Studying personality in captive animals may enable the development of individual-based management decisions, which may improve animal welfare. Asiatic lions at London Zoo represent an opportunity to research an understudied species' response to new environments since they have experienced social and physical changes, such as new enclosures and increased social interaction with humans. This project aimed to investigate the role of personality in behavioral responses to these changes. Lion personality questionnaires completed by keepers and direct focal animal observations were used to create personality profiles. Time budgets and enclosure use were determined and compared between control nights and event nights and between the lions' previous enclosure and their new one. The results showed a lack of difference in time budget and enclosure use between control and social event nights, and the spread of participation index values revealed that the lions use their enclosures unevenly. Personality profiles identified various traits that could assist with individual-based management decisions. As the first study to assess Asiatic lions personality, this research contributes to the creation of consistent and valid methodology for evaluating captive animal personality that may improve husbandry and welfare protocols for individual lions, leading to the improved health and success of the species.

Simple SummaryAnimal personality research is a growing field, since understanding animal personalities has notable implications in ecology and the evolution of animal behaviours. In the current study, we tested different methods described in the literature to obtain robust individual behavioural profiles. Data collected through behavioral observations were categorised into activity budgets, space usage, and social interactions for each individual. In addition, behavioural profile questionnaires were completed by the three zoo keepers who had regular interactions with the bears. The questionnaires included 22 adjectives, which were rated on a scale of 1–12 depending on how well they described each individual bear. The mean ratings of the keepers were used to create the behavioural profiles by adding the adjectives to the appropriate domains, according to the NEO Five Factor Inventory of personality model (NEO-FFI). The data gathered was used to produce behavioural profiles for all animals, in order to clarify the personality characteristics of each subject. Testing and improving existing methodologies to determine animal personality is important for providing optimal welfare and management of captive animals, since it can help to develop more effective management regimes in zoos by remodelling husbandry according to each animal’s personality type.AbstractThree brown bear (Ursus arctos arctos) individuals and two sloth bear (Melursus ursinus inornatus) individuals were observed in captivity to produce behavioural profiles for each individual. Data collected through behavioural observations were used to produce activity budgets, and to identify space usage and certain aspects of social behavior. Behaviour monitoring allowed the researchers to evaluate the welfare of the animals by identifying the occurrence of stereotypic behaviours, which are sometimes associated with stress. Behavioural profiles were created using data obtained through behavioural observations (coding) and keeper questionnaires (rating). The behavioural observations indicated a number of stereotypic behaviours in sloth bears but not in brown bears. The uniformity of zone usage was calculated to investigate if the enclosure size and features were adequate for use, and a social aspect of otherwise solitary animals was also identified. The behavioural profiles generated through coding and rating were compared to determine the reliability between these two methods in Ursids. Profiles were not compared between individuals since this study is not a comparison between different personality types but rather an effort (one of the few ones existing in literature) to select a valid and reproducible methodology capable of assessing personality in bears.

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Aims:In this study we assessed the personality and sociality of eight zoo tigers. Place and Duration of the Study: This study was conducted over five months at Le Cornelle Faunistic Park (Valbrembo, BG, Italy). Methodology: A multifaceted approach of observer ratings (rating method) and keeper questionnaires (coding method) was used to produce personality profiles for each tiger. Focal animal behavioural observations allowed the production of time budgets and enclosure usage for each animal. Sociality was measured through Association Index, both for intraspecific (tiger-tiger) ARRB, 21(2): 1-17, 2017; Article no.ARRB.38122 2 and interspecific (keeper-tiger) dyads. Keeper Association Index and eventual tiger affiliative behavior towards keepers was measured during indoor interactions in the morning and in the evening at lock up and feeding times. Results: All the results outlined a distinct personality in each animal, different levels of intraspecific sociality and affiliative behavior towards each keeper. Conclusions: We advocate that this deeper understanding of each animal's personality and behavior can offer practical help to zoological institutions to facilitate daily husbandry, animal welfare, tailor training or enrichment and ultimately increase reproductive success. Original Research Article

Felids are commonly housed in zoological collections worldwide. While aspects of their behaviour are well studied, there remain questions on best practice husbandry including during reproduction and breeding scenarios. In 2016, the Zoological Society of London's (ZSL) London Zoo held a pair of Sumatran tigers (Panthera tigris sumatrae) for the purpose of breeding. While they are believed to be solitary in the wild, many collections maintain their tigers in pairs, with some keeping pairs together during parturition and rearing periods. The aim of this study was to investigate the social interactions between a male Sumatran tiger and cubs when housed in a shared enclosure. The data were collected using CCTV footage in the indoor enclosure for the tigers. The CCTV footage ran continuously throughout the day and night, allowing a more holistic overview of behaviour. These 24-hour recordings were split into 6 equal hour ranges to calculate behaviour activity budgets and proximity of the male from the cubs. Data were analysed using a Chi-squared test for association to determine differences between individual behaviour. Overall, the male spent longer than expected engaging in guarding behaviour of the cubs. The male also regularly engaged in affiliative behaviours directed towards the cubs. No cub-directed aggression was observed from the male toward the cubs. Overall, this suggests that maintaining a male tiger with its progeny may be feasible as a management approach in some zoological collections, provided the male's personality is compatible, and alternative accommodation is available.

Milk characteristics in terms of volatile compounds can influence the subsequent product characteristics and can give indications about metabolism. These features can strongly depend on feeding and management. In this perspective, the screening of milk samples intended for Parmigiano-Reggiano and Grana Padano located in Northern Italy was performed, focusing on a panel of volatile molecules. The work was carried out on a total number of 25 bovine milk samples for the production of Parmigiano-Reggiano and Grana Padano. Milk samples were collected from May to September and analyzed for volatile molecules using headspace gas chromatography mass spectrometry. A range of several volatile molecule classes was considered (aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, carboxylic acids, esters, aromatic hydrocarbons, solforates). Results showed a significant influence of the month and destination of milk due to the time period and subsequent use in cheesemaking (Parmigiano-Reggiano and Grana Padano). Significant differences between months were observed for all volatiles. These preliminary results indicate differences between the two types of milk due to the period and destination. The study of volatile molecules in milk will give important information about the physiology of milk and the evolution of dairy products. These features must be extended and confirmed by the sensory analysis of milk and derived products, leading to a more complete characterization of milk biology and derived products.

Understanding animal personalities has notable implications in the ecology and evolution of animal behavior, but personality studies can also be useful in optimizing animal management, with the aim of improving health and well-being, and optimizing reproductive success, a fundamental factor in the species threatened with extinction. Modern zoos are increasingly being structured with enclosures that host different species, which permanently share spaces. This condition has undeniable positive aspects, but, in some species, it could determine the appearance of collective or synchronized behaviors. The aim of this study was to verify, in a colony of three species of communally housed penguins (Pygoscelis papua, Aptenodytes patagonicus and Eudyptes moseleyi), through a trait-rating assessment, if interspecific group life impacts on the expression of personality traits, and if it is possible to highlight specie-specific expression of personality traits, despite the influence of forced cohabitation. For many of the personality traits we analyzed, we have observed that it was possible to detect an expression that differed, according to the species. From a practical point of view, these data could ameliorate the management of the animals, allowing to design animal life routines, according to the different behavioral characteristics of the cohabiting species.

Mosquito-borne pathogens pose major threats to both wildlife and human health and, largely as a result of unintentional human-aided dispersal of their vector species, their cumulative threat is on the rise. Anthropogenic climate change is expected to be an increasingly significant driver of mosquito dispersal and associated disease spread. The potential health implications of changes in the spatio-temporal distribution of mosquitoes highlight the importance of ongoing surveillance and, where necessary, vector control and other health-management measures. The World Association of Zoos and Aquariums initiative, Project MOSI, was established to help protect vulnerable wildlife species in zoological facilities from mosquito-transmitted pathogens by establishing a zoo-based network of fixed mosquito monitoring sites to assist wildlife health management and contribute data on mosquito spatio-temporal distribution changes. A pilot study for Project MOSI is described here, including project rationale and results that confirm the feasibility of conducting basic standardized year-round mosquito trapping and monitoring in a zoo environment.Key-words: attractants; climate change; monitoring; mosquitoes; Project MOSI; surveillance; spatio-temporal distribution; wildlife health; zoological networks. MOSQUITO-RELATED HEALTH ISSUES FOR ZOOS AND SIMILAR FACILITIESMosquitoes are the principal vectors of a wide range of diseases, including human and avian malaria, dengue, West Nile encephalitis and filariasis (Becker et al., 2010; Kilpatrick & Randolph, 2012; World Health Organization, 2013a). A range of species has been recorded as succumbing to mosquito-transmitted pathogens in zoos and theme parks. Documented cases include African black-footed penguins Spheniscus demersus with avian malaria (Grim et al., 2004) and eastern equine encephalitis virus (Tuttle et al., 2005), Great gray owls Strix nebulosa with Usutu virus (Weissenböck et al., 2002), Humbolt penguins Spheiniscus humboldti with heartworms Dirofilaria immitis (Sano et al., 2005), and a Polar bear Ursus maritimus (Dutton et al., 2009) and two OrcasOrcinus orca with West Nile virus infection (Jett & Ventre, 2013).Blood-feeding mosquitoes have the ability to track airborne chemicals produced by the vertebrate host to locate them in order to have a blood meal, which is essential for viable egg production in most species (Dekker & Cardé, 2011). The combination of odours varies amongst species and mosquitoes can be more or less attracted to them depending on their feeding preference, even if, at close range, proximity to the host is likely to be more important than species identity (Takken & Verhulst, 2013). Several mosquito species are true 'generalists' as far as host species preference is concerned.Understanding distribution, population abundance, activity periods and other behaviours of mosquito species helps optimize protection efforts for human, domestic-animal and wildlife 3 populations (Becker et al., 2010; World Health Organization, 2013a). Monitoring an...