Relationships between housing and management factors and clinical health events in elephants in North American zoos.

ABSTRACT: Elephants experience a number of health issues that can contribute to their well-being and survival. In managed populations, housing conditions and management practices can influence individual health, so potential risk factors associated with morbidity or mortality should be identified to ensure the best possible standards of care. The goal of this study was to determine if the number of clinical events experienced could be a useful welfare indicator in zoo elephants, and to determine factors associated with key pathologies. We used an epidemiological approach to investigate how intrinsic (species, sex, age) and extrinsic (housing, management) factors were associated with both the total number of clinical events, and each of the four most prevalent pathology types (gastrointestinal issues

SUBMITTER: Edwards KL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6553755 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature