Extrinsic Factors Significantly Affect Patterns of Disease in Free-Ranging and Captive Cheetah (Acinonyx Jubatus) Populations

Abstract

The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) has been considered a paradigm for disease vulnerability due to loss of genetic diversity. This species monomorphism has been suspected to be the basis for their general poor health and dwindling populations in captivity. North American and South African captive populations have high prevalences of hepatic veno-occlusive disease, glomerulosclerosis, gastritis, and systemic amyloidosis, diseases that are rare in other species. Unusually severe inflammatory reactions to common infectious agents have also been documented in captive cheetahs. The current study compared disease prevalences in free-ranging Namibian cheetahs with those in two captive populations of similar ages. The occurrence of diseases in the free-ranging population was determined from 49 necropsies and 27 gastric biopsies obtained between 1986 and 2003 and compared with prevalences in 147 North American and 80 South African captive cheetahs. Except for two cheetahs, the free-ranging population was in robust health with only mild lesions present, in contrast with significantly higher prevalences in the captive populations. Despite widespread heavy Helicobacter colonization in wild cheetahs, only 3% of the free-ranging population had moderate to severe gastritis, in contrast with 64% of captive cheetahs. No severe inflammatory reactions to viral infections were detected in the free-ranging animals. Because free-ranging Namibian cheetahs are as genetically impoverished as captive cheetahs, these findings caution against attributing loss of fitness solely to genetic factors and attest to the fundamental importance of extrinsic factors in wildlife health.

Species differences in responses to captivity: stress, welfare and the comparative method

“…Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) in Western zoos are similarly not self-sustaining [21] because of reproductive problems, including high infant mortality [22]. Zoo-housed cheetahs also have elevated cortisol outputs, hypertrophied adrenal glands, and enhanced vulnerability to a Helicobacter species that seems to be non-pathogenic in wild cheetahs but causes severe gastritis in zoo animals (http://www.cbsg.org/ cbsg/workshopreports/26/global_cheetah_conservation_ plan_final_report_2002.pdf, [21][22][23]). …”

Toxoplasmosis Sistémica en un Canguro Rojo (Macropus rufus) Cautivo

“…Probablemente en este paciente la infección se reactivó debido a múltiples situaciones que pudieron presentarse de forma aislada o a un mismo tiempo, entre estas cabe citar: el estrés inducido por el desplazamiento continuo del circo, y el estrés debido al mismo ambiente del circo, que incluye un ambiente ruidoso (Young & Akill) y las condiciones del cautiverio . Una posible explicación para esta teoría dada podría ser que debido a la manipulación rutinaria y constante se provocó un estrés crónico por repetidas circunstancias estresoras que pudo llevar a una adaptación del organismo (Munson et al, 2005). Sin embargo, como es sabido, ciertas especies silvestres pueden mal adaptarse al estrés por cautiverio lo que resulta en una respuesta adrenocortical persistente (Wells et al, 2004).…”

Fermentation of animal components in strict carnivores: A comparative study with cheetah fecal inoculum1,2

“…However, despite the high protein intake, in contrast to the captive situation, there is a low incidence of GI disease in free-ranging cheetahs (Munson et al, 2005). It is, therefore, possible that strict carnivores, such as the cheetah, have developed specific adaptive mechanisms that enable them to deal with the potentially negative consequences of protein fermentation.…”