Yawah Donny, Rovie-Ryan Jeffrine, Che-Amat Azlan, Cheng Michelle Fong Wai, Ithnin Hartini, Ahmad Mohd Adli, Jeoffry Enos, Misnan Madzlan, Hamid Zaihamrezal Abdul, Hiew Mark Wh
Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN), Peninsular Malaysia KM10, Jalan Cheras, 56100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Sungai Dusun Wildlife Conservation Centre, Sungai Dusun, 44010 Kuala Kubu Bahru, Selangor, Malaysia.
Trop Life Sci Res. 2025 Mar;36(1):187-203. doi: 10.21315/tlsr2025.36.1.10. Epub 2025 Mar 30.
The ex-situ propagation of the Malayan tapir in Malaysia is an important conservation strategy to increase the population of this endangered species. However, the scarcity of reproductive physiology studies impedes potential conservation efforts. This study aimed to investigate the expression of estrus signs through observation of estrus behaviour and vulva score in captive Malayan tapirs. This study was conducted from January to April at the Sungai Dusun Wildlife Conservation Centre, Selangor, Malaysia. A total of five female Malayan tapirs aged between 3 to 18 years old were involved in this study. Two of the tapirs were kept with a male partner, while three others were kept individually. Closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras with night vision and audio recording function connected to a digital video recorder were used to record the female activity from 1930 to 0730 hours. The recorded videos were evaluated for estrus behaviour such as vocalisation, flehmen response, urine spraying and excretion smelling. The vulva score (scale of 0 to 4) was determined based on the vulva size and the presence of discharge. The most common estrus behaviour observed in the female Malayan tapirs was vocalisation (81%), followed by flehmen response (10%), urine spraying (5%) and excretion smelling (4%). The paired females were observed to exhibit more estrus behaviours than the non-paired females. Vulva changes were observed in both groups with evidence of cyclic pattern with an average median length of 31.0 days (range of 28 days to 33 days). Mann-Whitney U test revealed significant difference between paired group and non-paired group for vocalisation and urine spraying. Meanwhile, Spearman's rho test showed a strong positive correlation between vulva score and flehmen response and very strong positive correlation between vulva score and excretion smelling. This study provides important information for the establishment of future captive propagation programmes.
马来貘在马来西亚的迁地繁殖是增加这种濒危物种数量的一项重要保护策略。然而，生殖生理学研究的匮乏阻碍了潜在的保护工作。本研究旨在通过观察圈养马来貘的发情行为和外阴评分来调查发情迹象的表达。本研究于1月至4月在马来西亚雪兰莪州的双溪杜顺野生动物保护中心进行。共有5只年龄在3至18岁之间的雌性马来貘参与了本研究。其中2只貘与雄性伴侣饲养在一起，另外3只单独饲养。使用连接到数字录像机的具有夜视和音频录制功能的闭路电视（CCTV）摄像机记录雌性貘在19:30至07:30期间的活动。对录制的视频进行发情行为评估，如发声、卷唇反应、尿液喷洒和排泄物嗅闻。根据外阴大小和分泌物情况确定外阴评分（0至4分）。在雌性马来貘中观察到的最常见发情行为是发声（81%），其次是卷唇反应（10%）、尿液喷洒（5%）和排泄物嗅闻（4%）。观察到成对饲养的雌性比未成对饲养的雌性表现出更多的发情行为。两组均观察到外阴变化，有周期性模式的证据，平均中位数长度为31.0天（范围为28天至33天）。曼-惠特尼U检验显示，成对组和未成对组在发声和尿液喷洒方面存在显著差异。同时，斯皮尔曼等级相关检验显示，外阴评分与卷唇反应之间存在强正相关，外阴评分与排泄物嗅闻之间存在非常强的正相关。本研究为未来圈养繁殖计划的制定提供了重要信息。
