Acta Scientific Veterinary Sciences (ISSN: 2582-3183)

Research Article Volume 4 Issue 3

An Investigation of the Sociality and Behaviour of Captive Polar Bears Housed in Bachelor Groups

Alice Cavalleri1, Alexandra Bell1, Kim Wilkins2, James Brereton3, Richard Preziosi1,4, and Giovanni Quintavalle Pastorino1,4*

1Manchester Metropolitan University, All Saints, All Saints Building, Manchester M15 6BH, United Kingdom
2Yorkshire Wildlife Park, Auckley, Doncaster DN9 3HQ, United Kingdom
3University Centre Sparsholt, Westley Lane, Sparsholt, Winchester, SO21 2NF, United Kingdom
4Plymouth University, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, United Kingdom

*Corresponding Author: Giovanni Quintavalle Pastorino, Manchester Metropolitan University, All Saints, All Saints Building, Manchester M15 6BH. Emial: g_pastorino@hotmail.com.

Received: February 01, 2022; Published: February 15, 2022

Abstract

The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) is a popular and easily recognisable species and has a long history of being housed in zoological collections. However, due to concerns regarding space requirements and welfare, many zoos have since removed this species from their collection plans. Polar bears require spacious enclosures with considerable amounts of enrichment and are susceptible to stereotypy if their needs are not met. Yorkshire Wildlife Park, UK, has set up a large enclosure to demonstrate best-practice care of polar bears. Observations of four male captive polar bears were conducted at the collection, to investigate behaviour and sociality between the individuals. Overall, there was limited social interaction between individuals, with very few instances of aggression observed between individuals. Stereotypical behaviour was also rare in all individuals except one. By contrast, affiliative interactions were observed more frequently, particularly between two bears. Overall, polar bears may possess greater behavioural plasticity and flexibility in social behaviour than wild and captive bear literature suggests.

Keywords: Activity Budget; Ursid; Ursus Maritimus; Wildlife Park; Zoo

References

  1. Amstrup S., et al. “Recent observations of intraspecific predation and cannibalism among polar bears in the southern Beaufort Sea”. Polar Biology11 (2006): 997-1002.
  2. Carlstead K., et al. “Environmental enrichment for zoo bears”. Zoo Biology1 (1991): 3-16.
  3. Clubb R and Mason GJ. “Natural behavioural biology as a risk factor in carnivore welfare: How analysing species differences could help zoos improve enclosures”. Applied Animal Behaviour Science3 (2007): 303-328.
  4. Courchamp F., et al. “The paradoxical extinction of the most charismatic animals”. PLoS Biology 16 (2018): e2003997.
  5. Kroshko J., et al. “Stereotypic route tracing in captive Carnivora is predicted by species-typical home range sizes and hunting styles”. Animal Behaviour 117 (2016): 197-209.
  6. Kelly KR., et al. “Individual effects of seasonal changes, visitor density, and concurrent bear behavior on stereotypical behaviors in captive polar bears (Ursus maritimus)”. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science1 (2015): 17-31.
  7. Dyck MG and Baydack RK. “Vigilance behaviour of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in the context of wildlife-viewing activities at Churchill, Manitoba, Canada”. Biological Conservation3 (2004): 343-350.
  8. Quintavalle Pastorino G., et al. “The Challenges of using Camera Traps to Investigate Zoo-Housed Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) Nocturnal Behaviour”. Journal of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences1 (2021): 1-9.
  9. Towns L., et al. “Spatial and temporal patterns of problem polar bears in Churchill, Manitoba”. Polar Biology10 (2009): 1529-1537.
  10. Renner MJ and Kelly AL. “Behavioral decisions for managing social distance and aggression in captive polar bears (Ursus maritimus)”. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science3 (2006): 233-239.
  11. Ross SR. “Issues of choice and control in the behaviour of a pair of captive polar bears (Ursus maritimus)”. Behavioural Processes1 (2006): 117-120.
  12. Latour PB. “Spatial relationships and behavior of polar bears (Ursus maritimus Phipps) concentrated on land during the ice-free season of Hudson Bay”. Canadian Journal of Zoology, 59.9 (1981): 1763-1774.
  13. Hansson R and Thomassen J. “Behavior of Polar Bears with Cubs in the Denning Area”. Bears: Their Biology and Management 5 (1983): 246.
  14. Wemmer C., et al. “An analysis of the chuffing vocalization in the polar bear (Ursus maritimus)”. Journal of Zoology3 (1976): 425-439.
  15. Miller LJ., et al. “The impact of in‐person and video‐recorded animal experiences on zoo visitors' cognition, affect, empathic concern, and conservation intent”. Zoo Biology6 (2020): 367-373.
  16. Shepherdson D., et al. “Individual and environmental factors associated with stereotypic behavior and fecal glucocorticoid metabolite levels in zoo housed polar bears”. Applied Animal Behaviour Science3 (2013): 268-277.
  17. Shora JA., et al. “Should zoo foods be coati chopped”. Journal of Zoo and Aquarium Research1 (2018): 22-25.
  18. Friard O and Gamba M. “BORIS: a free, versatile open‐source event‐logging software for video/audio coding and live observations”. Methods in Ecology and Evolution11 (2016): 1325-1330.
  19. Montaudouin S and Pape G. “Comparison of the behaviour of European brown bears (Ursus arctos arctos) in six different parks, with particular attention to stereotypies”. Behavioural Processes2 (2004): 235-244.
  20. Quintavalle Pastorino G., et al. “Personality and Sociality in Captive Tigers (Panthera tigris)”. Annual Research and Review in Biology (2017): 1-17.
  21. Ovsyanikov NG. “Behaviour of polar bear in coastal congregations”. Zoological Journal 84 (2005): 94-103.
  22. Galardi EG., et al. “An investigation into the Behavior, Sociality and Enclosure Use of Group-Housed Lions and Tigers”. Journal of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences 1. (2021): 1-9.
  23. Ottewell L. “Factors affecting the quantity of social interactions and aggression in captive group housed Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus)”. University of Plymouth, United Kingdom (2016).

Citation

Citation: Cavalleri., et al. “An Investigation of the Sociality and Behaviour of Captive Polar Bears Housed in Bachelor Groups". Acta Scientific Veterinary Sciences 4.3 (2022): 18-25.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2022 Giovanni Quintavalle Pastorino., 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.




Metrics

Acceptance rate35%
Acceptance to publication20-30 days
Impact Factor1.008

Indexed In





News and Events


  • Certification for Review
    Acta Scientific certifies the Editors/reviewers for their review done towards the assigned articles of the respective journals.
  • Submission Timeline for Upcoming Issue
    The last date for submission of articles for regular Issues is November 25, 2024.
  • Publication Certificate
    Authors will be issued a "Publication Certificate" as a mark of appreciation for publishing their work.
  • Best Article of the Issue
    The Editors will elect one Best Article after each issue release. The authors of this article will be provided with a certificate of "Best Article of the Issue"
  • Welcoming Article Submission
    Acta Scientific delightfully welcomes active researchers for submission of articles towards the upcoming issue of respective journals.

Contact US