Body weight and blood chemistry of wild coatis that feed on discarded human food

Renata Barcelos Repoles,Clarice Silva Cesario,Viviane Silva Oliveira,Waldomiro De Paula Lopes,Edilberto Nobrega Martinez,Nadja Simbera Hemetrio,Delma Henriques Rodrigues,Alessandro Brinati,Ita Oliveira E Silva,Vanner Boere,Giovana França Bispo Da Gama,João Paulo Carvalho

doi:10.1590/0103-8478cr20200969

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The coati (Nasua nasua, Linnaeus 1766) is a generalist species, feeding on often-discarded human food in dumpsters around ecological tourism sites. We investigated the body weight and some blood chemistry variables related to the diet of wild coatis from three parks: Parque Municipal das Mangabeiras (PM), Parque Nacional do Caparaó (PNC) e Estação Ecológica Água Limpa (EEAL). We tested the plasma of 53 coatis for high-density lipoprotein (HDL), alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), cholesterol (Chol), triglycerides (Trig), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). Male and female adults did not significantly differ on the weight (P > 0.05) and blood chemistry indexes (P > 0.05). The adult coatis of the PM were heavier than the adult coatis of the other two parks. There were significant differences in HDL (P < 0.04), AST (P < 0.001), ALT (P < 0.001), and GGT (P < 0.001) between adults of the three parks. Only ALT and ALP were significantly different (P < 0.05) among the young coatis. The results suggested the coatis of the three parks have different health status. The consumption of discarded human food seems to affect body weight of the PM coatis. The coatis from PNC and EEAL had blood chemistry profiles suggestive of liver disorder. We recommend carrying on environmental education programs to visitors and additional clinical investigations on coatis from these parks.

Highlights

Food supplementation and the opportunistic foraging of the waste from human activity have caused serious problems in the digestive tract of wild animals, resulting in sickness and death (MURRAY et al, 2016)
Effects of waste intake generated by tourists on wildlife metabolism are scarcely explored; there is a consensus that the changes are more harmful than beneficial (MURRAY et al, 2016)
We conducted the study in three parks on Atlantic Forest biome, Brazil, where the coati contact with humans is in different degrees of intensity: Mangabeiras Park (Parque das Mangabeiras - Parque Municipal das Mangabeiras (PM)), Caparaó National Park (Parque Nacional do Caparaó - PNC) and Clean Water Ecological Station (Estação Ecológica Água Limpa - EEAL) (Figure 1)

Summary

Introduction

Food supplementation and the opportunistic foraging of the waste from human activity have caused serious problems in the digestive tract of wild animals, resulting in sickness and death (MURRAY et al, 2016). Most of these foods have a high caloric level and their intake can increase blood glucose and cholesterol (BENATAR et al, 2013), as well as lead to the accidental consumption of toxins, pesticides and plastics (BRADLEY; ALTIZER, 2006). Tourism activities in parks have increased in recent decades, benefiting the economy and human welfare. This have caused changes in the behavior and physiology of wild animals (RIEKEHR Jr. et al, 2017; SEMENIUK et al, 2007). Tourism in protected areas have occurred at a higher speed than the research on its impact on fauna

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