Ecosystem health appears neglected in the management of the human-macaque interface: A systematic review.

Macaques (Macaca spp.) are reported in human-wildlife interaction in anthropogenic areas. The management of human-macaque interactions (HMI) requires an understanding of various perspectives and knowledge. One Health (OH) is a transdisciplinary approach to address the well-being and health of animals, humans, and ecosystems, which supports sustainable management through its three pillars: economy, ecology, and society. Thus, the OH approach could be applied to HMI management. To explore the HMI management within the context of the OH approach, we examined articles related to the management of HMI from 2013 to 2022 following the systematic review by PRISMA guidelines. Ninety-four publications were included in the study. Then, we extracted information on HMI framing, management activities, species, and location and categorized HMI framings and management activities into themes of three OH domains and three pillars of sustainability. We noticed an underrepresentation of the society and economy pillars in HMI management and the ecosystem health domain was the least explored in both the HMI and management activities. When we connected publications addressing all three pillars with OH domains in management activities, the number focused on ecosystem health (3/13) remained limited. The most frequently reported HMI theme was "crop feeding"(n=42) and management activities were "HMI management" (n=42). Most publications lacked any form of evaluation of the HMI management. The challenges to better consider ecosystem health in the HMI and to promote participatory governance present an opportunity to apply the OH approach in wildlife conservation and management.

Immobilization of captive plains zebras (Equus quagga) with a combination of etorphine hydrochloride, acepromazine, and xylazine hydrochloride.

The plains zebra (Equus quagga) is a zebra species commonly kept in zoos around the world. However, they are not tame like their domestic relatives and are difficult to immobilize. We immobilized 30 captive plains zebra with a combination of etorphine hydrochloride (2-4 mg), acepromazine (8 mg), and xylazine hydrochloride (30 or 50 mg) to perform physical examination and blood sample collection for disease diagnostics. Physiological parameters including heart rate, respiratory rate, body temperature, and hemoglobin oxygen saturation were recorded. All zebras exhibited satisfactory anesthesia and fully recovered without re-narcotization. The results suggest that etorphine hydrochloride-acepromazine-xylazine hydrochloride combination for plains zebra immobilization is a safe and sufficient regimen for short procedures such as wellness examinations and sample collection.

Effect of Tourist Activities on Fecal and Salivary Glucocorticoids and Immunoglobulin A in Female Captive Asian Elephants in Thailand.

Asian elephants have been an important part of wildlife ecotourism in Thailand for over two decades. Elephants in tourist camps are exposed to a variety of management styles and daily activities that can potentially affect health and welfare. This study investigated relationships between a novel welfare biomarker, immunoglobulin A (IgA), and daily camp activities, and compared results to glucocorticoid (GC) measures. Often no-riding camps are portrayed as providing better welfare than camps that offer riding. Therefore, we predicted that elephants at no-riding camps would have lower GC and higher IgA concentrations, and a low GC/IgA ratio. Forty-four female elephants from six elephant camps were divided into three groups based on riding activities: saddle-riding, bareback-riding, and no-riding. Fecal and salivary samples were collected monthly for 1 year along with evaluations of body condition, foot health, and wounding. Camp environment and management varied among camps, although the major difference was in riding activities. Concentrations of GCs and IgA varied among the working groups, but not always consistently between sample matrices. Overall fecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations were lowest in the saddle-riding group. Only in one bareback-riding camp did the elephants exhibit a potentially positive welfare response with a low GC/IgA ratio over time. Other results varied between the two biomarkers, with considerable variability across camps, suggesting there is more to good welfare than whether elephants participate in riding or not. Several other human-induced stressors, like chaining, ankus use, and limited social opportunities are likely to be impacting well-being and should be considered to ensure management practices meet physical and psychological welfare needs.

Circadian Rhythm of Salivary Immunoglobulin A and Associations with Cortisol as A Stress Biomarker in Captive Asian Elephants (Elephas maximus).

Salivary immunoglobulin A (sIgA) has been proposed as a potential indicator of welfare for various species, including Asian elephants, and may be related to adrenal cortisol responses. This study aimed to distinguish circadian rhythm effects on sIgA in male and female Asian elephants and compare patterns to those of salivary cortisol, information that could potentially have welfare implications. Subjects were captive elephants at an elephant camp in Chiang Mai province, Thailand (n = 5 males, 5 females). Salivette® kits were used to collect saliva from each elephant every 4 h from 06:00 to 22:00 h for 3 consecutive days (n = 15 samples/elephant). Enzyme immunoassays were used to quantify concentrations of IgA and cortisol in unextracted saliva. Circadian rhythm patterns were determined using a generalized least-squares method. Both sIgA and cortisol followed a circadian rhythm, although the patterns differed. sIgA displayed a daily quartic trend, whereas cortisol concentrations demonstrated a decreasing linear trend in concentrations throughout the day. There was no clear relationship between patterns of sIgA and salivary cortisol, implying that mechanisms of control and secretion differ. Results demonstrate for the first time that circadian rhythms affect sIgA, and concentrations follow a daily quartic pattern in Asian elephants, so standardizing time of collection is necessary.