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Full-Text Articles in Animal Studies

The Effect Of Caffeine On Bee Behavior: A Progressive Ratio Study, Kayle Cohen, Becky Hansis-O'Neill, Aimee Dunlap Dr Jan 2024

The Effect Of Caffeine On Bee Behavior: A Progressive Ratio Study, Kayle Cohen, Becky Hansis-O'Neill, Aimee Dunlap Dr

Undergraduate Research Symposium

This presentation focuses on the effect of caffeine on bee behavior using behavioral pharmacology methodologies. Researchers trained bumblebees to drink out of artificial flowers, then administered sucrose nectar or caffeinated sucrose nectar during a schedule of progressive and fixed ratios. The finding suggests that caffeine did increase the number of rewards during the fixed ratio, but not in the progressive ratio. However, research is still ongoing as bees continue to be tested..


Training The Concept Of Innovate In Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) Is Both Creative And Cognitively Stimulating, Deirdre Yeater, Kathleen M. Dudzinski, Dawn Melzer, Andrew R. Magee, Michaela Robinett, Gonzalo Guerra, Kimberly Salazar, Terri Bolton, Heather Manitzas Hill Jan 2024

Training The Concept Of Innovate In Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) Is Both Creative And Cognitively Stimulating, Deirdre Yeater, Kathleen M. Dudzinski, Dawn Melzer, Andrew R. Magee, Michaela Robinett, Gonzalo Guerra, Kimberly Salazar, Terri Bolton, Heather Manitzas Hill

Psychology Faculty Publications

Creative or novel behaviors in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) can be indicators of flexible thinking and problem solving. Over 50 years ago, two rough-tooth dolphins demonstrated creative novel behaviors acquired through reinforcement training in human care. Since this novel training, a variety of species have been trained to respond to this conceptual cue. The current study assessed the creativity of 12 bottlenose dolphins (5 females, 7 males) housed at the Roatan Institute for Marine Sciences (RIMS) in Roatan, Honduras. Individual differences were found across four constructs measured for creativity: fluency, flexibility, elaboration, and originality. Variability in performance occurred across test …


Human-Animal Interaction And Human Prosociality: A Meta-Analytic Review Of Experimental And Correlational Studies, Nicole Ruiying Chen, Nadyanna M. Majeed, Gloria J. Lai, Paye Shin Koh, Manmeet Kaur, K. T. A Sandeeshwara Kasturiratna, Zhi Yan Alycia Ho, Jose C. Yong, Andree Hartanto Dec 2023

Human-Animal Interaction And Human Prosociality: A Meta-Analytic Review Of Experimental And Correlational Studies, Nicole Ruiying Chen, Nadyanna M. Majeed, Gloria J. Lai, Paye Shin Koh, Manmeet Kaur, K. T. A Sandeeshwara Kasturiratna, Zhi Yan Alycia Ho, Jose C. Yong, Andree Hartanto

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Pet ownership and interactions with animals confer various physiological and psychological benefits to humans. Although interactions with animals are commonplace, there is no consensus in the literature on the actual impact of animal exposure on prosociality. Hence, this meta-analysis investigated 20 eligible studies (n = 4,116, k = 48) and provided an extensive examination into the different potential moderators of the relationship between human–animal interaction (HAI) and prosociality, such as the distinction between empathy and prosocial behavior, HAI characteristics, and sample characteristics. Overall, a small positive effect size was found (d = 0.22), suggesting that human exposure to animals is …


A Deeper Understanding Of Noise Effects On Cetaceans, Jason N. Bruck May 2023

A Deeper Understanding Of Noise Effects On Cetaceans, Jason N. Bruck

Faculty Publications

Recent research with cetaceans under human care is illuminating just how dolphins are affected by human-made noise both in terms of their ability to cooperate as well as their ability to habituate to such noise. This research is providing granular detail to regulators assessing the problems associated with anthropogenic effects and is highlighting a role for behavior/cognition research in conservation.


A Quieter Ocean: Experimentally Derived Differences In Attentive Responses Of Tursiops Truncatus To Anthropogenic Noise Playbacks Before And During The Covid-19-Related Anthropause, Paige E. Stevens, Veda Allen, Jason N. Bruck Apr 2023

A Quieter Ocean: Experimentally Derived Differences In Attentive Responses Of Tursiops Truncatus To Anthropogenic Noise Playbacks Before And During The Covid-19-Related Anthropause, Paige E. Stevens, Veda Allen, Jason N. Bruck

Faculty Publications

The effects of anthropogenic noise continue to threaten marine fauna, yet the impacts of human-produced sound on the broad aspects of cognition in marine mammals remain relatively understudied. The shutdown of non-essential activities due to the COVID-19-related anthropause created an opportunity to determine if reducing levels of oceanic anthropogenic noise on cetaceans affected processes of sensitization and habituation for common human-made sounds in an experimental setting. Dolphins at Dolphin Quest Bermuda were presented with three noises related to human activities (cruise ship, personal watercraft, and Navy low-frequency active sonar) both in 2018 and again during the anthropause in 2021 via …


1-Back Matching And Mismatching By Pigeons, Thomas Zentall Jan 2023

1-Back Matching And Mismatching By Pigeons, Thomas Zentall

Psychology Research Data

No abstract provided.


Exploring The Lives Of Animal Activists: A Qualitative Study, Erin K. Mckenney Jan 2023

Exploring The Lives Of Animal Activists: A Qualitative Study, Erin K. Mckenney

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

The animal rights movement, despite its historical roots, has only recently garnered attention in the realm of social sciences, increasingly being recognized as a facet of social justice. This dissertation delves into the intersection of animal rights activism and gender, primarily focusing on the parallels drawn between the oppression of women and animals/nature. The noticeable dominance of women in the animal rights movement, as suggested by previous studies, formed the basis for adopting an eco-feminist approach to explore this issue, highlighting the shared oppression and exploitation faced by women and animals. In-depth, in-person interviews were used to collect data on …


A Preliminary Assessment Of Compassion Fatigue In Chimpanzee Caregivers, Mary Lee A. Jensvold Dec 2022

A Preliminary Assessment Of Compassion Fatigue In Chimpanzee Caregivers, Mary Lee A. Jensvold

Anthropology and Museum Studies Faculty Scholarship

Compassion fatigue is defined as “traumatization of helpers through their efforts at helping others”. It has negative effects on clinicians including reduced satisfaction with work, fatigue, irritability, dread of going to work, and lack of joy in life. It is correlated with patients’ decreased satisfaction with care. Compassion fatigue occurs in a variety of helping professions including educators, social workers, mental health clinicians, and it also appears in nonhuman animal care workers. This study surveyed caregivers of chimpanzees using the ProQOL-V to assess the prevalence of compassion fatigue among this group. Compassion satisfaction is higher than many other types of …


Understanding Across The Senses: Cross-Modal Studies Of Cognition In Cetaceans, Jason N. Bruck, Adam A. Pack Aug 2022

Understanding Across The Senses: Cross-Modal Studies Of Cognition In Cetaceans, Jason N. Bruck, Adam A. Pack

Faculty Publications

Cross-modal approaches to the study of sensory perception, social recognition, cognition, and mental representation have proved fruitful in humans as well as in a variety of other species including toothed whales in revealing equivalencies that suggest that different sensory stimuli associated with objects or individuals may effectively evoke mental representations that are, respectively, object based or individual based. Building on established findings of structural equivalence in the form of spontaneous recognition of complex shapes across the modalities of echolocation and vision and behavior favoring identity echoic–visual cross-modal relationships over associative echoic–visual cross-modal relationships, examinations of transitive inference equivalencies from initially …


An Evaluation Of Ethograms Measuring Distinct Features Of Enrichment Use By Captive Chimpanzees (Pan Troglodytes), Julia L. Greeson, Kara I. Gabriel, John B. Mulcahy, Bonnie King Hendrickson, Susan D. Lonborg, Jay C. Holloway Aug 2022

An Evaluation Of Ethograms Measuring Distinct Features Of Enrichment Use By Captive Chimpanzees (Pan Troglodytes), Julia L. Greeson, Kara I. Gabriel, John B. Mulcahy, Bonnie King Hendrickson, Susan D. Lonborg, Jay C. Holloway

Student Published Works

Environmental enrichment provides mental stimulation and minimizes abnormal behaviors in captive animals. In captive chimpanzees, individual animals may vary in the ways in which they benefit from enrichment or use enrichment devices, so investigating nuances in enrichment use may improve the welfare of captive chimpanzees. In the current study, three ethograms measuring distinct features of enrichment use (i.e., enrichment object, manipulation behavior, and social context) were evaluated by coding videos of captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest in Cle Elum, WA. A total of 732 min and 58 s of video footage was coded from a larger video …


Cross-Modal Perception Of Identity By Sound And Taste In Bottlenose Dolphins, Jason N. Bruck, Sam F. Walmsley, Vincent M. Janik May 2022

Cross-Modal Perception Of Identity By Sound And Taste In Bottlenose Dolphins, Jason N. Bruck, Sam F. Walmsley, Vincent M. Janik

Faculty Publications

While studies have demonstrated concept formation in animals, only humans are known to label concepts to use them in mental simulations or predictions. To investigate whether other animals use labels comparably, we studied cross-modal, individual recognition in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) that use signature whistles as labels for conspecifics in their own communication. First, we tested whether dolphins could use gustatory stimuli and found that they could distinguish between water and urine samples, as well as between urine from familiar and unfamiliar individuals. Then, we paired playbacks of signature whistles of known animals with urine samples from either the same …


Buprenorphine Effects On Anxiety-Like Behavior In B6 Mice, Megan K. Thibert Apr 2022

Buprenorphine Effects On Anxiety-Like Behavior In B6 Mice, Megan K. Thibert

Select or Award-Winning Individual Scholarship

Buprenorphine, a semi-synthetic opioid prescribed for the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD), has been suggested as a potential pharmacological treatment for anxiety. Some preclinical and clinical studies provide support for the anxiolytic effects of buprenorphine, but research in this area is scarce, and findings to date have been mixed. The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that buprenorphine alters anxiety-like behavior in C57BL/IJ (B6) mice measured using the elevated zero maze (EZM). Adult, male mice (n=10) were given subcutaneous injections of saline (control) and three doses of buprenorphine (0.3, 1, and 10 mg/kg). One hour following injection, …


Acknowledging The Relevance Of Elephant Sensory Perception To Human–Elephant Conflict Mitigation, Robbie Ball, Sarah L. Jacobson, Matthew S. Rudolph, Miranda Trapani, Joshua M. Plotnik Apr 2022

Acknowledging The Relevance Of Elephant Sensory Perception To Human–Elephant Conflict Mitigation, Robbie Ball, Sarah L. Jacobson, Matthew S. Rudolph, Miranda Trapani, Joshua M. Plotnik

Publications and Research

Elephants are well known for their socio-cognitive abilities and capacity for multi-modal sensory perception and communication. Their highly developed olfactory and acoustic senses provide them with a unique non-visual perspective of their physical and social worlds. The use of these complex sensory signals is important not only for communication between conspecifics, but also for decisions about foraging and navigation. These decisions have grown increasingly risky given the exponential increase in unpredictable anthropogenic change in elephants’ natural habitats. Risk taking often develops from the overlap of human and elephant habitat in Asian and African range countries, where elephants forage for food …


The Impacts Of Reward Salience On Rate Of Learning & Extinction, Elise Crause, Mykayla Spurlin, Davis Eddleman, Lindsey Mathews, Sarah Headapohl Jan 2022

The Impacts Of Reward Salience On Rate Of Learning & Extinction, Elise Crause, Mykayla Spurlin, Davis Eddleman, Lindsey Mathews, Sarah Headapohl

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

Salience of rewards is a critical component to learning and motivation, without salience, motivation would be insubstantial (Berridge, 2012). This study aims to investigate the relationship between reward salience and rate of learning. Rate of learning will be measured by the number of correct lever presses within twenty-to-twenty-five-minute periods. Extinction will additionally be measured to further examine the impact reward salience has on learning. Using standard operant chambers, six female food-restricted rats were trained to lever press the left front lever to obtain a food reward. Rats were separated into two groups, (n=3 per group), an experimental group of rats …


Investigating The Impact Of Unlimited Sucrose During Adolescence On Flex Maze Performance In Rats, Emma Klopatek, Emily Tobolski, Bailey Harvey, Danielle Frances, Taylor Garrels, Gillian Lado Jan 2022

Investigating The Impact Of Unlimited Sucrose During Adolescence On Flex Maze Performance In Rats, Emma Klopatek, Emily Tobolski, Bailey Harvey, Danielle Frances, Taylor Garrels, Gillian Lado

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

As depression continues to impact many people, there are important considerations to be taken in how depression impacts people's learning and motivations. The objective of this study is to examine the effects of unlimited sucrose consumption during adolescence, which can mimic symptoms of depression, on spatial memory and motivation in rats. The flex maze is used in the present study to assess these behaviors. Before initial training on the flex maze, 6 male rats were separated into two groups: an experimental group with unlimited access to 5% sucrose (and water) for approximately 3 weeks and a control group with free …


Seasonality Of Social Behaviour Among Immature Belugas (Delphinapterus Leucas) In Managed Care, Jackson R. Ham, Malin K. Lilley, Malin R. Miller, Heather M. Manitzas Hill Jul 2021

Seasonality Of Social Behaviour Among Immature Belugas (Delphinapterus Leucas) In Managed Care, Jackson R. Ham, Malin K. Lilley, Malin R. Miller, Heather M. Manitzas Hill

Psychology Faculty Publications

Belugas ( Delphinapterus leucas ) in managed care have been reported to show seasonal variation in socio-sexual behaviour, hormone levels and respiration rates; however, little is known about the social interactions of wild belugas when they are not in summer, near-shore congregations. To better understand if belugas show seasonal variation in social interactions, this study recorded the behaviour of 10 belugas (five females, five males, ranging from birth to 10 years of age) housed in managed care. Social interactions typically peaked in the summer months but persisted at very low levels during the rest of the year. Sea - sonal …


The Developmental Plasticity Of Fruit Fly Vision, John Paul Currea Jun 2021

The Developmental Plasticity Of Fruit Fly Vision, John Paul Currea

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation we explore the morphological and neural plasticity underlying vision at different scales—within and between species of Drosophila—to elucidate the role of eye development in the evolution of vision. In chapter 2, we offer a tool to accelerate large-scale research into compound eye morphology, and validate it on the eyes of several insect orders and image media. Then, in chapter 3 we demonstrate the developmental plasticity of eye morphology and neural summation in fruit flies, finding an interesting interplay between the two systems. In chapter 4, we elucidate the role of visual plasticity and neural summation in the …


Predictors Of Separation Anxiety In Dogs, Mckenna Yohe Mar 2021

Predictors Of Separation Anxiety In Dogs, Mckenna Yohe

Honors Theses

Understanding the potential causes and risk factors associated with separation anxiety in dogs is necessary to provide insight for possible prevention measures and to maintain the health and well-being of the animals affected by this condition. While a considerable amount of research has been done on this subject, it is still unclear what specific characteristics of dogs and their owners relate to the occurrence of separation anxiety and related behaviors. This study aimed to reexamine several dog and owner characteristics that have previously been evaluated in relation to the incidence of separation anxiety, as well as investigate how the frequency …


Animal-Human Vocabulary Builder, Domenick Acocella, Rene Cordero Jan 2021

Animal-Human Vocabulary Builder, Domenick Acocella, Rene Cordero

Open Educational Resources

The assignment helps students individually build a usable, expanding vocabulary of terms and concepts, enabling each to further contribute to the ongoing, evolving written, oral, and visual conversations centered on the use of and thought about animals for food, clothing, work, entertainment, experimentation, imagery, and companionship.


Dog And Owner Characteristics Predict Training Success, Jeffrey R. Stevens, London M. Wolff, Megan Bosworth, Jill Morstad Jan 2021

Dog And Owner Characteristics Predict Training Success, Jeffrey R. Stevens, London M. Wolff, Megan Bosworth, Jill Morstad

Jeffrey Stevens Publications

Teaching owners how to train their dogs is an important part of maintaining the health and safety of dogs and people. Yet we do not know what behavioral characteristics of dogs and their owners are relevant to dog training or if owner cognitive abilities play a role in training success. The aim of this study is to determine which characteristics of both dogs and owners predict success in completing the American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen training program. Before the first session of a dog training course, owners completed surveys evaluating the behavior and cognition of their dog and themselves. …


Are Capuchin Monkeys (Sapajus Spp.) Sensitive To Lost Opportunities? The Role Of Opportunity Costs In Intertemporal Choice, Elsa Addessi, Valeria Tierno, Valentina Focaroli, Federica Rossi, Serena Gastaldi, Francesca De Petrillo, Fabio Paglieri, Jeffrey R. Stevens Jan 2021

Are Capuchin Monkeys (Sapajus Spp.) Sensitive To Lost Opportunities? The Role Of Opportunity Costs In Intertemporal Choice, Elsa Addessi, Valeria Tierno, Valentina Focaroli, Federica Rossi, Serena Gastaldi, Francesca De Petrillo, Fabio Paglieri, Jeffrey R. Stevens

Jeffrey Stevens Publications

Principles of economics predict that the costs associated with obtaining rewards can influence choice. When individuals face choices between a smaller, immediate option and a larger, later option, they often experience opportunity costs associated with waiting for delayed rewards because they must forego the opportunity to make other choices. We evaluated how reducing opportunity costs affects delay tolerance in capuchin monkeys. After choosing the larger option, in the High cost condition, subjects had to wait for the delay to expire, whereas in the Low cost different and Low cost same conditions, they could perform a new choice during the delay. …


Effects Of Human-Animal Interactions On Affect And Cognition, Elise L. Thayer, Jeffrey R. Stevens Jan 2021

Effects Of Human-Animal Interactions On Affect And Cognition, Elise L. Thayer, Jeffrey R. Stevens

Jeffrey Stevens Publications

Human-animal interaction has clear positive effects on people’s affect and stress. But less is known about how animal interactions influence cognition. We draw parallels between animal interactions and exposure to natural environments, a research area that shows clear improvements in cognitive performance. The aim of this study is to investigate whether interacting with animals similarly enhances cognitive performance, specifically executive functioning. To test this, we conducted two experiments in which we had participants self-report their affect and complete a series of cognitive tasks (long-term memory, attentional control, and working memory) before and after either a brief interaction with a dog …


New Audiobook From Professor Ellen Furlong, Darnysha Mitchell Sep 2020

New Audiobook From Professor Ellen Furlong, Darnysha Mitchell

Interviews for WGLT

Illinois Wesleyan Psychology Professor Ellen Furlong has a new audiobook available on Amazon’s online audiobook platform Audible called, "Decoding Dogs: Inside the Canine Mind". In the book, Furlong walks the listener through the thoughts and behaviors of dogs based on her own research and findings on dog behavior over the last two decades. She spoke to WGLT's Darnysha Mitchell about her findings on dog evolution and behavior.


Reported Behavioural Differences Between Geldings And Mares Challenge Sex-Driven Stereotypes In Ridden Equine Behaviour, Anna Aune, Kate Fenner, Bethany Wilson, Elissa Cameron, Andrew Mclean, Paul Mcgreevy Mar 2020

Reported Behavioural Differences Between Geldings And Mares Challenge Sex-Driven Stereotypes In Ridden Equine Behaviour, Anna Aune, Kate Fenner, Bethany Wilson, Elissa Cameron, Andrew Mclean, Paul Mcgreevy

Anthropomorphism and Anthropocentrism Collection

Horse trainers and riders may have preconceived ideas of horse temperament based solely on the sex of the horse. A study (n = 1233) of horse enthusiasts (75% of whom had more than 8 years of riding experience) revealed that riders prefer geldings over mares and stallions. While these data may reflect different sex preferences in horses used for sport, they may also reduce the chances of some horses reaching their performance potential. Further, an unfounded sex prejudice is likely to contribute to unconscious bias when perceiving unwanted behaviours, simplistically attributing them to demographic characteristics rather than more complex legacies …


Sequential Analysis Of Livestock Herding Dog And Sheep Interactions, Jonathan Early, Jessica Alders, Elizabeth R. Arnott, Claire M. Wade, Paul Mcgreevy Feb 2020

Sequential Analysis Of Livestock Herding Dog And Sheep Interactions, Jonathan Early, Jessica Alders, Elizabeth R. Arnott, Claire M. Wade, Paul Mcgreevy

Interactive Behavior Collection

Livestock herding dogs are crucial contributors to Australian agriculture. However, there is a dearth of empirical studies of the behavioural interactions between dog and livestock during herding. A statistical approach that may reveal cause and effect in such interactions is lag sequential analysis. Using 48 video recordings of livestock herding dogs and sheep in a yard trial competition, event-based (time between behaviours is irrelevant) and time-based (time between behaviours is defined) lag sequential analyses identified several significant behavioural interactions (adjusted residuals greater than 2.58; the maximum likelihood-ratio chi-squared statistic for all eight contingency tables identified all sequences as highly significant …


Social Referencing In The Domestic Horse, Anne Schrimpf, Marie-Sophie Single, Christian Nawroth Jan 2020

Social Referencing In The Domestic Horse, Anne Schrimpf, Marie-Sophie Single, Christian Nawroth

Recognition Collection

Dogs and cats use human emotional information directed to an unfamiliar situation to guide their behavior, known as social referencing. It is not clear whether other domestic species show similar socio-cognitive abilities in interacting with humans. We investigated whether horses (n = 46) use human emotional information to adjust their behavior to a novel object and whether the behavior of horses differed depending on breed type. Horses were randomly assigned to one of two groups: an experimenter positioned in the middle of a test arena directed gaze and voice towards the novel object with either (a) a positive or (b) …


Musical Dogs: A Review Of The Influence Of Auditory Enrichment On Canine Health And Behavior, Abigail Lindig, Paul Mcgreevy, Angela Crean Jan 2020

Musical Dogs: A Review Of The Influence Of Auditory Enrichment On Canine Health And Behavior, Abigail Lindig, Paul Mcgreevy, Angela Crean

Stress Collection

Music therapy yields many positive health outcomes in humans, but the effects of music on the health and welfare of nonhuman animals vary greatly with the type of music played, the ethology of the species, and the personality and learning history of individual animals. One context in which music therapy may be used to enhance animal welfare is to alleviate stress in domestic environments. Here, we review studies of the effects of music exposure on dogs as a case study for the implementation of music therapy in veterinary medicine. Nine reports of experimental testing for the therapeutic effects of music …


Social Learning In Solitary Juvenile Sharks, Catarina Vila Pouca, Dennis Heinrich, Charlie Huveneers, Culum Brown Jan 2020

Social Learning In Solitary Juvenile Sharks, Catarina Vila Pouca, Dennis Heinrich, Charlie Huveneers, Culum Brown

Social Behavior Collection

Social learning can be a shortcut for acquiring locally adaptive information. Animals that live in social groups have better access to social information, but gregarious and nonsocial species are also frequently exposed to social cues. Thus, social learning might simply reflect an animal's general ability to learn rather than an adaptation to social living. Here, we investigated social learning and the effect of frequency of social exposure in nonsocial, juvenile Port Jackson sharks, Heterodontus portusjacksoni. We compared (1) Individual Learners, (2) Sham-Observers, paired with a naïve shark, and (3) Observers, paired with a trained demonstrator, in a novel foraging task. …


Developing A Computer-Controlled Treat Dispenser For Canine Operant Conditioning, Walker Arce, Jeffrey R. Stevens Jan 2020

Developing A Computer-Controlled Treat Dispenser For Canine Operant Conditioning, Walker Arce, Jeffrey R. Stevens

Jeffrey Stevens Publications

When performing canine operant conditioning studies, the delivery of the reward can be a limiting factor of the study. While there are a few commercially available options for automatically delivering rewards, they generally require manual input, such as using a remote control, in accordance with the experiment script. This means that human reaction times and transmission distances can cause interruptions to the flow of the experiment. The potential for development of non-supervised conditioning studies is limited by this same factor. To remedy this, we retrofitted an off-the-shelf treat dispenser with new electronics that allow it to be remotely controllable as …


The Demography And Practice Of Australians Caring For Native Wildlife And The Psychological, Physical And Financial Effects Of Rescue, Rehabilitation And Release Of Wildlife On The Welfare Of Carers, Bruce Englefield, Steve Candy, Melissa J. Starling, Paul Mcgreevy Dec 2019

The Demography And Practice Of Australians Caring For Native Wildlife And The Psychological, Physical And Financial Effects Of Rescue, Rehabilitation And Release Of Wildlife On The Welfare Of Carers, Bruce Englefield, Steve Candy, Melissa J. Starling, Paul Mcgreevy

Human-Animal Bonds Collection

The rescue, rehabilitation and release of injured and orphaned Australian wildlife is managed by over 20,000 carers, mostly voluntarily. These volunteers experience mental, physical and financial challenges that have not been researched adequately. This study collated the responses (n = 316) to a survey conducted among Australian wildlife carers who actively foster orphaned joeys for hand-raising and injured adult mammals for rehabilitation and release. It confirmed 86% of rehabilitators are female, 70% are over the age of 46 years and their prime motivation is an affinity with animals. The average time spent in the sector is 11.5 years, and the …