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Conservation Breeding Programs
21/07/2020
Sensory Biology in Dolphins
22/07/2020

Stress in Polar Bears?




An important aspect of animal husbandry is investigating how animals react to changes, routines and environments. In most cases, animals adapt well to changing situations. However, in order to scientifically evaluate wellbeing or if an animal is chronically "stressed", zoo biologists have various "tools" available. The first and certainly the most meaningful is "observed behaviour". Variable behaviour and social skills are a good sign of adaptation. But hormones, especially the stress hormone cortisol, also help us to assess situations. While high cortisol levels are normal in acutely stressful situations, high levels over long periods are a sign of chronic stress. This, in turn, is hazardous to health. Cortisol can be measured in the animals’ blood, faeces, saliva and hair. However, in order to interpret the values accurately, in relation to potential stress levels, validation is required, which can only be acquired by means of research.

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Our Contribution



... how can stress be measured objectively in polar bears?

This question is the subject of a research project supervised by the Nuremberg Zoo and supported by the Assoc. Friend of the Nuremberg Zoo. Throughout the project, hair and faecal samples from polar bears (Ursus maritimus) were collected in 18 European zoos, in order to measure the "stress hormone" cortisol. While faeces are easy to collect, hair samples could only be obtained via extensive training. The polar bears were trained to present their neck so a small amount of hair could be shaved (see picture). Different methods of cortisol analysis were compared in order to establish a test procedure with which cortisol could be reliably calculated. The long-term cortisol profiles that were created for various zoo polar bears during the study provided basic information on the hormonal balance of polar bears and thus provided also important information for interpreting data from wild polar bears.

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Polar bears are kept and bred in the Nuremberg Zoo.


Projekt_eisbaeren_EEP_Bild_1

© Mirko Kaiser

Projekt_eisbaeren_EEP_Bild_2

© Hartmut Strobel

Projekt_eisbaeren_EEP_Bild_3

© Hartmut Strobel

Projekt_eisbaeren_EEP_Bild_4

© Langhans Christian


 
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Scientific Publications



Hein, A., Baumgartner, K., von Fersen, L., Bechshoft, T., Woelfing, B., Kirschbaum, C., Mastromonaco, G., Greenwood, A. D., and Siebert, U. 2021. Analysis of hair steroid hormones in polar bears (Ursus maritimus) via liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry: comparison with two immunoassays and application for longitudinal monitoring in zoos. General and Comparative Endocrinology, Volume 310, 1 September 2021, 113837

Hein, A., Palme, R., Baumgartner, K., von Fersen, L., Woelfing, B., Greenwood, A. D., Bechshoft, T., and Siebert, U. 2020. Faecal glucocorticoid metabolites as a measure of adrenocortical activity in polar bears (Ursus maritimus). Conservation Physiology, Volume 8, Issue 1, 2020, coaa012.

von Fersen, L., A., Encke, D., Hüttner, T., and Baumgartner, K. 2018. Establishment and Implementation of an Animal Welfare Decision Tree to Evaluate the Welfare of Zoo Animals. Aquatic Mammals, 2018, 44(2), 211-220.

Partner



Stiftung Tierärztliche Hochschule Hannover

TU Dresden, Biopsychologie

Institut für Physiologie, Pathophysiologie und Biophysik, Abteilung für Physiologie, Pathophysiologie und experimentelle Endokrinologie, VetMedUniVienna

More Projects



  • 22/07/2020

    Bottlenose Dolphin Conservation in Brazil


    See project
  • 11/09/2020

    Conservation of the Irrawaddy Dolphin in the Mekong River


    See project
  • 06/02/2021

    Conservation of the Guiana Dolphin in Lake Maracaibo


    See project
  • 21/07/2020

    Translocation of Kulans


    See project
  • 22/07/2020

    Reintroduction European Pond Turtle


    See project
  • 21/07/2020

    Conservation Breeding Programs


    See project
  • 22/07/2020

    Conservation of the La Plata Dolphin


    See project
  • 22/07/2020

    Exchange promotes knowledge


    See project
  • 21/07/2020

    Stress in Polar Bears


    See project
  • 22/07/2020

    Reintroduction of the Northern Bald Ibis


    See project
  • 21/07/2020

    Vaquita in Trouble


    See project
  • 19/10/2020

    Conservation of the Atlantic Humpback Dolphin


    See project
  • Alpensteinbock_Titel
    18/07/2021

    Reintroduction of Alpine Ibex


    See project
  • 22/07/2020

    Reintroduction of the Ural Owl


    See project
  • 22/07/2020

    Sensory Biology in Dolphins


    See project
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