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Stress response assessment during translocation of captive-bred Greater Rheas into the wild

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Abstract

Translocation is an extensively used conservation tool that involves exposing animals to stressful situations that may influence the post-release survival. In this study, 20 Greater Rhea (Rhea americana) adults hatched and reared in captivity were translocated to a wildlife refuge. After transport and before release, animals were kept in pens at the liberation site to make a “soft-release” strategy. Fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGM) were monitored during pre-transportation, post-transportation and pre-release, and post-release phases as an indicator of the stress of translocation and acclimation to the new environment. During pre-transportation phase, FGM levels found were consistent with the baseline concentrations described for this species for males and females, respectively. On day 1 after transportation, FGM levels were increased in both sexes, returning to baseline values during the maintenance in the pens. Although the handling and transportation triggered an acute stress response, the procedures used and the soft release in pens allowed Rheas to reestablish quickly baseline FGM levels. After release into the novel wildlife refuge, FGM levels were increased again and remained similarly increased during the following 2 months of the study. Findings suggest a strong chronic stress response, probably triggered by a combination of many factors (i.e. novelty, attacks from predators, social interactions, human related disturbances such as poaching, vehicular noise, hunting dogs) that may reduce the bird’s ability to solve new challenging situations, especially the illegal hunting pressure that seems to be a significant threat in this species.

Zusammenfassung

Bewertung der Stress-Reaktion auf die Umsiedlung von in Gefangenschaft aufgezogenen Nandus ( Rhea americana ) ins Freiland.

Im Naturschutz werden Umsiedlungen häufig vorgenommen und stellen für die betroffenen Tiere stets einen besonderen Stress dar, der möglicherweise einen Einfluss auf ihr Überleben nach der Umsiedlung hat. In unserer Untersuchung wurden 20 adulte, in Gefangenschaft geschlüpfte und aufgezogene Nandus in ein Naturschutzgebiet umgesiedelt. Nach dem Transport, aber vor ihrer Freilassung, wurden die Tiere im Sinne einer „sanften Freilassung“zunächst noch in Gehegen innerhalb des Naturschutzgebiets gehalten. In den Phasen „vor Transport“, „nach Transport“, „vor Freilassung“und „nach Freilassung“wurden fäkale Glukococorticoid-Metaboliten (FGM) als Indikatoren für den Stress durch den Transport und durch das Einleben in die neue Umgebung gemessen Die FGM-Konzentrationen in der Phase vor dem Transport entsprachen den für beide Geschlechter bereits bekannten Basiswerten. Am Tag 1 nach dem Transport waren die Werte für beide Geschlechter erhöht, gingen aber während des Aufenthalts in den Gehegen wieder auf die Basiswerte hinunter. Obwohl das Einfangen und der Transport bei den Tieren eine akute Stress-Antwort auslösten, bewirkten die eingesetzten Methoden und die „sanfte Freilassung“in die Gehege, dass die Tiere ihre Basis-FGM-Konzentrationen rasch wieder einstellten. Nach der endgültigen Freilassung in das für sie neue Naturschutzgebiet stiegen die FGM-Werte wieder an und blieben danach noch zwei Monate lang auf dem erhöhten Niveau. Diese Ergebnisse weisen auf eine intensive Stress-Antwort hin, die von der Kombination vieler Faktoren (neue Umgebung, Angriffe durch Räuber, soziale Interaktionen, Störungen durch Menschen wie z.B. Wilderei, Fahrzeuglärm, streunende Hunde) getriggert wird und eventuell die Fähigkeit der Vögel vermindert, neuen Herausforderungen erfolgreich zu begegnen, vor allem der illegalen Jagd, die gerade für diese Art eine ganz besondere Bedrohung darstellt.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the Córdoba Zoo (Argentina) and their staff for allowing us to use its facilities for this study. We are very grateful to Las Dos Hermanas Ranch owners and the Rachel and Pamela Schiele Foundation for allowing us to conduct this translocation research in their property. A particular thanks to Carla Dal Borgo for her invaluable help in breeding the animals. Thanks to Diego Valdez, Verónica Marinero, and Carla de Aranzamendi for helping in the field work. We are grateful to Prof. Iliana Martínez for English corrections. Funding was provided through grants to M.B.M. from the Secretaría de Ciencia y Tecnología of Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (SECyT–UNC) and Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica (FONCyT). A. L. is a Postdoctoral fellow from the Fundación Bunge y Born. M. V. C. and N. S. D. C. are Doctoral fellows of Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) and graduate students of Doctorado en Ciencias Biológicas, FCEFyN, UNC, Argentina. J. L. N., R. H. M. and M. B. M. are researchers of CONICET. The proposal of this work was approved by the ethics committee of the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) (Resolution No. 1047 ANNEX II, 2005) before its implementation, as part of the author’s fellowship project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA-CONICET-UNC) and Centro de Zoología Aplicada, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Rondeau 798, X5000AVP, Córdoba, Argentina

    A. Lèche, M. Vera Cortez, N. S. Della Costa, J. L. Navarro & M. B. Martella

  2. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas (IIByT-CONICET-UNC), Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de los Alimentos and Cátedra de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Av. Vélez Sársfield 1611, X5000AVP, Córdoba, Argentina

    R. H. Marin

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  1. A. Lèche
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  2. M. Vera Cortez
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  3. N. S. Della Costa
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  4. J. L. Navarro
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Correspondence to A. Lèche.

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Communicated by L. Fusani.

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Lèche, A., Vera Cortez, M., Della Costa, N.S. et al. Stress response assessment during translocation of captive-bred Greater Rheas into the wild. J Ornithol 157, 599–607 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-015-1305-3

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