The Stress Response to Environmental Change in Captive Cheetahs (Acinonyx Jubatus)

Abstract

The captive North American cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) population is not self-sustaining because of high prevalences of unusual diseases and poor reproductive success. Cheetahs are commonly moved between zoos for breeding purposes to maintain genetic diversity within the captive population, and movement may exacerbate infertility and disease. Fecal corticoids were analyzed by radioimmunoassay to measure the stress response of cheetahs to movement between facilities. Fecal samples were collected from 15 cheetahs for 14 days before movement and for at least 30 days after movement. For each cheetah, premovement fecal corticoid concentrations were used to determine baseline and then compared with trends in postmovement concentrations. In general, postmovement corticoid concentrations either increased (n = 8), did not change (n = 2), or decreased (n = 5). Although individual animal differences occurred, corticoid concentrations increased for most animals moved on-exhibit and decreased in animals moved off-exhibit. Animals moving on-exhibit had an 18-times greater risk of having corticoids elevated more than two standard deviations above baseline for 30 days after movement compared with animals that moved off-exhibit. In addition, greater day-to-day variation in corticoids occurred in animals moved on-exhibit. In general, animals with initially low baseline corticoid concentrations had a greater postmovement corticoid response than cheetahs with initially high baseline levels. These results indicate that some cheetahs have a prolonged stress response when moved between facilities, and the magnitude and character of this response is influenced by the exhibit environment.

Validation of an enzyme immunoassay for the measurement of faecal glucocorticoid metabolites in Eurasian (Lynx lynx) and Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus)

“…Besides husbandry conditions, veterinary procedures are also correlated with high fGM levels in different carnivore species (Malmkvist and Hansen, 2001;Rothschild et al, 2008;Young et al, 2004), but wherein especially the chemical immobilization represents a potential stressor for captive animals (Teixeira et al, 2007). In contrast to other studies demonstrating that translocations and acclimatisation to new enclosures caused strong stress responses in felid species (Carlstead et al, 1993a;Fanson and Wielebnowski, 2013;Wells et al, 2004), in our study distinct elevated fGM concentrations following translocation were only measurably in a single male (Fig. 6).…”

Extrinsic Factors Significantly Affect Patterns of Disease in Free-Ranging and Captive Cheetah (Acinonyx Jubatus) Populations

“…Additionally, a higher proportion of captive cheetahs have adrenal cortical hyperplasia than free-ranging cheetahs (Table 1). We further have documented a prolonged elevation of corticosteroids in response to environmental change in cheetahs (Wells et al, 2004). We have suspected that persistent hypercortisolemia may influence the development of glomerulosclerosis and may stimulate cytokine shifts (Chiapelli et al, 1994;Ramirez, 2003) that favor the development of gastritis.…”

Systemic Amyloid A Amyloidosis in Island Foxes (Urocyon littoralis)

“…17,44,49 Elevated fecal cortisol levels have been shown in captive compared to wild cheetahs and cheetahs on- versus off-exhibit. 45,52 Additionally, the social stress of crowded housing is associated with AA amyloidosis in Syrian hamsters and mice in the laboratory setting. 13,22 Thus, captive foxes may experience enhanced SAA transcription from stress-induced glucocorticoid production that could promote amyloidosis.…”