Matschie’s tree kangaroo (Dendrolagus matschiei) population is declining significantly, so to conserve this species, captive breeding programs have been conducted in zoos. Research has shown presence of visitors can have negative impacts on animal welfare, but the welfare implications of visitors on tree kangaroos have not yet been examined. The aim of this study is to determine the impact of visitor presences on Matschie's tree kangaroo welfare. In this experiment, 10 tree kangaroos will be examined by testing two treatment groups: no visitor contact and exposure to visitors. Treatment groups will be tested for 1-day period in a total of 10 study days and 5 days for each treatment group. Instantaneous point sampling and continuous sampling …show more content…
This is because while zoos try to raise awareness on conservation programs by allowing visitors to have a close interaction with animals, this however sometimes comes at the expense of the animals’ welfare (Calyton, Fraser, & Saunders, 2009).Research has suggested that visitors can affect animal behaviour and stress physiology even when animals are separated by barriers (Fernandez et al., 2009). A recent study has indicated that when exposed to visitors, the level of vigilance increased in both Kangaroo Island kangaroos and Red kangaroos. Furthermore, Kangaroo Island kangaroos would increase time spent in locomotion and decrease time spent on resting (Sherwen, 2015). In addition, previous studies have shown that social factors and conditions of confinement have proven to cause stress for tree kangaroos (Hutchins et al., 1991). As a consequence, this reduces the chances of reproductive success, thus zoo populations are declining. A more detailed understanding of tree kangaroo behaviour and stress triggers is needed to advance the reproductive success of this endangered
A short documentary film, ‘Zoochosis’, highlights odd behaviors captive animals can exhibit. These unnatural behaviors are repetitive, such as rocking, vomiting, head-bobbing, pacing, and other repetitive actions. Although the cause is still unknown, many experts believe one of the reasons for this disorder is extreme stress (Ramos). When animals are placed in enclosures with animals they aren’t compatible with, it can often lead to aggression and hostility. This is an unhealthy and stressful environment for the animals and, if stress is the cause of zoochosis, can lead to the unnatural behaviors.
It is important to remove any dominant or aggressive kangaroos if the enclosure is a walk-through, or if they are displaying threatening behaviour or harm to any individuals or animals likewise. Keeping together a group of females is best if the kangaroos are interacting with zoo visitors daily.
In this article, the authors emphasize the effectiveness of Kangaroo Care on neonatal infants. The author is fond of Kangaroo Care because of its least invasive, cost effective, and natural treatment that can help with infant’s temperature. The purpose for this article is to answer the questions about Kangaroo Care and note the variety of benefits that it can do for infants. In addition, this article recognizes the benefit Kangaroo Care has on third world nations and that this natural treatment can help the infants that do not have access to the health care system. However, in resource rich countries, the incubator is commonly used and Kangaroo care is coming rarer. The reason Kangaroo Care is rising to the surface again is because there is a desire to humanize the care, promote early bonding, and establish breastfeeding.
The neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU, can often be the first “home” of a premature baby. For this baby, there are more developmental marks that become much harder to achieve, compared to a full term infant. In the neonatal intensive care unit, babies often are placed on or in machines to help them finish developing what would normally be developed in the womb. Due to these circumstances, what are some of the affects on the development of a preterm infant when they stay in the neonatal intensive care unit? How does being in the neonatal intensive care unit affect bonding between mother and child? How does a child being in the neonatal intensive care unit affect the parents, especially the mother? What are the best methods to help with the
The starting point was my years in high school learning to become a zoo keeper. In between classes on minimizing stress when handling parrots and different lion enrichments, I also learned why those very animals are in need of our conservation programs. The decline of suitable wildlife habitats is strongly connected with exploitation of environmental resources. I also gained a deeper understanding of the daily needs, both mental and physical, that all animals have, be it wildlife or livestock.
Kangaroo care is the act of placing a neonate skin to skin with their mother or father. This care is commonly provided by mothers but can also be provided by fathers. Paternal kangaroo care offers many benefits for both the father and the neonate. By implementing this care, the opportunity for fathers to bond with their neonate is provided. This bonding experience is important as many neonates spend several weeks in the NICU. The time away from their neonate can be particularly stressful for the family. Kangaroo care provides a means for the father to provide care for his neonate during their time in the NICU. The benefits to the neonate include maintaining greater temperature stability, stabilized heart rate, and respirations within
Currently in Australia, over half a billion animals are raised, chemically modified and slaughtered for food and food production, simply for human benefit. This seems a small portion compared to the Animal Equality Network’s statistic of fifty-six billion animals slaughtered each year globally, which include for the purposes of human consumption, entertainment, religious traditions and scientific research. The main supply of animal products produced for human purposes come from factory farming. Factory farming can be defined as a system of rearing livestock using highly intensive methods, by which poultry, pigs, or cattle are confined indoors under strictly controlled conditions. Currently in Australia, factory farming is the leading cause
Among the many different marsupials in the world, there is one that stands out and is recognized, not only for its looks, but also for the hardships that it deals with in being a koala. The koala originated in Australia, and was discovered by trappers around the time of 1798. Many rare and exotic animals have been found in Australia, because of its remoteness and isolation from most of the civilized world. Australia has been described as a huge ark, a giant lifeboat, cut off from contact with the rest of the world and carrying with it a group of unique creatures (Serventy 1975). The creatures that inhabit Australia are made up of many different classifications of animal groups that have found themselves all living
There has been significant increase in the number of zoo-based studies exploring the relationships between visitors and captive animals, in particular non-human primates (Carder and Semple, 2008). Visitors effect on an animals can be classified in three ways either stressful, neutral (or no consequence) or enriching (Choo, Todd and Li, 2011) A considerable amount of research has been focused on the effect of visitor presence on the behaviour of captive animals (Hosey, 2000). Although studies have included other species including multi-specie bird groups (Downs, 2012) and other mammals, the majority involves research with primates due to their higher range of behaviours and susceptibility to change from external influences, this however is limited
The importance of analyzing animal behavior inside, and outside, of confinement is necessary to arrive at any conclusion regarding keeping exotic animals in captivity to improve population conservation. In order to determine which natural behaviors improve, or are indicators of good welfare, and which natural behaviors are not, it must be determined if the health of the animal is improved from allowing it to behave naturally, and under its own desire (Dawkins, 2006). In order to consider captive breeding for conservation a necessary practice, part of the process must be determining if the animals are able to perform normal behaviors, similar to behaviors displayed in the wild population. For example, social behaviors of orangutans were shown
While an animal in the zoo is held in a tight spot and looked at by children. They may feel uneasy and anxious. An example is living without room often causes “zoophobia,” a condition in which animals act strangely and even hurt themselves out of boredom and frustration. Unlike captivity, wild animals are allowed to roam around as much as they require to. They don’t require to roam around in a certain amount of space, they have as much space as they want and are able to do anything they wish to do. This would cause them to feel the relief of
A study at the Tama Zoological park was done over the course of five months observing
In the United Stated and most develop countries birth take place in hospital labor and delivery units. Physicians encourage expectant mothers to do so based on the fact that if an emergency arises during the whole birthing process, either mother or newborn would receive proper rapid medical treatment interventions. Due to these recommendations, many hospitals become saturated with high volume of expectant mothers being admitted for their birthing. If the amount of patients exceeds the capacity a hospital can effectively and safely manage, then waiting times for these patient increases, and resources become scarce, causing the hospital morbidity and mortality rates to increase as the need of these patients cannot be
In Southern Hills, one would better spend their time searching for a kangaroo than a police car. In conjunction with the majority of white suburban neighborhoods, crime was virtually non-existent, facilities well maintained, and school children always had a full lunch bag. In simple terms, life was good. Living in such a community meant I never felt as though my basic human rights were ever being violated because of my skin, gender, or religion. The extent of my knowledge regarding human rights, while limited, derives from my concessions nature, that I acquired from typical Southern Hills schooling. Being fortunate enough to have been born in a community safe from world atrocities has allowed me to view the world in a much broader sense while simultaneously providing me the understanding of how anyone, regardless of upbringing, can begin to change such daunting issues.
According to a recent study, over three-quarters of UK zoos fail to reach the minimum requirements needed for the animals in their care. This shockingly high statistic shows that animals aren’t receiving the attention they deserve, with the majority being kept in dirty and unhygienic enclosures with stagnant drinking water. Not enough is being done to replicate the natural habitat of these animals. The climate many zoo animals are introduced to is unusual and different compared to their natural one. This can have major consequences, including animals reacting abnormally to this change and getting injured, even though this could have been avoided. This new life that animals are forced to experience has in turn resulted in confusion and led to the stunted development of youngsters. On a typical day, animals in the wild are free to roam around and carry out basic tasks such as hunting and raising their young. This however, is the complete opposite to