Cluster analysis in ethological research

Big cats are often on display in zoos around the world. The study of their time budget is the basis of ethological research in captivity. The paper considers the features of the behavior of the subfamily Pantherinae, the daily activity of animals in the summer, methods of keeping, the exposition of enclosures, and relationships with keepers. The studies were conducted in the summer of 2012 and 2013 at the Barnaul Zoo. The total observation time for the animals was 120 hours. The behavior of the African lion (Panthera leo leo – male), the Ussuri tiger (Panthera tigris altaica – female), and the Amur leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis – male) has been studied. In the course of the work, the compilation of ethograms, continuous recording, and free observations were used. The clustering method was applied to analyze the patterns of behavior of animals in captivity. Cluster analysis breaks down the behavior of captivities animals into two large blocks. Locomotion in animals should be considered as a separate block. The animal’s growth and development period require a high proportion of physical activity, which is noticeable when observing the Amur tiger. Locomotion occupied 32.8% of the total time budget of this animal. Large cats have never been in a shelter (in wooden structures of the appropriate size). They used the roof of the houses only as a place for rest and observation. The proportion of marking, hunting, eating, exploratory behavior, grooming, and such forms of behavior as freezing, static position, orienting reaction did not differ significantly. Play behavior with elements of hunting and manipulative activity took 5.5% of the Amur tiger’s time budget for the period under review. We associate this primarily with the age of the given animal. Play behavior was observed two times less often in the Far Eastern leopard (2.9%) and African lion (2.6%)..

Analysis of the «zoo visitor» effect on the example of the snow leopard Uncia uncia and the Amur leopard Panthera pardus orientalis

The article presents the study results of the Moscow Zoo' visitor effect on the behavior of the snow leopard Uncia uncia and the Amur leopard Panthera pardus orientalis. It was shown that most of the time the animals were inactive or were in a shelter (on the average 86,3%). Stereotypy was typical only for the Amur leopard (19,1%). Animals were more likely to be active in the presence of 0 to 20 people. Most often, animals were in other parts of the aviary; however, stereotypy was manifested mainly in the front zone of the aviary. The Amur leopard shows aggression towards visitors who tried to get its attention and it's reaction to mens was more intense. Snow leopard did not react to visitors.

IMPACT OF ZOO VISITORS ON THE BEHAVIOR OF PERSIAN LIONS PANTHERA LEO PERSICA AND AMUR LEOPARD PANTHERA PARDUS ORIENTALIS

В исследовании проанализированы поведенческие реакции азиатских львов Panthera leo persica и дальневосточного леопарда Panthera pardus orientalis на присутствие разного количества посетителей, их воздействие на животных, а также характер использования пространства вольера в Московском зоопарке. The study analyzed data on the behavioral responses of Persian lions Panthera leo persica and Amur leopard Panthera pardus orientalis to the number of visitors, the impact of visitors on the animals themselves, and the use of aviary space in the Moscow Zoo.

Phylogenetic study of extirpated Korean leopard using mitochondrial DNA from an old skin specimen in South Korea

The leopard, Panthera pardus, is a threatened species in its range throughout the world. Although, historically, the Korean Peninsula had a high population density of leopards, they were extirpated from South Korea by 1970, leaving almost no genetic specimens. Traditionally, Korean leopards are classified as Panthera pardus orientalis; however, their classification is based only on locality and morphology. Therefore, there is a need for genetic studies to identify the phylogenetic status of Korean leopards at the subspecies level. Presently, no extant wild specimen is available from South Korea; therefore, we extracted genetic material from the old skin of a leopard captured in Jirisan, South Korea in the 1930s and conducted the first phylogenetic study of the South Korean leopard. A total of 726 bp of mitochondrial DNA, including segments of the NADH5 and control region, were amplified by PCR. A phylogenetic analysis of the fragment, along with sequences of nine leopard subspecies from GenBank revealed that the extinct South Korean leopard belonged to the Asian leopard group and in the same clade as the Amur leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis). Thus, the leopard that inhabited South Korea in the past was of the same subspecies as the Amur leopard population currently inhabiting the transboundary region of Russia, China, and North Korea. These results emphasize the importance of conserving the endangered wild Amur leopard population (estimated to be about 60–80 individuals) in Russia and China, for future restoration of leopards in the Korean Peninsula.

A coprological survey of parasitic fauna firstly in Wild Far Eastern Leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis)

Background：The Amur leopard, one of nine recently recognized subspecies of leopard, is still most threatened in a stochastic procession of extinction. The potential harmless to the conservation of the Amur leopard originating from the disease is in need of urgent attention. Unfortunately, the research on the potential risk to Amur leopard caused by disease is rare. When the parasites were concerned, even the elementary data, such as parasitic fauna, are absent. Our aim in the study is to accumulate the knowledge of it for a better comprehension. Results: There are 7 parasite species, including 3 nematodes (Toxocara cati, capillarid-type parasite, and Metastrongyloidea-type parasite), 2 cestodes (Spirometra sp. and Taenia sp.), 1 trematode (Paragonimus sp.), and 1 protozoa (Cystoisospora felis), were found in this research. The Toxocara cati was highest frequent occurrence, followed by Spirometra sp. Conclusion: The Amur leopard was infected by seven parasites firstly reported.