INVESTIGADORES
GREGORIO Pablo Francisco
artículos
Título:
Behavioural and physiological stress responses to handling in wild guanacos
Autor/es:
TARABORELLI PAULA; OVEJERO A. RAMIRO; SCHROEDER NATALIA; MORENO PABLO; GREGORIO PABLO; CARMANCHAHI PABLO
Revista:
JOURNAL FOR NATURE CONSERVATION
Editorial:
ELSEVIER GMBH
Referencias:
Año: 2011 vol. 19 p. 356 - 362
ISSN:
1617-1381
Resumen:
Both ethology and physiology can provide insights about stress conditions in wild animals during handling.
Lama guanicoe (guanaco) is the major large herbivore inhabiting arid zones in Argentina. Since
2005, the Payún Matrú Cooperative, a business established and run by native people, has captured and
handled guanacos for shearing at Payunia Reserve, Mendoza Province, Argentina, to market the species
fibre for clothing and other products. The aim of our study was to evaluate the behavioural and physiological
stress responses to handling of wild guanacos during these shearing activities. We evaluated stress
conditions in guanacos by monitoring the frequency of agonistic behaviour in the holding corrals, following
capture, the rate of vocalisation and agonistic behaviour during handling, and by estimating cortisol
levels in handled animals. Crowding increased agonistic behaviour; this appeared to be related to dominance
conflicts between males in the corrals. Time of corralling increased rate of agonistic behaviour and
vocalisations during handling. The rate of behavioural stress responses was negatively related to cortisol
levels in males; which may be due to animal fatigue or because behavioural stress responses may help
mitigate physiological stress responses. Incorporating our results into animal welfare practices could help
reduce stress conditions in wild guanacos. Our results suggest that both behavioural and physiological
responses are important measures of stress in handled animals, and that behavioural stress responses
cannot be used as a simple surrogate for glucocorticoid levels.