Post-release survival of orphaned wild-born polecats Mustela putorius reared in captivity at a wildlife rehabilitation centre in England
Post-release survival of orphaned wild-born polecats Mustela putorius reared in captivity at a wildlife rehabilitation centre in England
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DOI：
10.3354/esr00299
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发表时间：
2010-01-01
影响因子：
3.1
通讯作者：
Grogan, Adam
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Kelly, Andrew;Scrivens, Robert;Grogan, Adam
每年都有成千上万康复的野生动物伤亡者和圈养孤儿被释放回野外。大多数野生动物康复者将释放等同于成功，而对康复后野生动物的生存情况知之甚少。我们测量了释放后的孤儿臭鼬的生存，一种保护的关注，目前英国I3iodiversity行动计划（BAP）的优先物种。1997年至2008年间，137只臭鼬被收入英国西北部的皇家防止虐待动物协会（皇家防止虐待动物协会）斯塔佩利田庄野生动物中心。其中，89人（65%）是孤儿少年。43%的成年人和89%的青少年在康复后被放回野外。在2005年和2008年之间，我们无线电跟踪32个少年臭鼬在5个释放地点在柴郡和北威尔士，英国。这些人被跟踪3至104天（中位数= 27.5）。在32只无线电跟踪动物中，26只（81%）在14天后仍然存活，至少16只（50%）在1个月后仍然存活。12%的人死于道路交通事故，22%的人脱落衣领，56%的人失去了信号，那些最终失去信号的人被跟踪了13到103天（中位数= 38.5天）。2007年，两只雌性臭鼬被释放后，体重分别下降了30%和18%。这些数据表明，康复后的臭鼬的存活率足以证明康复过程中使用的资源是合理的，而且动物的长期福利不会因圈养而受到损害。
Many thousands of rehabilitated wildlife casualties and captive-reared orphans are released back to the wild each year. Most wildlife rehabilitators equate release with success, and very little is known about the post-release survival of rehabilitated wildlife. We measured the post-release survival of orphaned polecats Mustela putorius, a species of conservation concern and currently a UK I3iodiversity Action Plan (BAP) priority species. Between 1997 and 2008, 137 polecats were admitted to the RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre in northwest England. Of these, 89 (65%) were orphaned juveniles. Forty-three percent of adults and 89% of juveniles were released back to the wild following rehabilitation. Between 2005 and 2008, we radio-tracked 32 juvenile polecats at 5 release sites in Cheshire and North Wales, UK. These individuals were tracked for 3 to 104 d (median = 27.5). Of the 32 radio-tracked animals, 26 (81%) were still alive after 14 d, and a minimum of 16 (50%) were still alive after 1 mo. Twelve percent were known to have died in road traffic collisions, 22% shed their collars, and the signal was lost for 56%, Those for which the signal was eventually lost were tracked for 13 to 103 d (median = 38.5 d). Two female polecats trapped following release in 2007 had lost 30% and 18% of their body weight, respectively. The data suggest that the survival of rehabilitated polecats is sufficient to justify the resources used in the rehabilitation process and that the animals' long-term welfare is not compromised by being held in captivity.