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Animal behavior and the captive management of wild mammals: A personal view
Author(s) -
Schaaf C. D.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
zoo biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.5
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1098-2361
pISSN - 0733-3188
DOI - 10.1002/zoo.1430030411
Subject(s) - biology , captivity , lemur , zoology , mongoose , animal husbandry , ecology , captive breeding , wildlife , primate , habitat , agriculture , endangered species
Behaviorists can undertake noninvasive studies of zoo animals using only the simplest of research tools, unlike those biologists who are concerned with functions below the level of the whole, living organism. With careful interpretation, the results of behavioral studies can be applied to improve the management, husbandry, and exhibition of wild mammals in captivity. This often involves comparisons with research results obtained from studies of animals in the wild, since the behavior of captive specimens may in some measure be altered. Examples are given involving the breeding biology or social organization of three species: (1) barasingha or swamp deer ( Cervus duvauceli ), (2) mongoose lemur ( Lemur mongoz ), and (3) drill ( Papio leucophaeus ). Suggestions are made to improve the allocation of time and resources for research by zoo personnel, including a greater reliance on cooperative efforts to solve problems of common interest.