Journal article
Evaluating conservation breeding success for an extinct-in-the-wild antelope
PLoS One, Vol.11(12), e0166912
2016
Abstract
With the number of threatened species increasing globally, conservation breeding is vitally important now more than ever. However, no previous peer-reviewed study has attempted to determine how the varying conditions across zoos have influenced breeding by an extinctin-the-wild species. We therefore use questionnaires and studbook data to evaluate the influence of husbandry practices and enclosure design on scimitar-horned oryx (Oryx dammah) breeding success, at the herd level. Regression models were used to identify the variables that best predicted breeding success among 29 zoos across a five-year period. Calf survival decreased with herd age and the use of soft substrates in hardstand areas (yard area usually adjacent to the indoor housing), explaining 30.7% of overall variation. Calf survival also decreased where herds were small and where food provisions were not raised (and hence likely incited competition), although these were less influential. Likewise, birth rate decreased with soft substrates in hardstand areas and unraised food provisions, although these were less influential than for calf survival. Birth rate increased with yearround male presence, yet this decreased calf survival. Compared to previous studies, the number of enclosure/husbandry influences on breeding were relatively few. Nevertheless, these few enclosure/husbandry influences explained over one third of the variation in calf survival. Our data therefore suggest some potential improvements and hence that extinctin-the-wild species stand a greater chance of survival with empirical design of zoo enclosures and husbandry methods. © 2016 Little et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Details
- Title
- Evaluating conservation breeding success for an extinct-in-the-wild antelope
- Authors
- H A Little (Author) - University of Sheffield, United KingdomT C Gilbert (Author) - Marwell Wildlife, United KingdomM L Athorn (Author) - University of York, United KingdomAndrew R Marshall (Author) - University of York, United Kingdom
- Publication details
- PLoS One, Vol.11(12), e0166912
- Publisher
- Public Library of Science
- Date published
- 2016
- DOI
- 10.1371/journal.pone.0166912
- ISSN
- 1932-6203
- Copyright note
- Copyright © 2016 Little et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
- Organisation Unit
- Tropical Forests and People Research Centre; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; School of Science, Technology and Engineering; Forest Research Institute
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99450354102621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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