Non-Invasive Monitoring of Stress in Large Captive Herbivores: A Review

Abstract

Abstract: A potential indicator of animal welfare is the absence of stress. The unpredictable components of life result in changes in the endocrine and metabolic status of an organism. The numbers of mega vertebrates are declining rapidly in their native habitat, therefore, the demand for more complete measures of the impact of conservation interventions and the effects of captive environments on animal health and welfare has risen. Measuring an individual’s physiological arousal provides a window into how that individual animal is coping with its environment, whether in the wild or captivity. Non-invasive monitoring of Fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGM) has become a popular measure of physiological function and welfare in a variety of species because they reflect adrenocortical activity over a certain time period and can therefore be used to answer a wide variety of research questions. The present study reviews the role of FGM as a stress indicator in large captive herbivores by measuring fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGM) and suggests measures to bring back these animals from the bark of extinction.