Fink Laurel B, Scarlata Candace D, VanBeek Becca, Bodner Todd E, Wielebnowski Nadja C
Department of Biology, Portland State University, 1719 SW 10th Avenue, SRTC rm 246, Portland, OR 97201, USA.
Oregon Zoo, 4001 SW Canyon Rd, Portland, OR 97221, USA.
Animals (Basel). 2021 Dec 10;11(12):3526. doi: 10.3390/ani11123526.
The effect of visitor presence on zoo animals has been explored in numerous studies over the past two decades. However, the opportunities for observations without visitors have been very limited at most institutions. In 2020, the Oregon Zoo was closed, in response to the global SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic, from 15 March 2020 to 12 July 2020, resulting in approximately four consecutive months without visitor presence. This study aimed to quantify potential behavioral and hormonal changes expressed during two transition periods in zoo visitor attendance: the initial time period before and after closure in March 2020 and time before and after reopening in July 2020. Fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGM) concentrations of resident giraffes ( = 2) and cheetahs ( = 2) were tracked using enzyme immunoassay (EIA) analyses. Average fGM concentrations during the two transition periods were compared using a two-way mixed ANOVA. Additionally, twice-weekly scan sampling was used to quantify behavioral observations across the transitions, which were analyzed as individual behavior proportions. Individual behavior proportions were compared across the Zoo's opening status and time of day using Kruskal-Wallis (H) tests. The results of our analyses showed the following outcomes: (1) significant increases in fGM concentrations for cheetahs and giraffes between the transition periods but not within them; (2) a significant increase in time spent 'not visible' in the cheetahs in the second transition period; and (3) increased vigilance behaviors in the giraffes immediately after the Zoo's closure. However, the changes observed in fGM concentrations may be more strongly correlated with concomitant social changes (giraffes) and some medical events (cheetahs) rather than with the Zoo's opening status. Nevertheless, this study was able to quantify differences in behavioral frequencies and fGM concentration in cheetahs and giraffes at the Oregon Zoo during the times of transition between visitor's presence and absence. The results indicate that, while there was a possible, but relatively minor impact of the presence and absence of visitors on some behaviors, the differences observed in fGM concentration may have been more affected by some of the concomitant social changes and medical events that happened during the same period than by the presence or absence of visitors.
在过去二十年中，众多研究探讨了游客在场对动物园动物的影响。然而，对于大多数机构而言，在没有游客的情况下进行观察的机会非常有限。2020年，为应对全球严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒2（SARS-CoV-2，即新冠病毒）大流行，俄勒冈动物园于2020年3月15日至2020年7月12日关闭，导致连续约四个月没有游客在场。本研究旨在量化动物园游客到访两个过渡时期所表现出的潜在行为和激素变化：2020年3月关闭前后的初始时间段以及2020年7月重新开放前后的时间段。使用酶免疫分析（EIA）追踪圈养长颈鹿（n = 2）和猎豹（n = 2）粪便中糖皮质激素代谢物（fGM）的浓度。使用双向混合方差分析比较两个过渡时期的平均fGM浓度。此外，每周进行两次扫描取样以量化整个过渡期间的行为观察结果，并将其分析为个体行为比例。使用Kruskal-Wallis（H）检验比较动物园开放状态和一天中不同时间的个体行为比例。我们的分析结果显示了以下结果：（1）猎豹和长颈鹿在过渡时期之间fGM浓度显著增加，但在过渡时期内没有增加；（2）在第二个过渡时期，猎豹“不可见”的时间显著增加；（3）动物园关闭后，长颈鹿的警惕行为立即增加。然而，观察到的fGM浓度变化可能与伴随的社会变化（长颈鹿）和一些医疗事件（猎豹）的相关性更强，而不是与动物园的开放状态相关。尽管如此，本研究能够量化俄勒冈动物园在游客在场和不在场的过渡时期，猎豹和长颈鹿行为频率和fGM浓度的差异。结果表明，虽然游客在场和不在场对某些行为可能有影响，但这种影响相对较小，观察到的fGM浓度差异可能更多地受到同期发生的一些伴随社会变化和医疗事件的影响，而不是游客的在场或不在场。
