Experience in the Ivermectin Treatment of Internal Parasites in Zoo and Captive Wild Animals: A Review

The selection and the use of antiparasitic remedies in the animals in zoological gardens and those bred in captivity present one of the challenges to the wildlife veterinarians. The latter have to be flexible enough in the choice of medicines and schemes of treatment of the animals they take care of. The present study is aimed at adding more information in that respect. A number of cases of ivermectin treating of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish bred in captivity are presented in it. The tolerance to the drug in the different animals, species of the parasites influenced by it, dosages, schemes of applying and some other peculiarities in the system animals – diseases – anthelmintic treatments are discussed.     

Assessing the Effects of New Primate Exhibits on Zoo Visitors' Attitudes and Perceptions by Using Three Different Assessment Methods

ABSTRACT

Using three different methods, this study investigated how zoo visitors behaved in response to both old and new exhibits of four nonhuman primate species and how they perceived these primates. On-site observations showed that zoo visitors were more likely to stop in front of new exhibits and spend more time viewing new exhibits compared with old exhibits. Response to an on-site questionnaire also showed that zoo visitors perceived primates in the new exhibits more positively than the same animals in the old exhibits. The results from these two types of local assessment indicate that the attractiveness and holding power of the new exhibits was greater than that of the old. However, the results of a questionnaire given to zoo visitors on leaving the zoo showed that the preference ranks of the visitors for the four primate species did not increase after the new exhibits were established, indicating that the new exhibits did not change the zoo visitors' perception of primates relative to other zoo animals. Using all three assessment methods appears to be of considerable value for the assessment of visitors' perceptions towards new exhibits in terms of both the immediate locality and the zoo as a whole.     

Survey of stereotypic behavior in prosimians

Captive animals have been observed to perform a variety of stereotypic behaviors. However, little is known about stereotypic behavior in prosimians. We sent surveys to 96 AZA-accredited institutions to examine stereotypic behavior in these primates. Forty-eight surveys were returned, providing information on 440 individuals of 10 genera. According to the responses, 13.2% of the prosimians surveyed exhibited some form of stereotypic behavior. Pacing was the most common behavior. A logistic regression was used to examine intrinsic characteristics that might influence the performance of stereotypic behavior. The genus of the prosimian was a significant predictor of stereotypic behavior. Individuals of the genus Varecia and Microcebuswere more likely to engage in stereotypic behavior than members of the other genera. Rearing history, age, and sex were not significant predictors of stereotypic behavior. To examine the influence of extrinsic variables on stereotypic behavior, we transformed the data into the percentage of individuals within the enclosure that were reported to exhibit stereotypic behavior, and analyzed them at the enclosure level using a general linear model (GLM) analysis of variance (ANOVA). The only environmental variable that significantly predicted stereotypic behavior was the frequency with which enrichment was provided. Frequent enrichment was provided to those exhibits with a higher percentage of prosimians that engaged in stereotypic behavior. The results of this survey suggest that stereotypic behavior in prosimians may be associated with intrinsic factors (i.e., individual or genus differences) in addition to extrinsic factors related to housing. This knowledge may be helpful in identifying the causes of and effective treatments for stereotypic behavior in prosimians.