12. Observing behavior

Question 1

Introduction: Importance of Captive-Raised Releases in Conservation

Risks for Captive-Raised Animals in the Wild
Behaviour Management Strategies
Examples Demonstrating Concepts

Answer 1

Risks for Captive-Raised Animals in the Wild
Lack of exposure to natural environments and predators.
Challenges in foraging, anti-predator behavior, habitat selection, and social interactions.
Naïve responses and vulnerability to predation.

Behaviour Management Strategies
Behaviour modification mitigates risks.
Predator avoidance training, post-release foraging training, habitat familiarization, and promoting social behavior.

Examples Demonstrating Concepts
Examples of behavior modification outcomes: predator avoidance training, foraging skill enhancement, habitat selection cues, and social learning.

Question 2

Importance of the Topic

Relevance of Reintroduction and Captive Releases

Answer 2

Relevance of Reintroduction and Captive Releases
Unprecedented species extinctions due to human activity.
Reintroductions and captive releases vital for managing and restoring endangered populations.
Captive-raised animals lack crucial wild behavior, increasing their vulnerability.

Question 3

Risks to Captive-Raised Animals

Behaviour Traits Lacking in Captive Animals

Answer 3

Behaviour Traits Lacking in Captive Animals
Lack of foraging skills, anti-predator behavior, and habitat selection.
No fear of humans, habituation, and susceptibility to predators.
Naivete towards introduced predators leading to high predation rates.

Question 4

Ethological Framework
Four Perspectives to Address Behavior Challenges

Answer 4

Four Perspectives to Address Behavior Challenges
Causation: Mechanisms triggering behavior.
Ontogeny: Behavior development with maturity.
Function: Adaptive advantage of behavior for survival.
Evolution: Evolutionary history and origin of behavior.

Question 5

Predator Avoidance Training

Predator Avoidance Training Strategy

Answer 5

Predator Avoidance Training Strategy
Pairing predator cues with aversive stimuli.
Conditioning animals to associate predators with negative experiences.
Visual, auditory, or olfactory cues to mimic predator presence.

Question 6

Foraging - Post Release

Importance of Foraging Skills

Answer 6

Importance of Foraging Skills
Captive-raised animals have poorer foraging abilities.
Pre-release exposure to natural foods improves food recognition and foraging skills.

Question 7

Habitat Selection - Post Release

Settlement Challenges for Newly Released Animals

Answer 7

Settlement Challenges for Newly Released Animals
Stress or inexperience leads to longer travels from release site.
Introduction of familiar cues aids settlement.

Question 8

Social Behavior - Post Release

Role of Social Behavior in Reproduction

Answer 8

Role of Social Behavior in Reproduction
Sociality crucial for reproductive behavior.
Parent-offspring interactions and learning from social group members.
Exposing animals to potential mates or using puppet models for social learning.

Question 9

Conclusion: Behavior Modification for Conservation

Importance of Behavior Modification

Answer 9

Importance of Behavior Modification
Behavior modification prepares captive-raised animals for survival.
Enhances chances of reintroduction success and contributes to conservation efforts.