Animal Welfare Program:
Liv Baker
WHO AN ANIMAL IS AFFECTS
TRANSLOCATION SUCCESS
Case Study: An endangered species of desert
rodent, Dipodomys stephensi
Animal Welfare Program
 Developed through concerns of loss of wilderness
 Focus on health of populations, species and overall
ecosystem biodiversity ~ NOT on the welfare of the individual
 Changes in the intensification of conservation programs
warrant a reevaluation of this focus
 Translocation demands the direct care and management of
free-ranging animals as a means to species survival
Animal Welfare Program
 Deliberate and mediated movement of free-ranging animals
 Common conservation practice to combat species loss
 Popular among stakeholders
 50-95% mortality rate
Animal Welfare Program
FACE OF MORTALITY
Animal Welfare Program
CAPTURE
Animal Welfare Program
HANDLING / EXAMINATION
Animal Welfare Program
CAPTIVITY
Animal Welfare Program
NOVEL ENVIRONMENT
Animal Welfare Program
MONITORING
Animal Welfare Program
Where
When
?
How
Why
Animal Welfare Program
Animal Welfare Program
 Southern
California
 Nocturnal
 Ricochetal
 Semi-fossorial
 Quasi-solitary
 Granivorous
 Keystone species
 Endangered (1988)
Animal Welfare Program
SUBURBANIZATION
Animal Welfare Program
CULTIVATION
Animal Welfare Program
INVASIVE GRASSES
Animal Welfare Program
STEPHENS’ KANGAROO RAT
METHODOLOGY: Personality Profile
 Demographic information
 Fecal cortisol levels
 Captive activity budgets
 Social context responses
Animal Welfare Program
STEPHENS’ KANGAROO RAT
FINDINGS
 Home environment matters
 Cortisol matters
 Activity level matters
 Behavioural response matters
Animal Welfare Program
Parking lot
Fallow vineyard (El Sol)
Animal Welfare Program
STEPHENS’ KANGAROO RAT
Post-release survival
90
80
75%
70
Percentage of
animals
trapped
*
60
52%
50
40
Parking Lot
30
El Sol
20
10
0
Parking Lot
Population
El Sol
Animal Welfare Program
STEPHENS’ KANGAROO RAT
FINDINGS
 Home environment matters
 Cortisol matters
 Activity level matters
 Behavioural response matters
Animal Welfare Program
STEPHENS’ KANGAROO RAT
Baseline cortisol profile
25
20
*
Fecal
cortisol
ng/g
15
P lot
El Sol
10
5
0
P lot
El Sol
Animal Welfare Program
STEPHENS’ KANGAROO RAT
Fecal cortisol change of translocated SKR
8
7
6
5
Fecal
cortisol
ng/g
4
3
2
1
0
*
Shorter-term
survival
Longer-term
survival
Animal Welfare Program
STEPHENS’ KANGAROO RAT
FINDINGS
 Home environment matters
 Cortisol matters
 Activity level matters
 Behavioural response matters
Animal Welfare Program
STEPHENS’ KANGAROO RAT
Activity level in captivity
0.45
0.4
0.35
0.3
Avg.
combined
activity
P Lot
0.25
0.2
0.15
*
El Sol
0.1
0.05
0
P Lot
El Sol
Animal Welfare Program
STEPHENS’ KANGAROO RAT
FINDINGS
 Home environment matters
 Cortisol matters
 Activity level matters
 Behavioural response matters
Animal Welfare Program
Parking lot SKR
El Sol SKR
Predator simulation
 Less interaction with predator
stimuli
 Fewer attempts at escape
 More time spent at refuge
 (Except for experienced SKR)
Predator simulation
 More interaction with predator
stimuli
 Greater attempts at escape
 Less time spent at refuge
 (Experienced behaved the same)
Conspecific simulation
 More interaction with mirror
 Quicker to interact with mirror
Conspecific simulation
 Less interaction with mirror
 Slower to interact with mirror
Animal Welfare Program
WHO SURVIVES?
 Cortisol activity
reactivity
 More Docile
 More Cautious
 More Social
 More Plastic
Animal Welfare Program
Compassionate Conservation
Animal Welfare Program:
Liv Baker
THANKS TO
For Guidance:
David Fraser, UBC
Debra Shier, ICR; UCLA
Matt R. Milnes, MHC; ICR
Jeff Zuba, ICR
For Assistance:
Tom Ash
Nancy Chen
Michael Lawrence
Chris Moen
Matthew Petelle
Christina Tse
Mary Toews
Sean Kuling
For Funding:
Riverside County Habitat Conservation Agency
Killam Foundation