scholarly journals Effects of Visitor Presence and Crowd Size on Zoo-Housed Red Kangaroos (Macropus Rufus) During and After a COVID-19 Closure

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 521-537
Author(s):  
Megan Jones ◽  
Kylen N. Gartland ◽  
Grace Fuller
Keyword(s):  
Behavioral Responses ◽  
Space Use ◽  
Common Species ◽  
Behavioral Changes ◽  
Social Proximity ◽  
Close Proximity ◽  
Macropus Rufus ◽  
Crowd Size ◽  
Time Spent Feeding ◽  
Better Than

Macropods, particularly kangaroos and wallabies, are common species included in walk-through habitats that put them in close proximity to zoo visitors. However, there has been little research into how visitor presence and density impact the welfare of these individuals. We monitored the behavior and space use of fifteen red kangaroos (Macropus rufus) for a total of ten weeks during and after a nearly three-month zoo closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our findings revealed potential visitor effects, evidenced by more time spent in social proximity, greater inactivity, and more restricted space use after the zoo reopened. Although temperature and weather likely played a role in at least some of these behavioral changes, social proximity and space use changed with crowd size in a manner consistent with our zoo status (i.e., open or closed) results. Additionally, time spent feeding was significantly related to crowd size but not zoo status, such that the kangaroos spent more time feeding when there were no visitors in the habitat. These findings suggest that visitor effects explain these behavioral changes better than seasonal confounds. We also noted several individual differences in response to visitor presence and crowd size, highlighting the importance of evaluating behavioral responses to visitors on an individual basis.

scholarly journals Reactions of Narwhals, Monodon monoceros, to Killer Whale, Orcinus orca, Attacks in the Eastern Canadian Arctic

2006 ◽  
Vol 120 (4) ◽  
pp. 457 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristin L. Laidre ◽  
Mads Peter Heide-Jørgensen ◽  
Jack R. Orr
Keyword(s):  
Killer Whale ◽  
Satellite Telemetry ◽  
Behavioral Responses ◽  
Space Use ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Behavioral Changes ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Observation Data ◽  
Killer Whales ◽  
Time Changes

A Killer Whale attack on Narwhals was observed at Kakiak Point in Admiralty Inlet, Nunavut, Canada, in August 2005. Behavioral responses of both Narwhals and Killer Whales were documented by direct observation. Data collected from Narwhals instrumented with satellite-linked transmitters 5 days prior to the arrival of Killer Whales were used to examine changes in Narwhal movement patterns (e.g., dispersal and clumping) five days before the attack, during the attack, and five days after Killer Whales left the area. A minimum of four Narwhals were killed by 12-15 Killer Whales in a period of 6 hours. Narwhals showed a suite of behavioral changes in the immediate presence of Killer Whales including slow, quiet movements, travel close to the beach (<2 m from shore), use of very shallow water, and formation of tight groups at the surface. These behavioral changes are consistent with Inuit accounts of Killer Whale attacks on Narwhals. During the attack, Narwhals dispersed broadly, the groups were less clumped (standard deviation of inter-whale mean latitudes and longitudes), Narwhal space-use doubled from pre-attack home ranges of 347 km2 to 767 km2 (kernel 50% probability), and Narwhals shifted their distribution further south of the attack site. After the disappearance of Killer Whales, north-south dispersal of Narwhals contracted and was similar to pre-attack levels, total space use decreased slightly (599 km2), yet west-east dispersal remained high. Narwhals were distributed significantly (P < 0.001) more broadly offshore in areas not used before the occurrence of Killer Whales. In general, short-term reactions of Narwhals to Killer Whale presence were obvious; yet normal behavior (as observed from shore) resumed shortly after Killer Whales left the area. Long-term (five day) Narwhal behavioral responses included increased dispersal of Narwhal groups over large offshore areas. This is among the few reports of eyewitness Killer Whale attacks on Narwhals in the high Arctic and is the first time changes in Narwhal behavior have been documented in response to a predation event through the use of satellite telemetry.

scholarly journals Behavioral Responses of Captive Corvids to the Presence of Visitors

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 481-492
Author(s):  
Claudia A.F. Wascher ◽  
Niklas Baur ◽  
Marietta Hengl ◽  
Carina Köck ◽  
Teresa Pegger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Behavioral Responses ◽  
Behavioral Changes ◽  
Corvus Corax ◽  
Welfare Impacts ◽  
Close Proximity ◽  
Corvus Corone ◽  
Control Situations ◽  
Affiliative Behaviors

Behavioral responses of captive animals to the presence of visitors in zoos and wildlife parks can be interpreted as signs of negative (disturbance), neutral or positive (enrichment) welfare. In the present study, we investigated behavioral responses of captive common ravens, Corvus corax and crows, Corvus corone, to the presence of visitors in general and to the proximity or distance of visitors to the aviary respectively. Duration of affiliative behaviors, feeding and stress-related behaviors did not change when visitors were present compared to control situations without visitors being present. Both corvid species showed less head up behavior when visitors were in sight compared to the control condition. In contrast, preening of crows significantly increased when visitors were within two meters of the aviary compared to the control condition. The same relationship was found in regard to increase in vocalization for common ravens, but not for crows. Our results indicate that corvids, housed in a wildlife park for several years, still show behavioral responses to the presence of human visitors in close proximity to their enclosure. Overall, we did not find clear indications for reduced welfare due to visitor presence, such as increased locomotion or stress-related behaviors. We therefore conclude that the described behavioral changes are not indicative of any negative welfare impacts of visitor presence.

Behavioral responses of coyotes to wolf recolonization in northwestern Montana

1999 ◽  
Vol 77 (12) ◽  
pp. 1919-1927 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy M Arjo ◽  
Daniel H Pletscher
Keyword(s):  
Canis Lupus ◽  
Behavioral Responses ◽  
Behavioral Changes ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Wolf Population ◽  
Temporal Separation ◽  
Temporal Partitioning ◽  
Northwestern Montana ◽  
Range Overlap ◽  
Overlap Area

Recent recolonization of northwestern Montana by wolves (Canis lupus) provided an opportunity to examine behavioral responses of coyotes (Canis latrans) to a reestablished wolf population. Coyote and wolf annual home ranges overlapped extensively; however, seasonal overlap was not as pronounced. Most seasonal coyote home ranges were located between wolf packs or along the edge of wolf territories, but wolves and coyotes did not use the seasonal overlap area differently than expected. Most of the coyotes maintained random separation distances from wolves, though three coyotes were closer to wolves than expected. No difference in summer activity was found between the canids; however, temporal partitioning occurred during the winter, which may have allowed the increase in home-range overlap observed during the winter. Additionally, temporal partitioning occurred through differential arrangement of canid home ranges (i.e., wolf home ranges were smaller in summer) and reduced overlap of seasonal home ranges. Coyotes were usually singletons and some pairs, and before wolf colonization they fed on lagomorphs and plants. After wolf colonization, coyotes tended to be in pairs and small packs and they relied on ungulates. Although we documented wolves killing coyotes, coyotes are coexisting with wolves through spatial and temporal separation and behavioral changes.

scholarly journals Differential responses of coyotes to novel stimuli in familiar and unfamiliar settings

2001 ◽  
Vol 79 (11) ◽  
pp. 2005-2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles E Harris ◽  
Frederick F Knowlton
Keyword(s):  
Canis Latrans ◽  
Behavioral Responses ◽  
Space Use ◽  
Field Phase ◽  
Use Patterns ◽  
Novel Objects ◽  
Home Area ◽  
Differential Responses

We studied behavioral responses of captive and wild coyotes (Canis latrans) toward novel objects and artificial scent stations to determine how they might respond to novel stimuli used in coyote management and research. When captive coyotes encountered novel stimuli in unfamiliar surroundings they showed little avoidance, while the same stimuli caused avoidance and neophobic reactions among coyotes when encountered in familiar surroundings. In the field phase of the study, radio-collared coyotes in southern Texas were intensively monitored in order to relate space-use patterns to the locations where these coyotes were exposed to artificial scent stations. Coyotes were more likely to respond to and score (record visits by leaving tracks) at artificial scent stations when these were encountered outside or on the periphery of their home areas than when they were encountered within their home area. This suggests that indices of coyote abundance that employ responses to novel situations may more readily record coyotes that are outside the central portions of their home areas and that transient or dispersing coyotes are more likely to be "counted" than residents.

scholarly journals Two parallel pathways are required for ultrasound-evoked behavioral changes in Caenorhabditis elegans

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Uri Magaram ◽  
Connor Weiss ◽  
Aditya Vasan ◽  
Kirthi C Reddy ◽  
James Friend ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Double Mutant ◽  
Behavioral Responses ◽  
Behavioral Changes ◽  
Mechanosensitive Channel ◽  
Ultrasound Transducer ◽  
Null Mutant ◽  
Behavioral Deficit ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Msec Pulse ◽  
Molecular Machinery

Ultrasound has been shown to affect the function of both neurons and non-neuronal cells. However, the underlying molecular machinery has been poorly understood. Here, we show that at least two mechanosensitive proteins act in parallel to generate C. elegans behavioral responses to ultrasound stimuli. We first show that these animals generate reversals in response to a single 10 msec pulse from a 2.25 MHz ultrasound transducer. Next, we show that the pore-forming subunit of the mechanosensitive channel TRP-4, and a DEG/ENaC/ASIC ion channel MEC-4, are both required for this ultrasound-evoked reversal response. Further, the trp-4 mec-4 double mutant shows a stronger behavioral deficit compared to either single mutant. Finally, overexpressing TRP-4 in specific chemosensory neurons can rescue the ultrasound-triggered behavioral deficit in the mec-4 null mutant, suggesting that these two pathways act in parallel. Together, we demonstrate that multiple mechanosensitive proteins likely cooperate to transform ultrasound stimuli into behavioral changes.

scholarly journals Nesting common eiders (Somateria mollissima) show little behavioral response to fixed-wing drone surveys

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan N Ellis-Felege ◽  
Tanner J Stechmann ◽  
Samuel D Hervey ◽  
Christopher J Felege ◽  
Robert F Rockwell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Behavioral Responses ◽  
Behavioral Changes ◽  
Polar Regions ◽  
Somateria Mollissima ◽  
Focal Species ◽  
Polar Species ◽  
Common Eiders ◽  
Reducing Activity ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Potential Tool

Drones may be valuable in polar research because they can minimize researcher activity and overcome logistic, financial, and safety obstacles associated with wildlife research in Polar Regions. Because Polar species may be particularly sensitive to disturbance and some research suggests behavioral responses to drones are species-specific, there is a need for focal species-specific disturbance assessments. We evaluated behavioral responses of nesting Common Eiders (Somateria mollissima, n =19 incubating females) to first, second, or in a few cases third exposure of fixed-wing drone surveys using nest cameras. We found no effect of drone flights (F1,23 = 0, P < 1.0) or previous exposures (F1,23 = 0.75, P = 0.397) on the probability of a daily recess event (bird leaves nests). Drone flights did not impact recess length (F1,25 = 1.34, P = 0.26); however, eiders with prior drone exposure took longer recess events (F1,25 = 5.27, P = 0.03). We did not observe any overhead vigilance behaviors common in other species while the drone was in the air, which may reflect eider’s anti-predator strategies of reducing activity at nests in response to aerial predators. Surveying nesting common eider colonies with a fixed-wing drone did not result in biologically meaningful behavioral changes, providing a potential tool for research and monitoring this Polar nesting species.

scholarly journals How does age affect personal and social reactions to COVID-19: Results from the national Understanding America Study

PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. e0241950
Author(s):  
Jung Ki Kim ◽  
Eileen M. Crimmins
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Minority Group ◽  
Behavioral Responses ◽  
Risky Behaviors ◽  
Political Orientation ◽  
Behavioral Changes ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Racial Ethnic ◽  
Over Time

The COVID-19 pandemic has had tremendous impact on Americans’ lives including their personal and social behaviors. While people of all ages are affected in some way by the pandemic, older persons have been far more likely to suffer the most severe health consequences. For this reason, how people have responded to mitigating behaviors to COVID-19 may differ by age. Using a nationally representative sample from the longitudinal data of the Understanding America Study (UAS), we examined differentials in behavioral responses to COVID-19 by age and how they changed over the first three months of the pandemic. Behavioral responses and changes in behavior over time differed by age, type of behaviors and time reference. At the beginning of the pandemic (March, 2020), older and younger people were similar in their likelihood of engaging in preventive personal behaviors when controlling for other influences. As the pandemic progressed, however, older people adopted mitigating personal behavioral changes more than younger people, such that about 1–2 months after the pandemic started, older people were more likely to comply with suggested behaviors and regulations including practicing better hygiene, quarantining, and social distancing. One month into the pandemic, older people were less likely than younger people to engage in two of four risky behaviors. The change in risky behavior over time did not differ by age; but both younger and older people were more likely to engage in risky behaviors after two months. Being female, a member of a racial/ethnic minority group, higher socioeconomic status, having more COVID-19 cases in one’s state of residence, a higher perceived risk for infection and dying, and a more left-leaning political orientation were related to adopting more pandemic mitigating behaviors.

scholarly journals Development and Integration of Scrum Tree Algorithm with K-means Data Clustering

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 4248-4251
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Data Clustering ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Tree Algorithm ◽  
Software Products ◽  
Project Groups ◽  
Close Proximity ◽  
Software Execution ◽  
Agile Software ◽  
Better Than

The goal of project management is usually to anticipate or perhaps estimate as most potential issues and so complications as conceivable; and then to approach, coordinate and restrain actions in order that the tasks accomplished as effectively as plausible in spite of each associated risk. To deal with upcoming era initiatives, Scrum and agile platform is indicating the ideal. Scrum project control is a method for controlling software execution that originates beneath the wider umbrella of agile assignment control. It gives a light and portable procedure framework which usually holds iterative as well as, progressive methods; assisting businesses achieve functioning software even more often. Scrum is definitely an agile software advancement method engineered to put strength, target, quality, and openness to project groups producing software products. It harnesses fabricated life analysis by permitting groups to function in close proximity to the border of commotion to promote speedy system progress. Consequently, presently there is a need of project management tool integration with new scrum tool facilities. This paper presents the k-means data clustering integration with our developed scrum tree algorithm and also the integration for efficient project management. The results show that the proposed research is better than the existing project development model.

Observations of juvenile ivory gulls (Pagophila eburnea) in Resolute Bay, Nunavut, Canada, August 2005

Polar Record ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 170-172
Author(s):  
Jeff W. Higdon ◽  
Stefan Romberg
Keyword(s):  
Breeding Success ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Canadian High Arctic ◽  
Ivory Gull ◽  
Close Proximity ◽  
Resolute Bay ◽  
Minimum Estimate ◽  
Better Than

Canadian ivory gull (Pagophila eburnea) populations have declined ca. 80% since the early 1980s, and observations, especially of juveniles, are noteworthy. From 20 to 26 August 2005 adult and juvenile ivory gulls were observed and photographed at Resolute Bay, Nunavut, Canada. The numbers of gulls observed reached a peak on 23 August when 18 birds (13 adults and 5 juveniles) were present. A minimum of 7 juveniles and 13 adults were present on 21 and 23 August, respectively, for a total minimum estimate of 20 ivory gulls. The highest numbers were observed during the stormiest days, suggesting that the gulls were taking shelter in the protected bay. Ivory gulls were observed in close proximity to other seabirds, and one fish capture attempt was observed. These are the first reported juveniles for Resolute Bay since 2000, and the first reported for the Canadian High Arctic since 2002, suggesting that breeding success in 2005 may have been better than in previous years.

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