Free-roaming Animals Research Articles

Bio-acoustic tracking and localization using heterogeneous, scalable microphone arrays

Microphone arrays are an essential tool in the field of bioacoustics as they provide a non-intrusive way to study animal vocalizations and monitor their movement and behavior. Microphone arrays can be used for passive localization and tracking of sound sources while analyzing beamforming or spatial filtering of the emitted sound. Studying free roaming animals usually requires setting up equipment over large areas and attaching a tracking device to the animal which may alter their behavior. However, monitoring vocalizing animals through arrays of microphones, spatially distributed over their habitat has the advantage that unrestricted/unmanipulated animals can be observed. Important insights have been achieved through the use of microphone arrays, such as the convergent acoustic field of view in echolocating bats or context-dependent functions of avian duets. Here we show the development and application of large flexible microphone arrays that can be used to localize and track any vocalizing animal and study their bio-acoustic behavior. In a first experiment with hunting pallid bats the acoustic data acquired from a dense array with 64 microphones revealed details of the bats’ echolocation beam in previously unseen resolution. We also demonstrate the flexibility of the proposed microphone array system in a second experiment, where we used a different array architecture allowing to simultaneously localize several species of vocalizing songbirds in a radius of 75 m. Our technology makes it possible to do longer measurement campaigns over larger areas studying changing habitats and providing new insights for habitat conservation. The flexible nature of the technology also makes it possible to create dense microphone arrays that can enhance our understanding in various fields of bioacoustics and can help to tackle the analytics of complex behaviors of vocalizing animals.

An Opportunistic Survey Reveals an Unexpected Coronavirus Diversity Hotspot in North America.

In summer 2020, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was detected on mink farms in Utah. An interagency One Health response was initiated to assess the extent of the outbreak and included sampling animals from on or near affected mink farms and testing them for SARS-CoV-2 and non-SARS coronaviruses. Among the 365 animals sampled, including domestic cats, mink, rodents, raccoons, and skunks, 261 (72%) of the animals harbored at least one coronavirus. Among the samples that could be further characterized, 127 alphacoronaviruses and 88 betacoronaviruses (including 74 detections of SARS-CoV-2 in mink) were identified. Moreover, at least 10% (n = 27) of the coronavirus-positive animals were found to be co-infected with more than one coronavirus. Our findings indicate an unexpectedly high prevalence of coronavirus among the domestic and wild free-roaming animals tested on mink farms. These results raise the possibility that mink farms could be potential hot spots for future trans-species viral spillover and the emergence of new pandemic coronaviruses.

Imposing ferality: a technopolitical analysis of feral and free-roaming animal classification technologies

ABSTRACT Ferality, as a concept, may be a hopeful potential of thriving life in the Anthropocene; however, ferality remains problematically grounded in contested nature-culture binaries. Government programs continue to use ferality as a classification and valuation technology, and ultimately, as a mathematical solution to a political nightmare. By approaching trap-neuter-return (TNR) policies in Miami through a technopolitical framework, this paper critically examines technologies used to identify, measure, and value free-roaming urban animals through programs to make them either live or die for strategic political agendas. TNR programs homogenize entire populations of “feral” animals. Miami’s TNR of kittens demonstrates the need for policies that acknowledge heterogeneous free-roaming animal experiences. This case study unpacks the fleshly consequences of reducing complex nonhuman animal histories to abstract statistical performance metrics. Detailed analysis of this management technology illustrates links between public pressure, political interest, and the perceived need to manage human-nonhuman relations in dense urban spaces.

Toxocara Seroprevalence and Risk Factor Analysis in Four Communities of the Wiwa, an Indigenous Tribe in Colombia.

The life of the indigenous Wiwa tribe in northeast Colombia is characterized by lacking access to clean drinking water and sanitary installations. Furthermore, free-roaming domestic animals and use of yucca and/or manioc as a primary food source favor the transmission of soil-transmitted helminths, e.g., Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati, the roundworms of dogs and cats. Infection may result in the clinical picture of toxocarosis, one of the most common zoonotic helminthoses worldwide. To estimate the Toxocara seroprevalence in four different villages of the Wiwa community, serum samples from 483 inhabitants were analyzed for anti-Toxocara-antibodies. Overall, 79.3% (383/483) of analyzed samples were seropositive. Statistically significant differences were observed between the four villages, as well as age groups (adults > adolescents > children), while sex had no effect. The high seropositivity rate demonstrates the risk of zoonotic roundworm infections and potential clinical disease in vulnerable indigenous inhabitants.

Use of Remote Camera Traps to Evaluate Animal-Based Welfare Indicators in Individual Free-Roaming Wild Horses.

Simple SummaryKnowledge of the welfare status of wild animals is critical for informing debates about how we interact with them. However, methodology to enable assessment of the welfare of free-roaming wild animals has been lacking. In this study, we assessed the use of remote camera traps to non-invasively identify individual free-roaming wild horses and evaluate an extensive range of welfare indicators. Camera trapping was successful in detecting and identifying horses across a range of habitats including woodlands where horses could not be directly observed. Twelve indicators of welfare were assessed with equal frequency using both still images and video, with an additional five indicators assessed on video. This is the first time such a methodology has been described for assessing a range of welfare indicators in free-roaming wild animals. The methodology described can also be adjusted and applied to other species, enabling significant advances to be made in the field of wild animal welfare. We previously developed a Ten-Stage Protocol for scientifically assessing the welfare of individual free-roaming wild animals using the Five Domains Model. The protocol includes developing methods for measuring or observing welfare indices. In this study, we assessed the use of remote camera traps to evaluate an extensive range of welfare indicators in individual free-roaming wild horses. Still images and videos were collected and analysed to assess whether horses could be detected and identified individually, which welfare indicators could be reliably evaluated, and whether behaviour could be quantitatively assessed. Remote camera trapping was successful in detecting and identifying horses (75% on still images and 72% on video observation events), across a range of habitats including woodlands where horses could not be directly observed. Twelve indicators of welfare across the Five Domains were assessed with equal frequency on both still images and video, with those most frequently assessable being body condition score (73% and 79% of observation events, respectively), body posture (76% for both), coat condition (42% and 52%, respectively), and whether or not the horse was sweating excessively (42% and 45%, respectively). An additional five indicators could only be assessed on video; those most frequently observable being presence or absence of weakness (66%), qualitative behavioural assessment (60%), presence or absence of shivering (51%), and gait at walk (50%). Specific behaviours were identified in 93% of still images and 84% of video events, and proportions of time different behaviours were captured could be calculated. Most social behaviours were rarely observed, but close spatial proximity to other horses, as an indicator of social bonds, was recorded in 36% of still images, and 29% of video observation events. This is the first study that describes detailed methodology for these purposes. The results of this study can also form the basis of application to other species, which could contribute significantly to advancing the field of wild animal welfare.

Quantifying finer-scale behaviours using self-organising maps (SOMs) to link accelerometery signatures with behavioural patterns in free-roaming terrestrial animals

Collecting quantitative information on animal behaviours is difficult, especially from cryptic species or species that alter natural behaviours under observation. Using harness-mounted tri-axial accelerometers free-roaming domestic cats (Felis Catus) we developed a methodology that can precisely classify finer-scale behaviours. We further tested the effect of a prey–protector device designed to reduce prey capture. We aligned accelerometer traces collected at 50 Hz with video files (60 fps) and labelled 12 individual behaviours, then trained a supervised machine-learning algorithm using Kohonen super self-organising maps (SOM). The SOM was able to predict individual behaviours with a ~ 99.6% overall accuracy, which was slightly better than for random forest estimates using the same dataset (98.9%). There was a significant effect of sample size, with precision and sensitivity decreasing rapidly below 2000 1-s observations. We were also able to detect a behaviour specific reduction in the predictability when cats were fitted with the prey–protector device indicating it altered biomechanical gait. Our results can be applied in movement ecology, zoology and conservation, where habitat specific movement performance between predators or prey may be critical to managing species of conservation significance, or in veterinary and agricultural fields, where early detection of movement pathologies can improve animal welfare.

Animal Shelter, Vaccination and Welfare

This analysis shows stray or ownerless, free- roaming animals, and particularly, cats, still be a social group challenge. additionally, to vital health and welfare issues of the animals themselves, there square measure public health and safety issues with free-roaming animals, and key environmental issues, as well as wild and animate being predation by ferine dogs and cats, and potential attraction of predators, like coyotes, into community and concrete areas by the prepared provide of ferine cats as food. There are not any correct total numbers for ferine, stray, or abandoned dogs and cats, solely a proportion of that enter animal shelters or pounds annually, however informal estimates for ownerless, stray animals square measure way more than that further because the protection of animals has been allotted for hundreds of years and is usually accepted because the most efficient and property methodology of dominant infectious veterinary diseases.

A Rabbit Model for Prolonged Continuous Intravenous Infusion Via a Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter.

Medical treatment may require the continuous intravenous (IV) infusion of drugs to sustain the therapeutic blood concentration and to minimize dosing errors. Animal disease models that ultimately mimic the intended use of new potential drugs via a continuous IV infusion in unrestrained, free roaming animals are required. While peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) and other central line techniques for prolonged IV infusion of drugs are prevalent in the clinic, continuous IV infusion methods in an animal model are challenging and limited. In most cases, continuous IV infusion methods require surgical knowledge as well as expensive and complicated equipment. In the current work, we established a novel rabbit model for prolonged continuous IV infusion by inserting a PICC line from the marginal ear vein to the superior vena cava and connecting it to an externally carried ambulatory infusion pump. Either saline or a clinically relevant formulation could be steadily and continuously infused at 3–6 ml/h for 11 consecutive days into freely moving rabbits while maintaining normal body temperature, weight, and respiration physiology, as determined by daily spirometry. This new model is simple to execute and can advance the ability to administer and test new drug candidates.

Bordering Processes and Pony Wildness on Assateague Island

Abstract This multispecies ethnography investigates how free-roaming ponies and humans participate in the production of “pony wildness” on Assateague Island, a barrier island located off the U.S. mid-Atlantic coast. The bordering practices of ponies intersect with the bordering practices of people to generate a relational conception of pony wildness that incorporates in people-pony relations a desire for intimacy with respect for autonomy, in a multifunctional landscape managed both as wilderness and as a beach tourism destination. This notion of pony wildness includes nonhuman charisma, fluidity, and managing human visitors. We conclude by discussing how the fluidity of pony wildness can help us think more imaginatively about other contexts in which communities of free-roaming nonhuman animals share space with human communities.

Animal City: The Domestication of America. By Andrew A. Robichaud (Cambridge, Mass., Harvard University Press, 2019) 338 pp. $39.95

One of the phenomena that has accompanied the impact of covid-19 on cities has been the appearance, or more accurately, the re-appearance of wild animal life in cities, as human activity has sharply deceased. This is not to say that all animals had vacated urban sites, but many of the species that have been returning had not been resident urban dwellers or at least not visible for many decades. These sites were originally the domain of many species of wild animals that were gradually displaced by human populations, the built environment, and domesticated animals. Coincidentally, even before the pandemic, while animal life was returning to cities, the publication of books about the history of animals in cities was also increasing after their absence for many years.In the introduction to his edited collection, Animal Cities: Beastly Urban Histories (New York, 2012), Peter Atkins asks the question “Why So Few Animals in Urban History?” Of the three reasons that he lists the most persuasive is that in the twentieth century, the study of cities was anthropocentric, leaving animals to play only “bit parts.” Now various historians attempt to fill this gap in the literature of urban history.In the book under review, Robichaud demonstrates the centrality of animals to urban life as he explores the “massive shift in how most Americans experienced and interacted with animals, with one another, and with their governing institutions” (10). He presents a series of chapters detailing different animal–human-related themes in a variety of cities but especially San Francisco and New York. These themes include the transformation of the city as a place of free-roaming animals to one of animal exclusion and control; the development, impact, and regulation of New York’s urban feedlot dairies; the emergence of organized slaughtering in San Francisco and the issues of changing location and nuisance; shifting animal–human relationships in the later nineteenth century as the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (spca) attempted to enforce animal-welfare laws, including those relating to the labor of horses and dogs; and examples of animal entertainment and changing attitudes toward it.Robichaud deals with these issues in a thorough and sensitive fashion, viewing them from a variety of interdisciplinary perspectives. He maintains that animals deserve a place in historical scholarship because of the perspective that they present on human–animal relationships. Although Americans live increasingly in a world devoid of overt animal suffering and death due to their own reform efforts, violence toward animals is inherent in the hidden “machinery” of “post-domesticity” (Richard Bulliet’s term, 265), though out of sight.Many of the insights that this book offers about animals in the life of the city are striking, especially regarding the places where Robicheaud uncovered unintended consequences of actions that had originally been intended as reforms. A real test of human–animal relations in the city will evolve from how cities and humans act as they confront the newly enlarged presence of wild animals on their streets, in their malls and parks, and in their backyards. If these confrontations can be managed humanely, they could possibly result in a new stage of urban animal–human interactions. Whether this outcome produces modifications of the “machinery” that oppresses animals outside the city has yet to be seen.One final note regarding the style of this book: A close reading reveals that it could have used a more thorough editing. Numerous passages contain excessive verbiage, word repetition, and unnecessary detail. The book would also have benefited from more images and, even though it is extensively documented, a bibliography of published sources. Despite these shortcomings, the book is a worthwhile addition to the historical literature of animals in the city.

Machine learning goes wild: Using data from captive individuals to infer wildlife behaviours.

1. Remotely tracking distinct behaviours of animals using acceleration data and machine learning has been carried out successfully in several species in captive settings. In order to study the ecology of animals in natural habitats, such behaviour classification models need to be transferred to wild individuals. However, at present, the development of those models usually requires direct observation of the target animals. 2. The goal of this study was to infer the behaviour of wild, free-roaming animals from acceleration data by training behaviour classification models on captive individuals, without the necessity to observe their wild conspecifics. We further sought to develop methods to validate the credibility of the resulting behaviour extrapolations. 3. We trained two machine learning algorithms proposed by the literature, Random Forest (RF) and Support Vector Machine (SVM), on data from captive red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and later applied them to data from wild foxes. We also tested a new advance for behaviour classification, by applying a moving window to an Artificial Neural Network (ANN). Finally, we investigated four strategies to validate our classification output. 4. While all three machine learning algorithms performed well under training conditions (Kappa values: RF (0.82), SVM (0.78), ANN (0.85)), the established methods, RF and SVM, failed in classifying distinct behaviours when transferred from captive to wild foxes. Behaviour classification with the ANN and a moving window, in contrast, inferred distinct behaviours and showed consistent results for most individuals. 5. Our approach is a substantial improvement over the methods previously proposed in the literature as it generated plausible results for wild fox behaviour. We were able to infer the behaviour of wild animals that have never been observed in the wild and to further illustrate the credibility of the output. This framework is not restricted to foxes but can be applied to infer the behaviour of many other species and thus empowers new advances in behavioural ecology.

A Ten-Stage Protocol for Assessing the Welfare of Individual Non-Captive Wild Animals: Free-Roaming Horses (Equus Ferus Caballus) as an Example.

Simple SummaryVital for informing debates about the ways we interact with wild animals and their associated habitats is knowledge of their welfare status. To date, scientific assessments of the welfare of free-roaming wild animals during their normal day-to-day lives are not available, in part because the required methodology had not been developed. Accordingly, we have devised, and here describe, a ten-stage protocol for systematically and scientifically assessing the welfare of individual non-captive wild animals, using free-roaming horses as an example. Applying this ten-stage protocol will enable biologists to scientifically assess the welfare of wild animals and should lead to significant advances in the field of wild animal welfare.Knowledge of the welfare status of wild animals is vital for informing debates about the ways in which we interact with wild animals and their habitats. Currently, there is no published information about how to scientifically assess the welfare of free-roaming wild animals during their normal day-to-day lives. Using free-roaming horses as an example, we describe a ten-stage protocol for systematically and scientifically assessing the welfare of individual non-captive wild animals. The protocol starts by emphasising the importance of readers having an understanding of animal welfare in a conservation context and also of the Five Domains Model for assessing welfare. It goes on to detail what species-specific information is required to assess welfare, how to identify measurable and observable indicators of animals’ physical states and how to identify which individuals are being assessed. Further, it addresses how to select appropriate methods for measuring/observing physical indicators of welfare, the scientific validation of these indicators and then the grading of animals’ welfare states, along with assigning a confidence score. Finally, grading future welfare risks and how these can guide management decisions is discussed. Applying this ten-stage protocol will enable biologists to scientifically assess the welfare of wild animals and should lead to significant advances in the field of wild animal welfare.

Improving endangered antelope habitat through water quality assessment and collaboration with Kenya Wildlife Service

Background and Aim: A population of endangered sitatunga antelope (Tragelaphus spekii) lives in a free-range environment at Impala Sanctuary in Kisumu, Kenya. Kenya Wildlife Service park officials suspected that increased demands on outdated sewage infrastructure caused animal drinking water sources to become contaminated which resulted in animal sickness and death. In this study, we complete a water quality assessment on open water sources within the park boundaries to determine if water was suitable for animal consumption. Materials and Methods: For the assessment of water, we measure eight physical and chemical parameters (pH, temperature, fecal coliform, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, nitrates, total phosphates, and turbidity). These eight parameters were chosen because they are used to establish a water quality index (WQI) percentage which proved to be useful to communicate conditions to park rangers, stakeholders, and adjacent landowners. Results: Through 6 months of assessments, data collection, and analysis, we determined that most open water sources are severely contaminated, ranking on the WQI from 46% to 58% (bad to medium). In addition, we compared our data to drinking water standards set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for livestock to find that only two sites met the minimum criteria. The remaining four sites were exponentially contaminated with levels reaching 10× recommended values for animal health. Conclusion: Following these findings, the park was able to attract money for sewage infrastructure rebuilds that resolved the contamination problems. Sickness and death of free-roaming animals, including the antelope, were reduced.

Immune responses in mice and pigs after oral vaccination with rabies virus vectored Nipah disease vaccines

Nipah virus (NiV) is a re-emerging zoonotic pathogen that causes high mortality in humans and pigs. Oral immunization in free-roaming animals is one of the most practical approaches to prevent NiV pandemics. We previously generated a recombinant rabies viruses (RABV) Evelyn-Rokitnicki-Abelseth (ERA) strain, rERAG333E, which contains a mutation from arginine to glutamic acid at residue 333 of glycoprotein (G333E) and serves as an oral vaccine for dog rabies. In this study, we generated two recombinant RABVs, rERAG333E/NiVG and rERAG333E/NiVF, expressing the NiV Malaysian strain attachment glycoprotein (NiV-G) or fusion glycoprotein (NiV-F) gene based on the rERAG333E vector platform. Both rERAG333E/NiVG and rERAG333E/NiVF displayed growth properties similar to those of rERAG333E and caused marked syncytia formation after co-infection in BSR cell culture. Adult and suckling mice intracerebrally inoculated with the recombinant RABVs showed NiV-G and NiV-F expression did not increase the virulence of rERAG333E. Oral vaccination with rERAG333E/NiVG either singularly or combined with rERAG333E/NiVF induced significant NiV neutralizing antibody against NiV and RABV, and IgG to NiV-G or NiV-F in mice and pigs. rERAG333E/NiVG and rERAG333E/NiVF thus appeared to be suitable candidates for further oral vaccines for potential animal targets in endemic areas of NiV disease and rabies.

Is a One Welfare Approach the Key to Addressing Unintended Harms and Maximising Benefits Associated with Animal Shelters?

Abstract Animal shelters, pounds and rescue organisations have evolved over time. Today they serve three purposes: to reduce animal welfare harms, to reduce harms to the community associated with free-roaming, stray or unwanted companion animals, and to reduce their associated environmental harms. This discussion explores the evolution of animal shelters, and argues that they are justified on utilitarian grounds. It explores unintended harms of shelters on animal welfare, including humane killing for the purposes of population control and shelter population management, as well as risks associated with confinement including behavioural deterioration and infectious diseases. It also explores harms to non-human animals, including moral distress and compassion fatigue. Finally, it explores potential environmental harms of shelters. The One Welfare concept, utilised in the World Animal Health Organisation (OIE) Global Animal Welfare Strategy, acknowledges the interplay between animal welfare, human well-being and environmental sustainability. It is argued that the One Welfare framework is critical in minimising harms and maximising benefits associated with animal shelters.

Global change-driven use of onshore habitat impacts polar bear faecal microbiota.

The gut microbiota plays a critical role in host health, yet remains poorly studied in wild species. Polar bears (Ursus maritimus), key indicators of Arctic ecosystem health and environmental change, are currently affected by rapid shifts in habitat that may alter gut homeostasis. Declining sea ice has led to a divide in the southern Beaufort Sea polar bear subpopulation such that an increasing proportion of individuals now inhabit onshore coastal regions during the open-water period ('onshore bears') while others continue to exhibit their typical behaviour of remaining on the ice ('offshore bears'). We propose that bears that have altered their habitat selection in response to climate change will exhibit a distinct gut microbiota diversity and composition, which may ultimately have important consequences for their health. Here, we perform the first assessment of abundance and diversity in the faecal microbiota of wild polar bears using 16S rRNA Illumina technology. We find that bacterial diversity is significantly higher in onshore bears compared to offshore bears. The most enriched OTU abundance in onshore bears belonged to the phylum Proteobacteria, while the most depleted OTU abundance within onshore bears was seen in the phylum Firmicutes. We conclude that climate-driven changes in polar bear land use are associated with distinct microbial communities. In doing so, we present the first case of global change mediated alterations in the gut microbiota of a free-roaming wild animal.

Validation of DNA metabarcoding of fecal samples using cattle fed known rations

Diet composition of free-roaming animals has been persistently difficult to quantify. Fecal DNA (fDNA) metabarcoding is an emerging novel technology to reconstruct botanical composition of diets. Validation studies comparing fDNA metabarcodion to fed diets are lacking. A blind 6-week feeding study using 5 heifers (416–527 kg) fed different diets weekly with fecal samples collected from individuals 7 days after the introduction of each new diet was conducted. Diets were: (1) C3 grass hay (creeping meadow foxtail (Alopecurus arundinaceus)), (2) C4 grass hay (foxtail millet (Setaria italica), (3) C3 grass hay + C4 grass hay + alfalfa hay (Medicago sativa) (equal 1/3 proportions dry matter, 17.0%, 30.5%, and 52.5% by crude protein contribution, respectively), (4) C3 grass hay + C4 grass hay + alfalfa hay (equal proportions) + minor component of Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis) leaves (fed at 25 grams per heifer per day equal to 0.29% by dry matter contribution; crude protein content unknown), (5) alfalfa hay + minor components of crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum), western wheatgrass (Pascopyrum smithii), and blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis) that included steams, leaves, and seed heads (varying proportions by dry matter ranging from 0.02 to 0.15% but 0.05%, 0.04%, and 0.01% by crude protein contribution), and (6) alfalfa hay. Single species diets were fed ad libitum. Diets with multiple forage species were fed at metabolic weight-based amounts with minor diet components introduced 2-3 days after major diet components. At the species level, fed diets and fDNA metabarcoding diets were dissimilar due to misidentification of major C3 and C4 diet components. For C3, A. arundinaceus was under the same Operational Taxonomic Unit (OTU) as Phleum pratense (not present in the C3 sourced hay), so blind identification was initially wrong. For C4, S. italica was identified as Setaria palmifolia, which does not grow in the region. Microscopic evaluation of seeds for both misidentifications verified the correct species identification and the fDNA error. Minor dietary components were detected in only 1 of 5 heifers for all species. Increasing the utility of fDNA metabarcoding for accurately determining the diet composition of free-roaming animals will necessitate: 1) improving the reference library of voucher species specimens, 2) understanding by technical and scientific staff that multiple species may be attributed to the same OTU, and 3) greater verification of fDNA metabarcoding results using field-derived plant composition data, especially in rangeland settings where plant diversity can be intrinsically high.

The use of animal-borne cameras to video-track the behaviour of domestic cats

Free roaming domestic animals can have a profound effect on wildlife. To better understand and mitigate any impact, it is important to understand the behaviour patterns of the domestic animals, and how other variables might influence their behaviour. Direct observation is not always feasible and bears the potential risk of observer effects. The use of animal-borne small video-cameras provides the opportunity to study behaviour from the animal’s point of view. While video-tracking has been used previously to study specific aspects of the behaviour of a species, it has not been used so far to determine detailed time-budgets. The aim of this study was to provide and validate an ethogram based on cat-camera footage collected from 16 cats (Felis catus). The methodology was validated comparing films recorded simultaneously, from both collar-mounted video recorders and hand-held video recorders. Additionally, the inter-observer reliability of scorers was measured. Continuous and instantaneous recording regimes were compared, and behavioural accumulation curves were evaluated to provide further technique recommendations for video-tracking cats. Video-tracking allows scoring of behaviour as reliably as direct observation (linear mixed effects model: t < 0.001, P = 0.99; df = 14 in 7 cats; Cohen's κ = 0.88). Furthermore, inter-observer reliability was high (Cohen's κ = 0.72) and was not significantly different from 0.8 (one-sample t-test: t = 1.15. df = 5, P = 0.30), indicating that the method is not subject to bias in observers. Recommendations are given for the most efficient scoring protocol to reliably record feline behaviour. While the validation was concerned with cat behaviour, the approach can be easily adapted for a variety of domestic species, as well as some captive animals. Video-tracking offers a new avenue to investigate both general time-budgets and more specific behaviours such as foraging or space use from the animal's point of view and in its normal environment, without restrictions to movement. Insights gained through video-tracking will be relevant to various conservation and animal welfare issues.

Identifying opportunities to improve the effectiveness in rabies control in Thailand using geographical analysis

Event Abstract Back to Event Identifying opportunities to improve the effectiveness in rabies control in Thailand using geographical analysis Kaushi S. Kanankege1*, Anuwat Wiratsudakul2, Ong-Orn Prasarnphanich3, Phrusamon Wongnak4, Chakchalat Yoopatthanawon4, Julio Alvarez5, Kaylee Errecaborde1 and Andres M. Perez1 1 University of Minnesota Twin Cities, United States 2 Mahidol University, Thailand 3 Thailand Ministry of Public Health-U.S. Ceneter for Disease Control and Prevention Collaboration, Thailand 4 Faculty of Veterinary Science, Mahidol University, Thailand 5 Centro de Vigilancia Sanitaria Veterinaria (VISAVET) and Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense, Spain Despite immense efforts, rabies remains an endemic and neglected zoonotic disease in Asia and Africa, including Thailand. To evaluate and improve the effectiveness of control programs, it is imperative for policymakers and program managers alike to understand the spatiotemporal patterns of rabies spread in relation to underlying risk factors. Here, we generated rabies risk maps for Thailand using Bayesian spatial regression. Major risk factors associated with dog-mediated rabies were identified through published literature, and the relevant data were collected using publicly available and government institutional data sources. A linear regression model was used to investigate the association between the potential risk of rabies and available covariates at the sub-district level. To represent the potential risk of rabies at the sub-district level, both human and animal rabies cases and the number of dog bites were used to estimate the risk. In addition to the covariates, random effects pertaining to spatial dependence were included in the model using a conditional autoregressive model that accounted for the spatial autocorrelation with adjacent sub-districts. Preliminary results suggest that the number of Buddhist temples, human population density, and unowned dogs and cat population were significantly associated with the risk of rabies The number of open garbage dumps, which provide a site for food for the free-roaming animals, was not statistically significant (p<0.05). The fitted values were mapped and classified into five based on natural breaks. Sub-districts with classes three and above were considered to be at high risk (1412/7768; 18.18%). In subsequent steps, data available at both sub-district and provincial level, including the anti-rabies vaccination of dogs and the human post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) usage, will be incorporated following a nested modeling approach. The risk maps may be useful to improve the current dissemination of dog vaccination, at the sub-district level, in Thailand. Acknowledgements We acknowledge the Center for Global Health and Social Responsibility of the University of Minnesota for funding this research. Keywords: Conditional auto regressive model, One Health, Thailand, Risk maps, Rabies - epidemiology Conference: GeoVet 2019. Novel spatio-temporal approaches in the era of Big Data, Davis, United States, 8 Oct - 10 Oct, 2019. Presentation Type: Regular oral presentation Topic: Spatio-temporal surveillance and modeling approaches Citation: Kanankege KS, Wiratsudakul A, Prasarnphanich O, Wongnak P, Yoopatthanawon C, Alvarez J, Errecaborde K and Perez AM (2019). Identifying opportunities to improve the effectiveness in rabies control in Thailand using geographical analysis. Front. Vet. Sci. Conference Abstract: GeoVet 2019. Novel spatio-temporal approaches in the era of Big Data. doi: 10.3389/conf.fvets.2019.05.00028 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 10 Jun 2019; Published Online: 27 Sep 2019. * Correspondence: Mx. Kaushi S Kanankege, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, St. Paul, United States, kanan009@umn.edu Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Kaushi S Kanankege Anuwat Wiratsudakul Ong-Orn Prasarnphanich Phrusamon Wongnak Chakchalat Yoopatthanawon Julio Alvarez Kaylee Errecaborde Andres M Perez Google Kaushi S Kanankege Anuwat Wiratsudakul Ong-Orn Prasarnphanich Phrusamon Wongnak Chakchalat Yoopatthanawon Julio Alvarez Kaylee Errecaborde Andres M Perez Google Scholar Kaushi S Kanankege Anuwat Wiratsudakul Ong-Orn Prasarnphanich Phrusamon Wongnak Chakchalat Yoopatthanawon Julio Alvarez Kaylee Errecaborde Andres M Perez PubMed Kaushi S Kanankege Anuwat Wiratsudakul Ong-Orn Prasarnphanich Phrusamon Wongnak Chakchalat Yoopatthanawon Julio Alvarez Kaylee Errecaborde Andres M Perez Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

Free-Roaming Cat (Felis Catus) Management and Welfare Policies in Two University Campuses in Beirut, Lebanon: Strengths, Weaknesses, and Opportunities

ABSTRACTLittle information has been reported about the welfare and management of free-roaming animals in Middle Eastern countries. Here we describe a case study of free-roaming cat (Felis catus) management policies in two universities in Beirut, Lebanon whereby cats are immensely valued for their presence and the benefits they bring to students and employees. Guided by concern for animal welfare, the innovative, humane approaches by the universities include arranging adoptions, discouraging pet abandonment, food provision, health monitoring, nurturing a social responsibility consciousness among young people, formal endorsement of animal rights and humane treatment in student conduct expectations, sterilization, and veterinary care. The policies serve as blueprint for universities and other institutions across the globe to adopt proactive approaches to free-roaming cat management as well take responsibility for the welfare of all animals on campus (rather than only for ethical conduct in use of animals in scientific research). They also inspire students, as the next generation, to safeguard animals and the environment.