Wild Mammals in Captivity
Wild Mammals in Captivity

Author: Devra G. Kleiman

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 2010-08-15

Total Pages: 586

ISBN-13: 0226440117

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Zoos, aquaria, and wildlife parks are vital centers of animal conservation and management. For nearly fifteen years, these institutions have relied on Wild Mammals in Captivity as the essential reference for their work. Now the book reemerges in a completely updated second edition. Wild Mammals in Captivity presents the most current thinking and practice in the care and management of wild mammals in zoos and other institutions. In one comprehensive volume, the editors have gathered the most current information from studies of animal behavior; advances in captive breeding; research in physiology, genetics, and nutrition; and new thinking in animal management and welfare. In this edition, more than three-quarters of the text is new, and information from more than seventy-five contributors is thoroughly updated. The standard text for all courses in zoo biology, Wild Mammals in Captivity will, in its new incarnation, continue to be used by zoo managers, animal caretakers, researchers, and anyone with an interest in how to manage animals in captive conditions.

Capybara
Capybara

Author: José Roberto Moreira

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-08-16

Total Pages: 424

ISBN-13: 1461440009

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The capybara is the neotropical mammal with the highest potential for production and domestication. Amongst the favorable characteristics for domestication we can list its high prolificacy, rapid growth rate, a herbivorous diet, social behavior and relative tameness. The genus (with only two species) is found from the Panama Canal to the north of Argentina on the east of the Andes. Chile is the only country in South America where the capybara is not found. The species is eaten all over its range, especially by poor, rural and traditional communities engaged in subsistence hunting. On the other hand, in large urban settlements wildlife is consumed by city dwellers as a delicacy. The sustainable management of capybara in the wild has been adopted by some South American countries, while others have encouraged capybara rearing in captivity.

Second Nature
Second Nature

Author: David J. Shepherdson

Publisher: Smithsonian Institution

Published: 2012-01-11

Total Pages: 376

ISBN-13: 1588343650

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Growing recognition of the complexity of animals' physical, social, and psychological lives in the wild has led both zookeepers and the zoo-going public to call for higher environmental standards for animals in captivity. Bringing together the work of animal behaviorists, zoo biologists, and psychologists, Second Nature explores a range of innovative strategies for environmental enrichment in laboratories and marine parks, as well as in zoos. From artificial fleeing-prey devices for leopards to irregular feeding schedules for whales, the practices discussed have resulted in healthier, more relaxed animals that can breed more easily and can exert some control over their environments. Moving beyond the usual studies of primates to consider the requirements of animals as diverse as reptiles, amphibians, marine mammals, small cats, hooved grazers, and bears, contributors argue that whether an animal forages in the wild or plays computer games in captivity, the satisfaction its activity provides—rather than the activity itself—determines the animal's level of physical and psychological well-being. Second Nature also discusses the ways in which environmental enrichment can help zoo-bred animals develop the stamina and adaptability for survival in the wild, and how it can produce healthier lab animals that yield more valid test results. Providing a theoretical framework for the science of environmental enrichment in a variety of settings, the book renews and extends a humane approach to the keeping and conservation of animals.

Conservation Biology
Conservation Biology

Author: Peggy L. Fiedler

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-12-06

Total Pages: 523

ISBN-13: 1468464264

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• • • John Harper • • • Nature conservation has changed from an idealistic philosophy to a serious technology. Ecology, the science that underpins the technol ogy of conservation, is still too immature to provide all the wisdom that it must. It is arguable that the desire to conserve nature will in itself force the discipline of ecology to identify fundamental prob lems in its scientific goals and methods. In return, ecologists may be able to offer some insights that make conservation more practicable (Harper 1987). The idea that nature (species or communities) is worth preserv ing rests on several fundamental arguments, particularly the argu ment of nostalgia and the argument of human benefit and need. Nostalgia, of course, is a powerful emotion. With some notable ex ceptions, there is usually a feeling of dismay at a change in the sta tus quo, whether it be the loss of a place in the country for walking or rambling, the loss of a painting or architectural monument, or that one will never again have the chance to see a particular species of bird or plant.

Wild Animals in Captivity
Wild Animals in Captivity

Author: H. Hediger

Publisher: Butterworth-Heinemann

Published: 2013-09-17

Total Pages: 234

ISBN-13: 148322614X

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Wild Animals in Captivity covers some of the mistaken notions concerning the conditions of animals in captivity, most of which are the result of an anthropomorphic approach to the subject. This book is composed of 12 chapters and starts with an overview of the historical development of zoological gardens. The succeeding chapters deal with the territorial requirements and sociological factors in the wild life. These topics are followed by discussions of the wild animal's transition behavior from freedom to captivity; the physiological and psychological aspects of animal captivity; and the motive and situation of animal escapes. Other chapters emphasize the physical and biological environment of animals in captivity. The final chapters examine the problems related to feeding patterns, and nutrition of captive animals. These chapters also explore the relationship between human and animal, their capacity to be tamed and trained. This book will prove useful to zoologists.