Stress steroid levels and the short-term impact of routine dehorning in female southern white rhinoceroses (<i>Ceratotherium simum simum</i>)

Badenhorst, Marcha; Otto, Michelle; Goot, Annemieke Catharina van der; Ganswindt, André

doi:10.1080/15627020.2016.1261002

Cited by 20 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 16 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…This pattern matches findings in female South African Lesser Galagos (Galago moholi Smith, 1836; Scheun 2015) and female white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum Burchell, 1817;Badenhorst et al 2016) that demonstrate a potential link between alterations in pregnancyrelated progestagen and fGCM concentrations.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

Non-invasive assessment of adrenocortical activity as a measure of stress in leopardsPanthera pardus

et al. 2018

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Leopards (Panthera pardus) are listed in the IUCN Red list as vulnerable, primarily due to habitat loss, natural prey base depletion and exploitation caused by various anthropogenic activities. Although protected areas are important for leopard conservation, the majority of suitable leopard habitat lies beyond protected area boundaries exposing individuals to different environmental, physiological and psychosocial stressors. This study aimed to examine the suitability of five different enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) for monitoring adrenocortical function in the leopard based on faecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGCM) analysis. After performing an adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) stimulation test and investigating the stability of fGCM post-defaecation, faeces from free-ranging leopards in a peri-urban and a conservation area was collected to investigate the potential impact of habitat variability on glucocorticoid output. An EIA measuring fGCM with a 5α-3β-11β-diol structure performed best, demonstrating a ~200-330% increase in fGCM concentrations approximately 40 h post-ACTH administration. Concentrations of fGCM remained quite stable for up to six-days post defaecation and showed a maximum increase of 8% and a maximum decrease of 9%. Although not significantly different (MWRS T = 86, n = 16, p = 0.920), overall median fGCM concentrations were 68% higher in individuals utilising the peri-urban area compared to leopards utilising the conservation area. The ranges of fGCM concentrations between sites however were similar. Individual median fGCM concentrations differed distinctly between free-ranging males and females, possibly linked to female reproductive status. The established method can now assist in addressing some of the issues facing local wildlife managers, conservationists and researchers tackling 1 various aspects related to leopard conservation and management under different land use practices.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

Non-invasive assessment of adrenocortical activity as a measure of stress in leopardsPanthera pardus

et al. 2018

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The lack of a short-term hormone response to immobilization and dehorning runs counter to the trend observed by Badenhorst et al (2016) whereby rhinos underwent a spike in FCM concentrations immediately after their dehorning, experiencing an acute endocrine stress response. The differences between the two studies may be explained by variation in the timings of sample collection.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 62%

“…The differences between the two studies may be explained by variation in the timings of sample collection. Badenhorst et al (2016) reported a peak in FCMs 24–48 hours after dehorning, which rose to a median 32% (range: −7.0 to 293%) above the baseline, whereas by 72–86 hours after the event FCMs had decreased by a median of 16% (range: −24 to 42%) above the pre-dehorning baseline. In comparison, the samples in this study were collected a mean 80 hours (range: 24–166 hours) after dehorning and had declined a median 17.2% (range: −60 to 43%) below the pre-dehorning concentration.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Dehorning, also known as horn trimming, refers to the controlled removal of a portion of a rhino’s horn by veterinary procedure ( Badenhorst et al , 2016 ). Dehorning in South Africa only became common as an anti-poaching tool from 2008, after poaching rates had dramatically increased ( Lindsey and Taylor, 2011 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Research on the physiological consequences of dehorning is limited to a single study of intensively reared female white rhinos, which experienced a spike in faecal glucocorticoids in the first 4 days after the procedure ( Badenhorst et al , 2016 ). However, it is unknown whether the physiological effects extend beyond this period, affect both sexes, or occur in free-ranging populations, leading to calls for further study ( Ververs, 2018 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Negligible hormonal response following dehorning in free-ranging white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum)

Penny

White

MacTavish

et al. 2020

Conservation Physiology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) is experiencing unsustainable poaching losses fuelled by a demand for horn. Increasingly, private and state reserves are dehorning their rhinoceros populations in an attempt to reduce poaching pressure. Rhinoceroses use their horns in social interactions as well as during resource access and so its partial removal as part of reserve management practices may adversely influence these behaviours. Physiological stress can correlate with animal welfare, reproductive state and health and thus acts as a useful indicator of these parameters. To establish whether dehorning causes a physiological stress response, glucocorticoid and gonadal steroid profiles of free-ranging white rhinoceroses were determined through the collection and analysis of faecal steroid metabolites before and after dehorning. Faecal corticoid profiles were not influenced by the number of occasions a rhinoceros had been dehorned or by the number of days that had elapsed since dehorning. Furthermore, there was no apparent suppression in the concentrations of testosterone or progesterone metabolites in males and females, respectively, after exposure to multiple dehorning procedures. These findings should increase wildlife managers’ confidence that dehorning does not negatively impact white rhinoceros physiology as measured hormonally.

show abstract

Behavioral and adrenocortical responses of captive white rhino adolescents to the introduction of a new calf

et al. 2019

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Changes in group composition are not exclusive to zoos and conservation breeding centers. The recent increase in poaching of African rhino species has accelerated the arrival of orphan calves at rehabilitation centers. Introducing new members into an existing group is often stressful for many mammal species. However, when young animals are involved, such responses may be reduced or absent. The goal of the present study was to evaluate the effect of introducing orphan calves on the stress responses of young orphan rhino from existing groups. The behavior and fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGCM) concentrations of eight orphan southern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum) were assessed one month before and after the introduction of a new calf. From the 10 variables measured, only the response to humans and submissive behaviors showed significant changes. Stereotypies were not observed during the course of the study, and adrenocortical activity, monitored by means of fGCM concentrations, did not increase after the introductions, showing values within the range observed in free-ranging white rhino. However, strong individual differences were evident in most variables. Our results suggest that the introduction of white rhino calves into an existing group of young rhinos caused minimal stress in existing group members. Although these findings should be treated with caution when generalizing to other captive populations due to the small and heterogeneous sample, our findings may have management implications for rhino orphanages as well as zoos and breeding centers where non-breeding pairs are frequently maintained.

show abstract

Stress steroid levels and the short-term impact of routine dehorning in female southern white rhinoceroses (Ceratotherium simum simum)

Cited by 20 publications

References 16 publications

Non-invasive assessment of adrenocortical activity as a measure of stress in leopardsPanthera pardus

Non-invasive assessment of adrenocortical activity as a measure of stress in leopardsPanthera pardus

Negligible hormonal response following dehorning in free-ranging white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum)

Behavioral and adrenocortical responses of captive white rhino adolescents to the introduction of a new calf

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About