This study investigated behavioral activities (resting, moving, aggressive, social, and reproductive behavior) and fecal cortisol levels in 8 individually identified adult male blackbucks during periods of varying levels of zoo visitors (zero, low, high, and extremely high zoo visitor density). This study also elucidated whether zoo visitor density could disturb nonhuman animal welfare. This study analyzed fecal cortisol from the samples of blackbuck by radioimmunoassay and found significant differences (p < .05) for time the animals devoted to moving, resting, aggressive, reproductive, and social behavior on days with high and extremely high levels of zoo visitors. The ANOVA with Duncan's Multiple Range Test test showed that the fecal cortisol concentration was higher (p < .05) during the extremely high (137.30 ± 5.88 ng/g dry feces) and high (113.51 ± 3.70 ng/g dry feces) levels of zoo visitor density. The results of the study suggest that zoo visitor density affected behavior and adrenocortical secretion in Indian Blackbuck, and this may indicate an animal welfare problem.

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Visitors to zoos can be a source of potential disturbance and stress to some captive, nonhuman animals in the wild. To determine the influence of visitor presence on captive bison (Bos gaurus gaurus), the study analyzed the behavior of 4 individuals at the Arignar Anna Zoological Park, India. The study often observed the behavior of the animals on visitor-present days and on days when visitors were absent. In the presence of zoo visitors, the bison showed a higher level of intragroup aggression and moving behavior. In contrast, the bison rested more when no visitors were present. The results revealed that the presence of zoo visitors significantly influenced the behavior of captive bison and thereby may have affected their welfare.

No abstract

Species-specific chemical signals released through urine, sweat, saliva and feces are involved in communication between animals. Urinary biochemical constituents along with pheromones may contribute to variation across reproductive cycles and facilitate to estrus detection. Hence, the present study was designed to analyze such biochemical profiles, such as proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, fatty acids, in response with steroid hormones such as estradiol and progesterone. The experimental groups were normal, prepubertal, ovariectomized, and ovariectomized with estrogentreated female mice. In normal mice, the protein and lipid concentrations in urine were significantly higher in proestrus and estrus phases and the quantity of fatty acids was also comparatively higher in estrus. Furthermore, certain fatty acids, namely tridecanoic, palmitic and oleic acids, were present during proestrus and estrus phases, but were exclusively absent in ovariectomized mice. However, the carbohydrate level was equally maintained throughout the four phases of estrous cycle. For successful communication, higher concentrations of protein and specific fatty acids in estrus are directly involved. The significant increase in estradiol at estrus and progesterone at metestrus seems to be of greater importance in the expression pattern of biochemical constituents and may play a notable role in estrous cycle regulation. Thus, we conclude that the variations observed in the concentration of the biochemical constituents depend on the phase of the reproductive cycle as well as hormonal status of animals. The appearance of protein and specific fatty acids during estrus phase raises the possibility to use these as a urinary indicators for estrus detection.