Experimental Release of Orphaned Wild Felids into a Tropical Rainforest in Southwestern Costa Rica
A 3- to 4-mo-old male ocelot (<i>Leopardus pardalis</i>) and a 6- to 8-mo-old female margay (<i>Leopardus weidii</i>) were brought in from the wild, held in captivity, and rehabilitated for 906 and 709 days, respectively, at the Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center in Costa Rica. D...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-08-01
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| Series: | Veterinary Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2306-7381/9/9/468 |
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| author | Víctor H. Montalvo Isabel Hagnauer Juan C. Cruz-Díaz Brayan Morera Kevin Lloyd Carolina Sáenz-Bolaños Todd K. Fuller Eduardo Carrillo |
| author_facet | Víctor H. Montalvo Isabel Hagnauer Juan C. Cruz-Díaz Brayan Morera Kevin Lloyd Carolina Sáenz-Bolaños Todd K. Fuller Eduardo Carrillo |
| author_sort | Víctor H. Montalvo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | A 3- to 4-mo-old male ocelot (<i>Leopardus pardalis</i>) and a 6- to 8-mo-old female margay (<i>Leopardus weidii</i>) were brought in from the wild, held in captivity, and rehabilitated for 906 and 709 days, respectively, at the Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center in Costa Rica. During captivity, both cats were kept as isolated as possible from humans and fed appropriate live wild prey. After maturing and demonstrating the ability to capture and feed on live prey, the cats were radio-collared, released at a national wildlife refuge previously assessed for predator and prey occurrence, and monitored. After 54 days, the ocelot was trapped while preying on chickens in a nearby community, and after 20 days, the margay was found dead, likely due to ocelot predation. Avoiding habituation to humans, assuring hunting abilities, and assessing release sites likely is not sufficient to assure successful release of these species, and more experimental releases with innovative and detailed protocols and monitoring are needed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:14:52Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-005696ea289a4349959f9eba49481242 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2306-7381 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:14:52Z |
| publishDate | 2022-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Veterinary Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-005696ea289a4349959f9eba494812422023-11-23T19:23:54ZengMDPI AGVeterinary Sciences2306-73812022-08-019946810.3390/vetsci9090468Experimental Release of Orphaned Wild Felids into a Tropical Rainforest in Southwestern Costa RicaVíctor H. Montalvo0Isabel Hagnauer1Juan C. Cruz-Díaz2Brayan Morera3Kevin Lloyd4Carolina Sáenz-Bolaños5Todd K. Fuller6Eduardo Carrillo7Instituto Internacional en Conservación y Manejo de Vida Silvestre, Universidad Nacional, Apdo, Heredia 1350-3000, Costa RicaNamá Conservation, Heredia 40101, Costa RicaNamá Conservation, Heredia 40101, Costa RicaInstituto Internacional en Conservación y Manejo de Vida Silvestre, Universidad Nacional, Apdo, Heredia 1350-3000, Costa RicaInstituto Internacional en Conservación y Manejo de Vida Silvestre, Universidad Nacional, Apdo, Heredia 1350-3000, Costa RicaInstituto Internacional en Conservación y Manejo de Vida Silvestre, Universidad Nacional, Apdo, Heredia 1350-3000, Costa RicaDepartment of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USAInstituto Internacional en Conservación y Manejo de Vida Silvestre, Universidad Nacional, Apdo, Heredia 1350-3000, Costa RicaA 3- to 4-mo-old male ocelot (<i>Leopardus pardalis</i>) and a 6- to 8-mo-old female margay (<i>Leopardus weidii</i>) were brought in from the wild, held in captivity, and rehabilitated for 906 and 709 days, respectively, at the Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center in Costa Rica. During captivity, both cats were kept as isolated as possible from humans and fed appropriate live wild prey. After maturing and demonstrating the ability to capture and feed on live prey, the cats were radio-collared, released at a national wildlife refuge previously assessed for predator and prey occurrence, and monitored. After 54 days, the ocelot was trapped while preying on chickens in a nearby community, and after 20 days, the margay was found dead, likely due to ocelot predation. Avoiding habituation to humans, assuring hunting abilities, and assessing release sites likely is not sufficient to assure successful release of these species, and more experimental releases with innovative and detailed protocols and monitoring are needed.https://www.mdpi.com/2306-7381/9/9/468<i>Leopardus</i>reintroductionrescuefelidtelemetrypost-release monitoring |
| spellingShingle | Víctor H. Montalvo Isabel Hagnauer Juan C. Cruz-Díaz Brayan Morera Kevin Lloyd Carolina Sáenz-Bolaños Todd K. Fuller Eduardo Carrillo Experimental Release of Orphaned Wild Felids into a Tropical Rainforest in Southwestern Costa Rica Veterinary Sciences <i>Leopardus</i> reintroduction rescue felid telemetry post-release monitoring |
| title | Experimental Release of Orphaned Wild Felids into a Tropical Rainforest in Southwestern Costa Rica |
| title_full | Experimental Release of Orphaned Wild Felids into a Tropical Rainforest in Southwestern Costa Rica |
| title_fullStr | Experimental Release of Orphaned Wild Felids into a Tropical Rainforest in Southwestern Costa Rica |
| title_full_unstemmed | Experimental Release of Orphaned Wild Felids into a Tropical Rainforest in Southwestern Costa Rica |
| title_short | Experimental Release of Orphaned Wild Felids into a Tropical Rainforest in Southwestern Costa Rica |
| title_sort | experimental release of orphaned wild felids into a tropical rainforest in southwestern costa rica |
| topic | <i>Leopardus</i> reintroduction rescue felid telemetry post-release monitoring |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2306-7381/9/9/468 |
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