Multifaceted Approach to Personality Assessment in Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus)

Abstract

-The purpose of this study was to assess the personality of 17 South African cheetahs at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. A multifaceted approach of observer ratings (rating method), behavioral data (coding method) and hormone monitoring was used to examine individual differences. Knowledge of these individual differences, i.e., personality, is essential to better husbandry and management in a zoological facility. Principal Components Analysis yielded five personality components: Insecure, Aggressive, Interactive, Active, and Unsociable. Comparing the personality components with gender, reproductive success, and hand-rearing history of the individuals revealed significant associations. The components Aggressive and Interactive had a positive correlation with behavioral diversity, and the component Unsociable had a positive correlation with self-maintenance. There was a significant gender difference, with males scoring higher on Aggressive and Interactive. Individuals who scored higher on these components also had higher levels of behavioral diversity, and males displayed higher levels of behavioral diversity than females. In addition, individuals that were reproductively successful scored higher on the component Unsociable, as well as displayed higher FGM levels. This study demonstrates the value of using a multifaceted approach to further understand and assess animal personality. Information gained from this study can ultimately help zoological facilities manage and assist with reproductive efforts in populations that are not currently self-sustaining, such as the cheetah.

The ‘Feline Five’: An exploration of personality in pet cats (Felis catus)

“…Accurate assessment of pet cat personality may help owners manage their cats in a way that optimises cat welfare. Additionally, a greater understanding of cat personality may help owners notice changes in their cat and seek professional assessment by a veterinarian and/or animal behaviour specialist [ 8 , 17 , 77 ].…”

Effects of personality and rearing-history on the welfare of captive Asiatic lions (Panthera leo persica)

“…Moreover, present welfare assessment protocols often do not consider individual requirements as modifiers for species-specific husbandry practices. The effects of animal personality on welfare (Izzo, Bashaw & Campbell, 2011;Coelho, De Azevedo & Young, 2012;Razal, Pisacane & Miller, 2016) and its implications for post-release survival (Bremner-Harrison, Prodohl & Elwood, 2004;Watters, 2009) are well documented. This study aligns with the conservation goals for Asiatic lions by addressing individuality in welfare assessment (Rabin, 2003;Izzo, Bashaw & Campbell, 2011;Coelho, De Azevedo & Young, 2012;Razal, Pisacane & Miller, 2016).…”

“…Pro-welfare husbandry practices are vital for the biopsychosocial health of captive animals and long-term success of conservation breeding programmes (Hediger, 1968;Rabin, 2003;Broom, 2011). Studies show that animals housed under poor welfare conditions experience allostatic overload and chronic stress, that manifest as loss of behaviour diversity and cognitive abilities (Sheperdson, Carlstead & Wielebnowski, 2004;Mendl et al, 2009;Kroshko et al, 2016;Razal, Pisacane & Miller, 2016), ultimately reducing their survival and reproductive potential (Broom, 1991;Schreck, 2010). Ideally conservation breeding programs should conduct periodic welfare evaluations for the improvement of incumbent housing and husbandry practices, and realign with conservation goals (Engel, 1980;Korte, Olivier & Koolhaas, 2007;Broom, 2011;Moorhouse et al, 2015).…”

Peer Review #1 of "Effects of personality and rearing-history on the welfare of captive Asiatic lions (Panthera leo persica) (v0.1)"

“…Pro-welfare husbandry practices are vital for the biopsychosocial health of captive animals and long-term success of conservation breeding programmes (Hediger, 1958;Rabin, 2003;Teixeira et al, 2007;Broom, 2011). Studies show that animals housed under poor welfare conditions experience allostatic overload and chronic stress, that manifest as loss of behaviour diversity and cognitive abilities (Sheperdson, Carlstead & Wielebnowski, 2004;Kroshko et al, 2016;Razal, Pisacane & Miller, 2016), ultimately reducing their survival and reproductive potential (Broom, 1991;Schreck, 2010). Ideally conservation breeding programs should conduct periodic welfare evaluations for the improvement of incumbent housing and husbandry practices, and realign with conservation goals (Engel, 1980; Olivier & Koolhaas, 2007;Broom, 2011).…”