Flacke Gabriella L, Tkalčić Suzana, Steck Beatrice, Warren Kristin, Martin Graeme B
School of Animal Biology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia.
Western University of Health Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Pomona, California.
Zoo Biol. 2016 Nov;35(6):556-569. doi: 10.1002/zoo.21336. Epub 2016 Nov 10.
The pygmy hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis) is an IUCN Red List Endangered species (CITES Appendix II) that has been housed in zoological collections since 1912. As wild populations continue to decline throughout the species' range, successful ex situ breeding and management, including an understanding of morbidity and mortality, are of utmost importance. This study is the first comprehensive review of mortality data from the captive population since 1982 and significantly expands on previous analyses. We solicited necropsy reports from 129/187 zoological institutions worldwide that currently or previously held pygmy hippos and received data for 404 animals (177 ♂, 220 ♀, 7 undermined sex), representing 43% of pygmy hippos that have died in captivity. Mortality in neonates was primarily due to perinatal causes (51.8%-stillbirth, failure to thrive, weakness, poor suckling reflex, maternal neglect) or parent-inflicted trauma (28%). Common causes of mortality in adult and geriatric animals included cardiovascular disease (16%), degenerative musculoskeletal conditions (10%), obstructive gastrointestinal disease (9%), and renal insufficiency (13%), sometimes associated with advanced polycystic kidney disease (PKD). Although not the direct cause of mortality, a number of adult and geriatric pygmy hippos were also overweight to obese. Infectious causes of mortality in included leptospirosis and encephalomyocarditis virus, the latter usually presenting as acute death due to cardiovascular demise. This comprehensive overview presents a useful guide for recommendations in preventative veterinary care and for improved husbandry and management of pygmy hippos in captivity. Zoo Biol. 35:556-569, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
倭河马(Choeropsis liberiensis)是世界自然保护联盟红色名录中的濒危物种(《濒危野生动植物种国际贸易公约》附录二),自1912年起就被圈养在动物园中。由于该物种分布范围内的野生种群数量持续下降,成功的迁地繁殖和管理,包括了解发病情况和死亡率,至关重要。本研究是自1982年以来对圈养种群死亡率数据的首次全面综述,显著扩展了先前的分析。我们向全球187家目前或曾经饲养过倭河马的动物园机构索要了尸检报告,收到了404只动物(177只雄性、220只雌性、7只性别不明)的数据,占圈养死亡倭河马的43%。新生幼崽的死亡主要是由于围产期原因(51.8%——死产、发育不良、虚弱、吸吮反射差、母兽忽视)或父母造成的创伤(28%)。成年和老年动物死亡的常见原因包括心血管疾病(16%)、退行性肌肉骨骼疾病(10%)、阻塞性胃肠道疾病(9%)和肾功能不全(13%),有时与晚期多囊肾病(PKD)有关。虽然不是直接死因,但许多成年和老年倭河马也超重至肥胖。死亡的感染性原因包括钩端螺旋体病和脑心肌炎病毒,后者通常表现为因心血管衰竭导致的急性死亡。这一全面概述为预防性兽医护理的建议以及改善圈养倭河马的饲养和管理提供了有用的指导。《动物园生物学》。35:556 - 569,2016年。©2016威利期刊公司。