Enrichment Preferences of Raptors at Elmwood Park Zoo

Environmental enrichment is often offered to animals in captivity to aid in enhancing quality of life by providing appropriate environmental stimuli that improve psychological and physiological well-being. Due to the limited amount of research conducted on raptors and enrichment, I sought to determine raptor preferences of enrichment types through the observation of captive bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) and red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) in the education department at Elmwood Park Zoo. I predicted that the raptors would interact more with natural enrichment items compared to ones that were man-made. Although results showed only the female bald eagle to interact enough with the enrichment items to gather an adequate number of observations, she was found to interact significantly more frequently with natural enrichment items compared to ones that were man-made (p 0.0001, FET). These results are not meant to infer that all female bald eagles prefer natural enrichment items over man-made ones, or that all male bald eagles and female and male red-tailed hawks do not prefer any enrichment items. Nonetheless, they justify future research on environmental enrichment preferences involving many more individuals and many more taxa to determine more appropriate enrichment regimens for captive birds of prey.

Natural Enrichment of Consumption Eggs by Omega-3: A Micro-Study of the Market in Morocco

Omega-3 has an important role in the human body. This and other lipids should be contained in the diet and cannot be synthesized by the body. Several developed countries have successfully used an approach to naturally enrich eggs with omega-3 and place this product on the market. This method consists of subjecting laying hens to a diet rich in omega-3. To our knowledge, this approach has not yet been included in the egg marketing chain in Morocco. We conducted market research on omega-3 enriched eggs to obtain information from customers about their needs, their motivation to buy this product, and their preferences. Large supermarkets in six major Moroccan cities were chosen. The number of customers surveyed was set at 360 customers. The results show that 42.5% of these customers already know about omega-3, and 83% of them are aware of the interest in this nutrient. On the other hand, 38% of respondents suffer from a disease or different diseases: 22% are diabetic, 16% suffer from hypercholesterolemia, 16% are hypertensive, and 10% have other diseases. After explaining to them the benefits of omega-3, about 80% of respondents believe that the product is interesting, of which 74% are ready to buy it at a base price of 2 dirhams. This study demonstrates that the marketing of this enriched egg could have a positive impact on the local economy, help to correct dietary deficiencies, and prevent certain diseases.

Characterization of Baker Fjord region through its heavy metal content on sediments (Central Chilean Patagonia)

The spatial distribution of heavy metals content (Ba, Cd, Cu, Pb, Sr and Zn) in sediments of the Baker Fjord and surrounding channels in the central region of the Chilean fjords (47°45'S, 48°15'S) is analyzed. The aim of the study was characterized the patterns of abundance and distribution of these metals in surface sediments. The area corresponds to a poorly studied zone with low human activity. Distribution patterns would be influenced by rainfall conditions (local erosion), fluvial (continental sediments carried by rivers), glacier (glacier flour) and estuarine circulation. Cluster analysis allows differentiation among the sampled sites and group with similar characteristics. Finally, the concentrations found were contrasted with average values of metamorphic rocks and show with some certainty that the values found for calendar for this area and the greatest concentrations are the result of natural enrichment.