Editorial: Bears and Canids

Kitchener, Andrew C.; Cheryl, S.

doi:10.1111/j.1748-1090.2010.00112.x

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Numbers in non-ISIS registered zoos and rescue centres are unknown, and overall this equates to a large global captive bear population, and potentially a large number of bears for which dental pathology may be an issue. Bears can be long-lived in captivity, and sun bears (Helarctos malayanus) reaching 35 years of age have been documented (Kitchener & Asa 2010). With advancing age, dental disease naturally becomes more prevalent (Kitchener & MacDonald 2002;Glatt et al 2008), and secondary factors such as inadequate diet and trauma caused by other bears or cage fixtures can be predisposing factors (Robinson 1987).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Behavioural assessment of dental pain in captive Malayan sun bears (Helarctos malayanus)

Fleming

Burn

2014

Anim. welf.

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Captive bears are prone to developing dental pathology for reasons including longevity in captivity, inappropriate diet, trauma, and stereotypical bar biting. If not detected, this can cause pain and suffering, with negative welfare consequences. As animals cannot verbally express feelings, objective methods are required to detect pain. Some methods of pain assessment can be invasive and impractical but behavioural observations offer a non-invasive alternative. Behavioural assessment for the detection of pain has been described in some domestic species but little published research has applied this to wild animal species. Eight Malayan sun bears (Helarctos malayanus) required dental extractions under anaesthesia. Their behaviour was observed, alongside a control cohort with no visible disease, pre-operatively and at one, two and four weeks post-operatively, when it was assumed the pain had resolved from the original pathology and surgery performed. Behavioural indices measured included general activity, social behaviours, stereotypies, eating-related behaviours and oro-facial behaviours hypothesised to be affected by dental pain. Bears that had received treatment took significantly longer to eat hard sugarcane pre-operatively compared to four weeks post-operatively, and took longer to eat soft porridge one week post-operatively compared to four weeks post-operatively. Untreated bears tended to be more active outdoors one week postoperatively compared to the treatment cohort. Results suggest that using hard foods and assessing the duration of eating behaviours could be useful to indicate dental pain in sun bears. General behavioural assessment of dental pain in sun bears is unlikely to be effective as a single diagnostic tool, but may be combined with other methods of assessment, and further research into this area is warranted.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Behavioural assessment of dental pain in captive Malayan sun bears (Helarctos malayanus)

Fleming

Burn

2014

Anim. welf.

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“…A few studies described the most common diseases developed in geriatric animals ( 4 , 5 , 27 ). Several others were based on data collected from autopsy results or skeleton examinations ( 23 , 25 , 26 , 28 , 29 ). To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the current study represents the retrospective assessment of the largest collection of veterinary reports of captive brown bears across ages, including juvenile, adult, and geriatric animals that were examined in vivo and/or post-mortem .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A retrospective study on the prevalence of main clinical findings in brown bears (Ursus arctos) rescued from substandard husbandry conditions

Stagni,

Sequeira,

Brscic

et al. 2023

Front. Vet. Sci.

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Brown bears (Ursus arctos) are kept under varied captive conditions, some of which may greatly compromise their welfare. FOUR PAWS is an NGO that rescues some of these bears kept in substandard conditions and houses them in species-appropriate sanctuaries, where preventive and reactive veterinary care is provided. This retrospective study aims to provide an overview of pathologies and clinical abnormalities reported in veterinary records and their prevalence according to body system affected and pre-rescue bear origin. Origin was categorised as subzoo (bears coming from substandard zoos), dancing (used to “dance” upon a music cue), restaurant (used to attract clients), private keeping (used for various purposes, such as photo props), circus (used for shows), and bear-baiting (exploited for hunting dog training in baiting stations). Clinical findings were extracted from reports of veterinary examinations done from 2006 to 2021, during rescue, routinely, in response to clinical signs, and/or post-mortem. Their prevalence was calculated according to the body system affected and neoplasia (specific group independent from the organ) over the findings’ total number. Prevalence was also calculated according to pre-rescue origin (general and relative values in proportion to the number of reports per origin). Results refer to 302 veterinary reports of 114 bears examined, rescued from 1998 to 2021, with the age at rescue varying from a few months to 30 years (median 13 years). The total number of clinical findings was 1,003, and the systems with more findings were oral cavity (56.0%), abdominal cavity and digestive system (7.9%), integumentary (7.9%), ocular systems (7.7%), and musculoskeletal (7.6%). Findings involving other body systems and neoplasia were less prevalent (≤2.8%). Results showed a higher prevalence of some clinical findings for bears rescued from certain origins compared to others. Straightforward associations between pre-rescue origin and clinical findings were not feasible due to unknown anamnesis and details on pre-rescue conditions, and because some housing and management characteristics might be transversal to origins. Results suggest that bears rescued from certain origins were prone to specific clinical findings, supporting the need for the creation of ad hoc preventive veterinary and husbandry management plans after rescue, thus contributing to the improvement of captive bear welfare.

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Olfactory Enrichment in California Sea Lions (Zalophus californianus): An Effective Tool for Captive Welfare?

Samuelson

Lauderdale

Pulis

et al. 2016

Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science

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In the wild, California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) are exposed to a wide variety of sensory information, which cannot be replicated in captive environments. Therefore, unique procedures are necessary for maintaining physiological and psychological health in nonhuman animals in captivity. The effects of introducing natural scents to captive enclosures have been investigated in a variety of species, yet they have not been examined in marine mammals. This project explored the behavioral effect of scent added to the environment, with the goal of improving the welfare of sea lions in captivity. Two scent types were introduced: (a) natural scents, found in their native environment, and (b) non-natural scents, not found in their native environment. This study examined not only scent enrichment but also the possible evolutionary underpinnings of pinniped olfaction. Scent enrichment was found to significantly impact sea lion behavior as demonstrated by a reduction in pattern swimming, an increase in habitat utilization, and a reduction in stereotypical behavior. However, there were no differences in behavior between natural and non-natural scent conditions.

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Editorial: Bears and Canids

Cited by 4 publications

References 25 publications

Behavioural assessment of dental pain in captive Malayan sun bears (Helarctos malayanus)

Behavioural assessment of dental pain in captive Malayan sun bears (Helarctos malayanus)

A retrospective study on the prevalence of main clinical findings in brown bears (Ursus arctos) rescued from substandard husbandry conditions

Olfactory Enrichment in California Sea Lions (Zalophus californianus): An Effective Tool for Captive Welfare?

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