Abstract
Stress is a major factor in determining success when releasing endangered species into the wild but is often overlooked. Mandrills (Mandrills sphinx) are vulnerable to extinction due to habitat loss and demand for bush meat and the pet trade. To help bolster in situ populations, rehabilitated rescued mandrills recently were released into a protected area in the Republic of Congo. The goal of this study was to validate the use of faecal glucocorticoid metabolite enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) in mandrills and test field-friendly faecal hormone extraction techniques that can subsequently be used to monitor the stress physiology and welfare of mandrills throughout the release process. Using faecal samples collected from ex situ mandrills, we tested cortisol, corticosterone, 11β-hydroxyetiocholanolone (69a), and 11-oxoetiocholanolone EIAs. Absolute concentrations, hormone profiles following medical procedures or translocation, and high-performance liquid chromatography fraction immunoreactivity showed that the 69a assay was the best choice to monitor the stress response in this species. Samples with delayed extraction or drying times had 40-80% lower 69a concentrations than samples extracted immediately post-collection and frozen. The 69a EIA is an appropriate assay for monitoring welfare in this species in situ or ex situ, and results indicated that consistent extraction methods are important for accurate comparisons.
Highlights
There is an inevitable and direct link between animal translocation and physiological indicators of stress
Such studies can identify acclimation times or a lack of acclimation, highlight critical periods when stress biomarkers are highest during the translocation process and guide future relocation efforts
In 1 female mandrill, baseline faecal cortisol was 27.85 ng/g and baseline corticosterone was 13.37 ng/g, the latter being at the lower limit of detection for this assay
Summary
There is an inevitable and direct link between animal translocation and physiological indicators of stress (reviewed in Dickens et al, 2010). Stress is a major factor in determining success when releasing endangered species into the wild, it is often overlooked (Teixeira et al, 2007). There is a direct relationship between FGMs and mortality in some species (e.g. squirrels). Such studies can identify acclimation times or a lack of acclimation (e.g. rheas), highlight critical periods when stress biomarkers are highest during the translocation process and guide future relocation efforts
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