Trapping and handling squirrels: Trap modification and handling restraint to minimize injuries and stress

Abstract

Trapping and handling is stressful for wild animals and may result in injuries. Minimizing stress and injuries is important not only for the welfare of the animals, but to assure integrity of research using trapped wild animals. By recording injury rates associated with trapping and handling, it is possible to assess the welfare performance of trapping and handling methods. Although the International Organization for Standardization published a standardized scale for the type and severity of injuries caused by trapping and handling (ISO 1999), it does not provide guidelines for acceptable standards of animal welfare; that is left to the researchers themselves to determine. The purpose of this paper is to measure the level of injury to wild squirrels caused by trapping and handling using minimally disruptive methods. We report our injury rates from several studies conducted in California, USA, that used various trapping and handling methods and the refined procedures we have adopted. Our data set on multiple Sciuridae species provides values for comparison with other studies. We found that using a canvas cover for traps minimized stress and injuries in captured squirrels. We also found that using a cone handling bag minimized handling time and stress associated with handling and eliminated the need for chemical immobilants. Further, we found that covering the animals' eyes during handling appeared to reduce visible signs of stress. © 2013 The Wildlife Society.

Anesthetic Effects of Alfaxalone–Ketamine, Alfaxalone–Ketamine–Dexmedetomidine, and Alfaxalone–Butorphanol–Midazolam Administered Intramuscularly in Five‑striped Palm Squirrels (Funambulus pennantii)

“…1,2,14,39,40,44,47 In general, squirrel species can be fractious in nature, and chemical immobilization or anesthesia is often required to enable examinations or clinical procedures. 5,7,9,16,23,25,30,31,36,37,42,51 With its relatively rapid induction and recovery properties, inhalation anesthesia is commonly used for immobilization of rodent species. 9,20,22,31,37 Because of the small body size of palm squirrels, endotracheal intubation is technically challenging and therefore not routinely performed, and inhalation anesthesia is commonly delivered by using a chamber or face mask.…”

Effects of blindfolding and tail bending of Egyptian water buffaloes on their behavioural reactivity and physiological responses to pain induction

“…Restriction of vision through the reduction of ambient light intensity has been demonstrated to make non-human animals calmer during restraint or capture, including domestic chicken ( Jones, 1986 , Jones et al., 1998 ), red deer ( Haigh and Friesen, 1995 , Pollard and Littlejohn, 1994 ) and squirrels ( Mantor, Krause, & Hart, 2014 ). However, the present study could not demonstrate whether the blindfolded buffaloes were calmer because the blindfold eliminated the ability of animals to detect the presence of humans in close proximity, or all visual inputs (presence of human and other environmental variables).…”

A Comparative Study of Intramuscular Alfaxalone- or Ketamine-Based Anesthetic Mixtures in Gray Squirrels Undergoing Gonadectomy: Clinical and Physiologic Findings

“…Anesthesia or sedation for wildlife casualties is often required for surveying and monitoring purposes, i.e., routine examination, weighing, blood or tissue sampling, and the implantation of microchips. Trapping and handling is stressful for wild animals and may result in injuries [ 16 , 17 ]. Chemical immobilization may include inhalant anesthetics, which necessarily require costly instruments that may be cumbersome in a field condition and can determine cardiovascular depression [ 18 ], or injectable drugs.…”