DUGi

Enclosure modification effects on zone usage and activity patterns of a captive ocelot (Leopardus pardalis)

http://dugi.udg.edu/item/http:@@@@hdl.handle.net@@10256@@26281

Captive animals kept in animal sanctuaries are found due to their inability to return to wildlife because of permanent damage or humanization. Those captive animals have long displayed stereotypical behaviors, these are linked to welfare issues such as self-injuries, excessive grooming or pacing. Pacing is described as a repetitive, ambulatory movement with no apparent function or goal. Although pacing is linked to stress, stress factors not always display an increase of pacing, sometimes they even reduce it. Direct link between stress factors that generate a physiological response, and their behaviors is still ambiguous on the Felidae family, studies have shown stress factors such as visitor effect decreasing, increasing or having no response at all on pacing. This study aims to reduce stereotypical pacing on a captive ocelot by modifying the enclosure he is captive in. Modifications include vertical exploitation, new platforms, new and denser vegetation and building a small fort, maintaining the enclosure dimensions unchanged. It is proposed that stereotypical pacing is a non-natural behavior developed by captive animals because of their captivity status, therefore efforts on reducing their pacing should be done on the enclosure. Data was gathered from the enclosure before and after modifications by recordings of the ocelot over six time zones. Results showed a common distribution for both enclosures for the actions performed on them, though significant decrease in pacing in the new enclosure was seen, as well as significant increase in resting behaviors and zone usage diversification. The new fort and some of the new platforms achieved great usage, diversifying the link between zone and action. New resting behavior features are thought to have an impact on the ocelot resting behavior, increasing it and diversifying it, as a result, pacing was reduced. Resting areas are essential for cat’s well-being, thus their implementation granted the ocelot a retreat space where he could not be seen, away from the stress factors such as visitors, staff or loud noises

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