North Carolina Zoological Park
General Outline for Animal Introduction Preparation and Implementation
Current October, 2013
Species of animalIndividuals involvedDateAuthor-
Part 1
Questions for preparation:
Please document decision making process using the following questions as a guideline.
1. What is (are) species typical social groups? Are new individuals tolerated or responded to
with aggression? Is this a fission-fusion type of society or more rigid hierarchy? How do the
species involved use space in the wild (arboreal, terrestrial, etc)? Include pertinent natural
history information.
2. What individuals are in the existing social group? And what is the structure of this group?
(Include ID numbers, ages, and gender; summarize rearing history, rearing experience, prior
social experiences, reproductive history, social rank in other groups, family relationships,
bonds, reproductive status of females, infants in group etc.)
3. What do we know about the new individual(s)? (ID, age, gender, etc., rearing experience,
prior social experiences, reproductive history, social rank in other groups, responses during
introductions to strange individuals etc.)
4. Why are we doing this introduction? (Breeding recommendation? Reforming existing
groups? New animal in collection?)
5. Is this a completely new introduction? Have earlier intros been attempted with the same
individuals before? Why were they separated?
6. Is this a multi-step introduction, i.e. Will there be several introductions done in order to form
or reform a new, larger group? Document why each group or individual was chosen to
proceed in a certain order. (How were individuals selected for each step? How will it be
determined if one or more than one individual should be integrated at each step?)
7. Summarize each animal’s typical and/or atypical reactions in prior introductions, especially if
this is a re-introduction.
8. Do any of the individuals involved display stereotypic behaviors? Any behaviors associated
only with periods of stress? Will they be a factor in the introduction?
9. Is infanticide an issue in this species? Are infants or youngsters present in the social group?
Are there any females in the group that might be pregnant? Do females exhibit estrus
swellings? Is the female’s reproductive state (ovulating/swelling) a factor in introducing
these animals?
10. Where should the introduction be done? (neutral space strange to all, territory or home cage
of existing group, territory or space of new animal etc.) Where will the introduction take
place? Why? (only available space?) Identify by mnemonics the space to be used.
11. What needs to be done to the space available to make it suitable for introduction? (additional
furnishings, added escape routes, additional visual barriers?) Are there escape routes? Dead
ends?
12. Other mitigating factors to consider prior to introduction? (training behaviors /coop feeds,
presence or absence of food, presence or absence of cycling females, drugs that moderate
aggression or anxiety etc.)
13. Will there be a howdy (visual access) period (i.e. visual introduction)? Will this take place in
the same space as physical introductions? What are our desired behaviors during this period
that will allow us to proceed to the next step?
14. Will there be a tactile introduction (access through a barrier to touch one another)? Will this
take place in the same space as visual and/or physical introductions? What are our desired
behaviors during this period that will allow us to proceed to the next step?
15. Should physical introductions be gradual, a short time each day for a gradual increasing
period of time, or a ‘full immersion’ process where the animals remain together 24/7 unless a
problem occurs? Why? What behaviors are we looking for to consider leaving animals
together either for longer periods or overnight?
16. When should any introduction occur in this species? (time of day when tension and activity
are lower than at other times of day, time when staff or volunteers are available for
observation)
17. What behaviors are we looking for during physical introductions that would allow us to
proceed to the next step? (if there is one)
18. Identify emergency equipment necessary in case a problem occurs. (crates, nets, gloves, fire
extinguisher, hose, broom etc.)
19. What is the team’s agreed upon wounding criteria? (acceptable amount of wounding before
terminating the introduction) Make sure entire team is comfortable with this decision.
Veterinarian must be on park for an introduction to take place.
20. Will we allow fighting? To what extent? How will we separate animals? Will we put them
back together? When?
21. What is our plan for post introduction management? (shifting for cleaning, should animals be
separated for feeding or left together, visual access to other individuals, access to the exhibit
or just holding etc.)
22. How will we monitor behaviors during and after the intro to ensure safety and that
social/behavioral goals are met.
Part 2
Animal Introduction Outline:
Visual introduction
1. Date and time:
2. Observers:
3. Location of each animal during visual introduction:
4. How long did visual introductions last?
5. When did we agree to proceed and why?
6. Summarize observations:
Tactile introduction
1. Date and time:
2. Observers:
3. Location of each animal during tactile introduction:
4. Describe extent of tactile access (include mesh size, etc):
5. How long did tactile introductions last?
6. When did we agree to proceed and why?
7. Summarize observations:
Physical introduction
1. Date and time:
2. Observers:
3. Location of each animal prior to introduction?
4. How will individuals be given access to each other? (will animal A be let into space first?
Simultaneously as animal B?) Creep doors?
5. Space preparation (extra food, enrichment, heavy bedding?)
6. Space preparation post introduction?
7. Anticipated concerns? (what could go wrong)
8. Was introduction stopped? Why? Will it proceed at a later date?
9. Summarize observations (at each step if a gradual introduction):
10. Summarize observations one week post introduction:
11. Summarize observations one month post introduction: