Physical and Physiological Indicators of Welfare in Guinea Pigs (<i>Cavia porcellus</i>) Serving as Ambassador Animals
Special encounters that allow contact between animals and guests are common in zoos and aquariums. Visitors to the Saint Louis Zoo may touch guinea pigs serving as ambassador animals. We evaluated two welfare indicators in ambassador guinea pigs by comparing glucocorticoid levels and body weights be...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2020-05-01
|
| Series: | Animals |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/5/815 |
| _version_ | 1797568577243447296 |
|---|---|
| author | David M. Powell Corinne P. Kozlowski John Clark Alice Seyfried Eli Baskir Ashley D. Franklin |
| author_facet | David M. Powell Corinne P. Kozlowski John Clark Alice Seyfried Eli Baskir Ashley D. Franklin |
| author_sort | David M. Powell |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Special encounters that allow contact between animals and guests are common in zoos and aquariums. Visitors to the Saint Louis Zoo may touch guinea pigs serving as ambassador animals. We evaluated two welfare indicators in ambassador guinea pigs by comparing glucocorticoid levels and body weights between periods when guinea pigs lived in a habitat accessible to the public and while off exhibit. Mean glucocorticoid levels did not differ between sexes or between on- and off-exhibit periods. There was significant individual variation, and females demonstrated greater variation than males. While on exhibit, glucocorticoid levels slightly but significantly increased in males and decreased in females. Moving guinea pigs between habitats only elicited a significant glucocorticoid response when females were moved off exhibit. Temporary closures of the exhibit had no effect on glucocorticoid levels in either sex. Analyses of the impact of handling rates on males found no impact on glucocorticoid levels. Guinea pigs’ body weights were lower while on exhibit. We conclude that guinea pigs serving as ambassador animals at the Saint Louis Zoo demonstrate comparable physiological profiles while on and off exhibit and, when used in a rotational schedule, are a suitable species for animal encounters involving contact with the public. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T19:58:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f23340ddb91f4aa4bb4447584157f88a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2615 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T19:58:55Z |
| publishDate | 2020-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animals |
| spelling | doaj.art-f23340ddb91f4aa4bb4447584157f88a2023-11-19T23:48:36ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152020-05-0110581510.3390/ani10050815Physical and Physiological Indicators of Welfare in Guinea Pigs (<i>Cavia porcellus</i>) Serving as Ambassador AnimalsDavid M. Powell0Corinne P. Kozlowski1John Clark2Alice Seyfried3Eli Baskir4Ashley D. Franklin5Department of Reproductive and Behavioral Sciences, Saint Louis Zoo, 1 Government Drive, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USADepartment of Reproductive and Behavioral Sciences, Saint Louis Zoo, 1 Government Drive, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USAChildren’s Zoo, Saint Louis Zoo, 1 Government Drive, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USAChildren’s Zoo, Saint Louis Zoo, 1 Government Drive, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USADepartment of Reproductive and Behavioral Sciences, Saint Louis Zoo, 1 Government Drive, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USAAZA Reproductive Management Center, Saint Louis Zoo, 1 Government Drive, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USASpecial encounters that allow contact between animals and guests are common in zoos and aquariums. Visitors to the Saint Louis Zoo may touch guinea pigs serving as ambassador animals. We evaluated two welfare indicators in ambassador guinea pigs by comparing glucocorticoid levels and body weights between periods when guinea pigs lived in a habitat accessible to the public and while off exhibit. Mean glucocorticoid levels did not differ between sexes or between on- and off-exhibit periods. There was significant individual variation, and females demonstrated greater variation than males. While on exhibit, glucocorticoid levels slightly but significantly increased in males and decreased in females. Moving guinea pigs between habitats only elicited a significant glucocorticoid response when females were moved off exhibit. Temporary closures of the exhibit had no effect on glucocorticoid levels in either sex. Analyses of the impact of handling rates on males found no impact on glucocorticoid levels. Guinea pigs’ body weights were lower while on exhibit. We conclude that guinea pigs serving as ambassador animals at the Saint Louis Zoo demonstrate comparable physiological profiles while on and off exhibit and, when used in a rotational schedule, are a suitable species for animal encounters involving contact with the public.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/5/815welfareglucocorticoidszoodomesticationambassador animal |
| spellingShingle | David M. Powell Corinne P. Kozlowski John Clark Alice Seyfried Eli Baskir Ashley D. Franklin Physical and Physiological Indicators of Welfare in Guinea Pigs (<i>Cavia porcellus</i>) Serving as Ambassador Animals Animals welfare glucocorticoids zoo domestication ambassador animal |
| title | Physical and Physiological Indicators of Welfare in Guinea Pigs (<i>Cavia porcellus</i>) Serving as Ambassador Animals |
| title_full | Physical and Physiological Indicators of Welfare in Guinea Pigs (<i>Cavia porcellus</i>) Serving as Ambassador Animals |
| title_fullStr | Physical and Physiological Indicators of Welfare in Guinea Pigs (<i>Cavia porcellus</i>) Serving as Ambassador Animals |
| title_full_unstemmed | Physical and Physiological Indicators of Welfare in Guinea Pigs (<i>Cavia porcellus</i>) Serving as Ambassador Animals |
| title_short | Physical and Physiological Indicators of Welfare in Guinea Pigs (<i>Cavia porcellus</i>) Serving as Ambassador Animals |
| title_sort | physical and physiological indicators of welfare in guinea pigs i cavia porcellus i serving as ambassador animals |
| topic | welfare glucocorticoids zoo domestication ambassador animal |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/5/815 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT davidmpowell physicalandphysiologicalindicatorsofwelfareinguineapigsicaviaporcellusiservingasambassadoranimals AT corinnepkozlowski physicalandphysiologicalindicatorsofwelfareinguineapigsicaviaporcellusiservingasambassadoranimals AT johnclark physicalandphysiologicalindicatorsofwelfareinguineapigsicaviaporcellusiservingasambassadoranimals AT aliceseyfried physicalandphysiologicalindicatorsofwelfareinguineapigsicaviaporcellusiservingasambassadoranimals AT elibaskir physicalandphysiologicalindicatorsofwelfareinguineapigsicaviaporcellusiservingasambassadoranimals AT ashleydfranklin physicalandphysiologicalindicatorsofwelfareinguineapigsicaviaporcellusiservingasambassadoranimals |