Volobueva K.A., Naidenko S.V. 2024. Close and frightening: predator presence affects cortisol levels in captive felines // Russian J. Theriol. Vol.23. No.2. P.187–195 [in English].
Ksenia A. Volobueva [k.a.volobueva@mail.ru], Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119071, Russia; Sergey V. Naidenko [snaidenko@mail.ru], Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119071, Russia.
doi: 10.15298/rusjtheriol.23.2.08
ABSTRACT. Exhibitions, where animals of various species are kept close to each other, are increasingly used in zoos and live collections. Such co-housing may not be suitable for some species: the presence of a large predator may cause stress to smaller heterospecifics (for example, potential prey) and even when the enclosures have no direct intersections and are merely close together. We evaluated the effects of a potentially dangerous predator on the welfare of typical potential prey/competitors kept in close proximity to this predator. Amur wildcats and caracals were kept one at a time in enclosures next to lynx. Stress level was assessed by analysing the dynamics of glucocorticoids (cortisol’s metabolites) using non-invasive methods. The results showed that the presence of a predator in a neighbouring enclosure with an Amur wildcat did not change their cortisol concentrations significantly. However, hormone levels in animals kept at some distance from the lynx were twice as high as when they were in close proximity to the predator. Unlike Amur wildcats, caracals were more sensitive to the presence of a heterospecific. For Amur wildcats the presence of shelters in enclosures and the absence of direct lynxes’ pursuit may have been sufficient to reduce the negative impact of a large predator.
KEY WORDS: Amir wildcat, caracal, Eurasian lynx, cortisol, stress, interspecific interactions.