Abstract
The endangered African wild dog (AWD; Lycaon pictus) is a highly social canid living in packs with a separate male and female hierarchy. Immobilisation, handling and translocations are acute stressors for AWDs, however such interventions are often needed for species management. In addition, new pack formation or temporary pack separation can lead to an increase in intra-pack aggression. The goal of this double-blinded placebo-controlled study conducted in captive zoo populations was to evaluate whether dog appeasing pheromone (DAP) reduces behavioural stress and faecal glucocorticoid metabolite levels (fGCM) normally associated with pack separation, immobilisation and reintroduction (SIR), and to assess whether this reduces aggressive behaviours and faecal androgen metabolite levels (fAM). Four packs (n = 11 males) were treated with DAP and 4 packs (n = 12 males) were treated with a placebo solution, applied at the end of anaesthesia. Behavioural interactions as well as fGCM and fAM were determined from 3 days before until 4–6 days after SIR. No effect of DAP on fGCM was observed, however, fAM increased after SIR in placebo but not DAP treated animals. Moreover, on the day of reintroduction, DAP treated packs tended to have lower rates of contact-dominance and active-submission behaviour, but higher rates of non-contact dominance behaviour. As these effects could decrease the risk of agonistic interactions, DAP may be a useful tool to help manage new pack formations and temporary pack separation.
Highlights
The endangered African wild dog (AWD; Lycaon pictus) is a highly social canid living in packs of most commonly 5 to 15 adults and juveniles combined under free-roaming conditions [1]
The faecal androgen metabolite levels (fAM) assay detected sex-specific differences in androgen concentrations with 10-fold higher fAM concentrations in male than female samples. These results provide experimental and biological validation that the cortisol-3-CMO and T-3-CMO assays are suitable for analyzing faecal glucocorticoid metabolite levels (fGCM) and fAM levels respectively in AWDs
Glm analyses found no significant effect of time on fGCM (P = 0.835) or fAM (P = 0.593) levels in samples stored at ambient temperatures over a 72 h period (Fig 3C and 3D)
Summary
The endangered African wild dog (AWD; Lycaon pictus) is a highly social canid living in packs of most commonly 5 to 15 adults and juveniles combined (range 2 to 27; 6.6 ± 0.8 adults) under free-roaming conditions [1]. AWDs have a complex social structure consisting of a separate male and female hierarchy, and a cooperative breeding system [1, 2]. To maintain a viable population and current genetic diversity, a meta-population management plan was introduced in South Africa in 1998, involving the reintroduction of AWDs in small protected areas and their management through regular translocations between isolated subpopulations [3]. This management plan requires frequent formation of new packs, especially since reintroductions are more successful when captive bred AWDs are released together with wild-caught animals [4, 5]. New pack formation, or disruption of hierarchical bonds and pack instability caused by temporary pack separation, can lead to aggression between animals, and have frequently resulted in serious morbidity and even mortalities [4, 6,7,8,9]
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