Leiberich M, Pohlin F, Hooijberg E H, Hofmeyr M, Cooper D, Reuben M, Meyer L C R
Centre for Veterinary Wildlife Research, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, South Africa and Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, South Africa.
Centre for Veterinary Wildlife Research, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, South Africa and Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, South Africa and Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Austria.
J S Afr Vet Assoc. 2022 Nov;93(2):131-138. doi: 10.36303/JSAVA.480. Epub 2022 Jul 18.
Translocation is a valuable conservation tool, but poses significant risks for the transported rhinoceroses. Interventions reducing these risks are required to ensure positive welfare during transportation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of journey duration and feeding during the transport of white rhinoceroses (). A total of 32 animals were transported by road during two events, five days apart. Fifteen rhinoceroses in the first transport event (37.0 ± 2.4 hr duration) were not fed, while 17 rhinoceroses in the second event (32.2 ± 1.5 hr duration) were offered lucerne. Blood samples were collected at capture and after transport for the evaluation of changes in serum clinical chemistry analytes. The Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used to compare differences between the groups. In all rhinoceroses, transport resulted in changes in serum electrolyte, metabolite and enzyme concentrations, indicating a loss in total body water, nutritional shifts, stress and fatigue. Fed rhinoceroses, transported over a shorter time, displayed greater changes in osmolality ( < 0.006), serum sodium and chloride concentrations ( = 0.005 and = 0.001, respectively) indicating a greater degree of total body water loss than non-fed rhinoceroses. Feeding and a shorter transport duration reduced, but did not prevent, nutritional challenges. A greater increase in the muscle enzymes CK and AST ( = 0.027 and = 0.001, respectively), indicated greater fatigue in non-fed rhinoceroses transported over a longer time. Further work to distinguish the effects of feeding and journey duration is required to better understand the role feeding may play in mitigating welfare challenges during rhinoceros translocation.
易地转移是一种重要的保护手段，但对被转移的犀牛构成了重大风险。需要采取措施降低这些风险，以确保运输过程中的良好福利。本研究的目的是评估白犀牛运输过程中的行程时长和喂食的影响。在两次相隔五天的活动中，共有32头犀牛通过公路运输。第一次运输活动中的15头犀牛（时长37.0±2.4小时）未喂食，而第二次活动中的17头犀牛（时长32.2±1.5小时）喂食了苜蓿。在捕获时和运输后采集血样，以评估血清临床化学分析物的变化。采用Wilcoxon秩和检验比较两组之间的差异。在所有犀牛中，运输导致血清电解质、代谢物和酶浓度发生变化，表明总体液流失、营养转移、应激和疲劳。喂食且运输时间较短的犀牛，其渗透压（<0.006）、血清钠和氯浓度（分别为=0.005和=0.001）变化更大，表明总体液流失程度高于未喂食的犀牛。喂食和较短的运输时长减轻了但并未防止营养方面的挑战。肌肉酶CK和AST的增加幅度更大（分别为=0.027和=0.001），表明运输时间较长的未喂食犀牛疲劳程度更高。需要进一步开展工作以区分喂食和行程时长的影响，以便更好地了解喂食在减轻犀牛易地转移过程中的福利挑战方面可能发挥的作用。
