Janice Vaz | Western Sydney University (original) (raw)

Papers by Janice Vaz

Research paper thumbnail of Conservation Physiology of Tigers in Zoos: Integrating Stress Physiology and Behaviour to Monitor Their Health and Welfare

Big cats in zoos can face challenges associated with captive environments such as inadequate biol... more Big cats in zoos can face challenges associated with captive environments such as inadequate biological adaptation, increased occurrence abnormal behaviour and health-related problems. Conservation physiology is an emerging theme and a dynamic field of research, which aims to reduce these challenges of big cats captive management programmes through new scientific research integrating physiology and behaviour. This field of research applies cutting-edge physiological tools (e.g. non-invasive reproductive and stress hormone monitoring) in combination with traditional methods of behaviour and veterinary health assessments to provide a holistic account of how big cats respond to the captive environment. This book chapter discusses the applications of conservation physiology tools in the captive management of tigers in zoos. Our goal is to bolster tiger captive management in zoos by studying their stress physiology. Overall, the application of conservation physiology tools into captive management programmes for tigers and other big cat species can provide valuable information for evaluating and managing stress, thus improving tiger welfare.

Research paper thumbnail of Evaluation of stereotypic behaviours and faecal corticosterone levels of captive felids in six Indian zoos

Animals in captivity are confined to a small space, as compared to their peers in the wild, leadi... more Animals in captivity are confined to a small space, as compared to their peers in the wild, leading to many welfare problems. The main welfare problem appears to be stress, which affects the health physically, physiologically and psychologically. This study assessed the intensity of stereotypic behaviour and level of faecal corticosterone metabolite among the large felids— 42 Royal Bengal tigers (Panthera tigris tigris) and 21 Indian leopards (Panthera pardus fusca)—housed at six different Indian Zoos between April 2014 and March 2015. The stereotypic behaviour prevalence and its intensity assessed through behavioural observations on focal species revealed that tigers on an average spent 12% of the time on stereotypic behaviours during day light hours, while the leopards spent 7% of their time on stereotypic behaviours. Comparison of stereotypic behaviour individually with independent biological factors (animal origin, sex, age, reproductive history and health condition) and environ...

Research paper thumbnail of Prevalence and determinants of stereotypic behaviours and physiological stress among tigers and leopards in Indian zoos

India's charismatic wildlife species are facing immense pressure from anthropogenic-induced envir... more India's charismatic wildlife species are facing immense pressure from anthropogenic-induced environmental perturbations. Zoos play a major role in the conservation of threatened species, but their adaptation in captivity is posing a major challenge globally. Stress from inadequate adaptation could lead to suppression of cognitive functioning and increased display of stereotypic behaviour. It is thus necessary to measure biological traits like behaviour, stress physiology, and contextual factors driving the animals maintained at zoos. In this study, we assessed stereotypic behaviour and stress physiology employing standard behaviour scoring, non-invasive stress monitoring, and their contextual drivers in a sub-population of two large felid species managed in six Indian zoos. The prevalence and intensity of stereotypic behaviours and levels of faecal corticosterone metabolites (FCM) were ascertained among 41 Royal Bengal tigers Panthera tigris tigris and 21 Indian leopards Panthera pardus fusca between April 2014 and March 2015. Behavioural observations showed that tigers spent more time stereotyping (12%) than leopards (7%) during daylight hours. Stress levels assessed using FCM revealed that tigers (23.6 ± 1.62 ng/g) had marginally lower level of corticosterone metabolites than leopards (27.2 ±1.36 ng/g). Stereotypic behaviour increased significantly with FCM level when the effect of heath status was controlled in tigers, and the effects tree cover, stone, den and keeper attitude controlled in leopards. Comparison of stereotypes of tigers with various biological and environmental factors using binary logistic regression revealed that stereotypic prevalence decreased with increased enclosure size, and enclosure enrichments like presence of pools and stones, when managed socially with conspecifics, and with positive keeper attitude, these factors accounting for 43% of variations in stereotypic prevalence among tigers. Stereotype among leopards was significantly absent when associated with increased tree cover and presence of pool, and den in the enclosure, age and among zoo-born than wild-born ones. These factors explain 81% of variations in stereotypic prevalence in them. A comparison of FCM levels with context-dependent factors revealed that stress levels among tigers decreased significantly with enclosure size and with individuals from nil to low, and severity of health PLOS ONE | https://doi.

Research paper thumbnail of Captive big cats show stress in different ways

Observing wild animals in zoos is a refreshing break from everyday monotony for most of us. For t... more Observing wild animals in zoos is a refreshing break from everyday monotony for most of us. For the zoo animals, on the other hand, it’s a stressful life. Animals in zoos show certain specific behaviours not seen in their wild counterparts: elephants sway their heads from side to side, chimps rock back and forth, bears bite their feet, giraffes lick walls, and leopards pace in their cages, to name a few. Known as ‘stereotypy’, these behaviours are coping responses commonly observed in captive wild animals.

Research paper thumbnail of Conservation Physiology of Tigers in Zoos: Integrating Stress Physiology and Behaviour to Monitor Their Health and Welfare

Big cats in zoos can face challenges associated with captive environments such as inadequate biol... more Big cats in zoos can face challenges associated with captive environments such as inadequate biological adaptation, increased occurrence abnormal behaviour and health-related problems. Conservation physiology is an emerging theme and a dynamic field of research, which aims to reduce these challenges of big cats captive management programmes through new scientific research integrating physiology and behaviour. This field of research applies cutting-edge physiological tools (e.g. non-invasive reproductive and stress hormone monitoring) in combination with traditional methods of behaviour and veterinary health assessments to provide a holistic account of how big cats respond to the captive environment. This book chapter discusses the applications of conservation physiology tools in the captive management of tigers in zoos. Our goal is to bolster tiger captive management in zoos by studying their stress physiology. Overall, the application of conservation physiology tools into captive management programmes for tigers and other big cat species can provide valuable information for evaluating and managing stress, thus improving tiger welfare.

Research paper thumbnail of Evaluation of stereotypic behaviours and faecal corticosterone levels of captive felids in six Indian zoos

Animals in captivity are confined to a small space, as compared to their peers in the wild, leadi... more Animals in captivity are confined to a small space, as compared to their peers in the wild, leading to many welfare problems. The main welfare problem appears to be stress, which affects the health physically, physiologically and psychologically. This study assessed the intensity of stereotypic behaviour and level of faecal corticosterone metabolite among the large felids— 42 Royal Bengal tigers (Panthera tigris tigris) and 21 Indian leopards (Panthera pardus fusca)—housed at six different Indian Zoos between April 2014 and March 2015. The stereotypic behaviour prevalence and its intensity assessed through behavioural observations on focal species revealed that tigers on an average spent 12% of the time on stereotypic behaviours during day light hours, while the leopards spent 7% of their time on stereotypic behaviours. Comparison of stereotypic behaviour individually with independent biological factors (animal origin, sex, age, reproductive history and health condition) and environ...

Research paper thumbnail of Prevalence and determinants of stereotypic behaviours and physiological stress among tigers and leopards in Indian zoos

India's charismatic wildlife species are facing immense pressure from anthropogenic-induced envir... more India's charismatic wildlife species are facing immense pressure from anthropogenic-induced environmental perturbations. Zoos play a major role in the conservation of threatened species, but their adaptation in captivity is posing a major challenge globally. Stress from inadequate adaptation could lead to suppression of cognitive functioning and increased display of stereotypic behaviour. It is thus necessary to measure biological traits like behaviour, stress physiology, and contextual factors driving the animals maintained at zoos. In this study, we assessed stereotypic behaviour and stress physiology employing standard behaviour scoring, non-invasive stress monitoring, and their contextual drivers in a sub-population of two large felid species managed in six Indian zoos. The prevalence and intensity of stereotypic behaviours and levels of faecal corticosterone metabolites (FCM) were ascertained among 41 Royal Bengal tigers Panthera tigris tigris and 21 Indian leopards Panthera pardus fusca between April 2014 and March 2015. Behavioural observations showed that tigers spent more time stereotyping (12%) than leopards (7%) during daylight hours. Stress levels assessed using FCM revealed that tigers (23.6 ± 1.62 ng/g) had marginally lower level of corticosterone metabolites than leopards (27.2 ±1.36 ng/g). Stereotypic behaviour increased significantly with FCM level when the effect of heath status was controlled in tigers, and the effects tree cover, stone, den and keeper attitude controlled in leopards. Comparison of stereotypes of tigers with various biological and environmental factors using binary logistic regression revealed that stereotypic prevalence decreased with increased enclosure size, and enclosure enrichments like presence of pools and stones, when managed socially with conspecifics, and with positive keeper attitude, these factors accounting for 43% of variations in stereotypic prevalence among tigers. Stereotype among leopards was significantly absent when associated with increased tree cover and presence of pool, and den in the enclosure, age and among zoo-born than wild-born ones. These factors explain 81% of variations in stereotypic prevalence in them. A comparison of FCM levels with context-dependent factors revealed that stress levels among tigers decreased significantly with enclosure size and with individuals from nil to low, and severity of health PLOS ONE | https://doi.

Research paper thumbnail of Captive big cats show stress in different ways

Observing wild animals in zoos is a refreshing break from everyday monotony for most of us. For t... more Observing wild animals in zoos is a refreshing break from everyday monotony for most of us. For the zoo animals, on the other hand, it’s a stressful life. Animals in zoos show certain specific behaviours not seen in their wild counterparts: elephants sway their heads from side to side, chimps rock back and forth, bears bite their feet, giraffes lick walls, and leopards pace in their cages, to name a few. Known as ‘stereotypy’, these behaviours are coping responses commonly observed in captive wild animals.