期八天的行为观察：四天的高游客出席率和四天的低游客出席率。每2分钟使用扫描采样来记录单个考拉行为、在围栏中的位置和接近木板路。每次扫描还记录了木板路上5米半径范围内的游客数量，以下称为“附近游客”。在研究2中，游客噪音的影响进行了调查，使用录音的游客噪音从研究网站在三个级别的治疗（无游客，安静的游客和响亮的游客）。每只考拉被随机分配到每个噪音治疗每天一次，超过八天，并记录是否存在警惕行为。研究1表明，附近游客数量的增加，而不是每天的游客总数，导致考拉花费更多的时间保持警惕。研究2表明，游客噪音处理的增加导致考拉花在警惕上的时间增加。这些结果表明，树袋熊的行为响应游客，支持的价值，行为观察作为一种监测工具，以评估游客相关的干扰树袋熊。这些行为变化的福利影响仍有待确定，以及适当的管理策略，以尽量减少负面游客的影响。(C)2014爱思唯尔有限公司版权所有。
Understanding human-animal interactions is particularly important for institutions that display animals to the public due to the frequent, and sometimes intense, interactions with unfamiliar humans. Past research has shown that visitors can have a negative impact on the welfare of a wide range of captive zoo species through an activation of the stress response, which influences energy metabolism. The koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) evolved on a specific diet of extremely low energy content and is therefore likely to be particularly susceptible to any effects from stress. However, the knowledge of visitor effects on captive koala behaviour and welfare is almost non-existent. The effects of visitor number (Study 1) and visitor noise (Study 2) were investigated in a population of captive koalas. In Study 1, behavioural observations were conducted on koalas across a total of eight days: four days of high visitor attendance and four days of low visitor attendance. Scan sampling was used every 2 min to record individual koala behaviour, position in enclosure and proximity to the boardwalk. The number of visitors within a 5 m radius on the boardwalk, hereafter referred to as 'nearby visitors', was also recorded for each scan. In Study 2, the effect of visitor noise was investigated using audio recordings of visitor noise taken from the study site in three levels of treatment (No visitors, Quiet visitors and Loud visitors). Each koala was randomly allocated each noise treatment once daily over eight days and the presence or absence of vigilance behaviour was recorded. Study 1 demonstrated that an increase in the number of nearby visitors, but not total daily visitor number, resulted in increased time spent vigilant in the koalas. Study 2 showed that an increase in visitor noise treatment resulted in increased time spent vigilant in the koalas. These results show that koalas do respond behaviourally to visitors, supporting the value of behavioural observations as a monitoring tool to assess visitor-related disturbance in koalas. The welfare implications of these behavioural changes remain to be determined, as well as adequate management strategies to minimise negative visitor effects. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.