Logan Anbinder, Amy Cordell, Gretchen Downey, Kelly Freudenberger, Shabaab Kamal, Nikko Khuc, Josh

Lacey, Caitlin Moore, Emmarie Myers, Andrea Schmidt

Mentor: Dr. Kaci Thompson

Research Questions

How does enrichment implementation vary among zoological institutions?

What is the impact of instituting a comprehensive enrichment schedule on

endocrine measures of stress?

Why? The primary purposes of zoos are education,

conservation, and research. Captive animals are better representations of their

wild counterparts when they exhibit natural behaviors.

Felids are especially susceptible to illness and reduced fecundity when subjected to high levels of stress.

Why? There is variability among zoos in their

financial and human resources, and therefore their enrichment programs.A zoo with less resources may not be able

to give felids the most effective enrichments. Without enrichment, stress levels increase.

Prediction

We expect to see an initial difference between the patterns of fecal corticoid levels of the felids at a small zoo (Catoctin) vs. those at a zoo with more resources (the National Zoo).

Following implementation of the National Zoo’s enrichment at the Catoctin Zoo, we expect the patterns of fecal corticoids to be comparable between the felids of both zoos.

Methodology

Summer 2010

Collected fecal samples from 3 lions and 2 tigers at the National Zoo

Obtained enrichment logs for the felids Type of enrichmentWeekly schedule

Modified the methodologyFocus on cross-institutional comparisonEstablished contact with Catoctin Zoo

Current Status

Lyophilizing samples at the National Zoo which will be sent to and analyzed at the Smithsonian Biology Conservation Institute.

Drafting a survey to be sent to zoos nationwide regarding common enrichment techniques.

Future Plans Fall 2010: send out survey by December 18 Spring 2011:

- begin analyzing endocrine data

- analyze results from the survey starting in March

- determine enrichment(s) we will implement at the Catoctin Zoo

Future Plans

Summer 2011:

- collect baseline data from the Catoctin felids

- implement enrichment at the Catoctin Zoo and collect fecal samples

- analyze fecal samples to determine patterns and effects of enrichments

Timeline

Goals

Receive feedback from 75% of survey recipients

Recommend easily implementable enrichment for small zoos

Publish findings in a zoological journal

Challenges

Collaboration with the zoo Obtaining funding for fecal analysis

Team Roles

Zoo liaisons National Zoo – LoganCatoctin Zoo – GretchenFront Royal – Caitlin

Financial liaison – Kelly Team Liaison – Logan Secretary – Amy “Enforcer” – Josh Technology coordinator – Shabaab

Committees

Literature ReviewNikko, Andrea, Emmarie

GrantsCaitlin, Gretchen, Josh

EditingAmy, Emmarie, Kelly

SurveyJosh, Logan, Kelly, Nikko

Advice for Freshmen

Establish communication with collaborators early

Don’t become complacent – your project may change

Start applying for grants early Be persistent- phone calls are better

than emails Implement and enforce team structure

Conclusion

We are in the process of analyzing samples for fecal corticoid levels

We are creating a survey to distribute We are finalizing our methodology with

the Catoctin Zoo