Role of Personality in Behavioral Responses to New Environments in Captive Asiatic Lions (Panthera leo persica)

Studying personality in captive animals may enable the development of individual-based management decisions, which may improve animal welfare. Asiatic lions at London Zoo represent an opportunity to research an understudied species’ response to new environments since they have experienced social and...

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Main Authors: Giovanni Quintavalle Pastorino, Anna Viau, Giulio Curone, Paul Pearce-Kelly, Massimo Faustini, Daniele Vigo, Silvia Michela Mazzola, Richard Preziosi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2017-01-01
Series:Veterinary Medicine International
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2017/6585380
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author Giovanni Quintavalle Pastorino
Anna Viau
Giulio Curone
Paul Pearce-Kelly
Massimo Faustini
Daniele Vigo
Silvia Michela Mazzola
Richard Preziosi
author_facet Giovanni Quintavalle Pastorino
Anna Viau
Giulio Curone
Paul Pearce-Kelly
Massimo Faustini
Daniele Vigo
Silvia Michela Mazzola
Richard Preziosi
author_sort Giovanni Quintavalle Pastorino
collection DOAJ
description Studying personality in captive animals may enable the development of individual-based management decisions, which may improve animal welfare. Asiatic lions at London Zoo represent an opportunity to research an understudied species’ response to new environments since they have experienced social and physical changes, such as new enclosures and increased social interaction with humans. This project aimed to investigate the role of personality in behavioral responses to these changes. Lion personality questionnaires completed by keepers and direct focal animal observations were used to create personality profiles. Time budgets and enclosure use were determined and compared between control nights and event nights and between the lions’ previous enclosure and their new one. The results showed a lack of difference in time budget and enclosure use between control and social event nights, and the spread of participation index values revealed that the lions use their enclosures unevenly. Personality profiles identified various traits that could assist with individual-based management decisions. As the first study to assess Asiatic lions personality, this research contributes to the creation of consistent and valid methodology for evaluating captive animal personality that may improve husbandry and welfare protocols for individual lions, leading to the improved health and success of the species.
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series Veterinary Medicine International
spelling doaj-art-60731eff699b4fc2a11cc1ece31e0e142025-08-20T03:34:48ZengWileyVeterinary Medicine International2090-81132042-00482017-01-01201710.1155/2017/65853806585380Role of Personality in Behavioral Responses to New Environments in Captive Asiatic Lions (Panthera leo persica)Giovanni Quintavalle Pastorino0Anna Viau1Giulio Curone2Paul Pearce-Kelly3Massimo Faustini4Daniele Vigo5Silvia Michela Mazzola6Richard Preziosi7Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regents Park, London NW1 4RY, UKInstitute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regents Park, London NW1 4RY, UKDepartment of Veterinary Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 10, 20133 Milan, ItalyInstitute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regents Park, London NW1 4RY, UKDepartment of Veterinary Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 10, 20133 Milan, ItalyDepartment of Veterinary Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 10, 20133 Milan, ItalyDepartment of Veterinary Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 10, 20133 Milan, ItalyDivision of Biology and Conservation Ecology, School of Science and the Environment, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester M1 5GD, UKStudying personality in captive animals may enable the development of individual-based management decisions, which may improve animal welfare. Asiatic lions at London Zoo represent an opportunity to research an understudied species’ response to new environments since they have experienced social and physical changes, such as new enclosures and increased social interaction with humans. This project aimed to investigate the role of personality in behavioral responses to these changes. Lion personality questionnaires completed by keepers and direct focal animal observations were used to create personality profiles. Time budgets and enclosure use were determined and compared between control nights and event nights and between the lions’ previous enclosure and their new one. The results showed a lack of difference in time budget and enclosure use between control and social event nights, and the spread of participation index values revealed that the lions use their enclosures unevenly. Personality profiles identified various traits that could assist with individual-based management decisions. As the first study to assess Asiatic lions personality, this research contributes to the creation of consistent and valid methodology for evaluating captive animal personality that may improve husbandry and welfare protocols for individual lions, leading to the improved health and success of the species.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2017/6585380
spellingShingle Giovanni Quintavalle Pastorino
Anna Viau
Giulio Curone
Paul Pearce-Kelly
Massimo Faustini
Daniele Vigo
Silvia Michela Mazzola
Richard Preziosi
Role of Personality in Behavioral Responses to New Environments in Captive Asiatic Lions (Panthera leo persica)
Veterinary Medicine International
title Role of Personality in Behavioral Responses to New Environments in Captive Asiatic Lions (Panthera leo persica)
title_full Role of Personality in Behavioral Responses to New Environments in Captive Asiatic Lions (Panthera leo persica)
title_fullStr Role of Personality in Behavioral Responses to New Environments in Captive Asiatic Lions (Panthera leo persica)
title_full_unstemmed Role of Personality in Behavioral Responses to New Environments in Captive Asiatic Lions (Panthera leo persica)
title_short Role of Personality in Behavioral Responses to New Environments in Captive Asiatic Lions (Panthera leo persica)
title_sort role of personality in behavioral responses to new environments in captive asiatic lions panthera leo persica
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2017/6585380
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