Role of Temperature and Shade Coverage on Behavior and Habitat Use of Captive African Lions, Snow Leopards, and Cougars
Year: 2016
Type: article
Abstract: Big cats are native to a wide variety of environments.Unfortunately, conservation is needed for many of these species, so a population is kept in zoos.Oftentimes, captive cats living in these zoos are not in their native climate, which can create unique challenges in animal husbandry and exhibit design.For this study, the African lions (Panthera leo), snow leopards (Panthera uncia), and cougars (Puma concolor) residing at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden were observed in their outdoor enclosures from the public viewing area.I expected cats native to cold climates, such as the snow leopards, would be more active during periods of lower temperatures.They were observed on ten different days between September 2015 and February 2016, for a half hour each day, a total of fifteen observation hours, in temperatures ranging from 33°F to 73°F.Outdoor enclosures were diagramed and divided up into sections.A behavioral code was created with behaviors coded by letters.The cats' behavior Mack / Big Cats 111 and position in their enclosures were recorded at every minute mark for thirty minutes.The big cats displayed cooling behaviors more frequently on warm days, primarily through seeking shade.Lions were observed more frequently in shaded portions of the exhibit during temperatures greater than 51°F.Temperature was found not to have a significant effect on the average activity levels.The activity levels and environmental preferences in cats appear to be influenced by both the climate they grew up in and their species' native climate.Both should be taken into consideration when designing habitats for big cat species in captivity.
Author: Caitlin Mack
Language: English
Subfield: Animal Science and Zoology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2895518350