Understanding the attitude of stakeholders towards animals is critical for development and improvement animal welfare in a country. College students from veterinary, animal, life sciences majors represent future key that will interact with professionals industries. Therefore, it to understand these college students' attitudes their knowledge about welfare. The present survey aimed investigate Chinese concerns different classes (i.e., pets, farm, laboratory, wild animals) through Sentient...

Social play varies among species and individuals changes in frequency duration during ontogeny. This type of is modulated by environmental (e.g., resource availability). In captivity, cetaceans their environment are managed humans, training sessions and/or public presentations punctuate the day as well other frequent or occasional events. There a lack research on effects events that occur captivity might affect dolphins’ behavior. We studied context which nine bottlenose dolphins ( Tursiops...

In the recent past, animal welfare studies have tried to determine best measures and indicators. Expression of behavioural diversity is considered a potential positive indicator, authors’ knowledge, it has not been validated nor studied in cetaceans. For first time, study on bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) groups was conducted at six European facilities. The carried out by care staff, biologists veterinarians included 54 housed several group compositions different participating goal...

Abstract Indo‐Pacific humpback dolphins ( Sousa chinensis ) inhabiting the Chinese coastline of northern South China Sea are subject to intense human activity. To investigate potential impacts dolphins, photographs taken from 2010 2021 in five different locations were analyzed. Among individual N = 1,159), 10.6% presented human‐induced injuries. Adults more frequently injured than young and individuals around Jiangmen, Hainan, Sanniang Bay highest injury prevalence. More research should be...

Research on the welfare of captive odontocetes has increased in recent years, but been mostly focused bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Few studies investigated potential indicators using quantitative data linked to a range conditions or stimuli that are thought impact animals' emotional state. Since social animals engage various interactions, these interactions might inform us their We pectoral contact laterality and effect context several behaviors three groups (Yangtze finless...

Abstract Animal welfare assessments have recently been suggested to be useful for free‐ranging animals. Nevertheless, few standardized assessment frameworks built wildlife, including cetaceans. Coastal cetaceans like Indo‐Pacific humpback dolphins ( Sousa chinensis , IPHDs) that form resident populations impacted by a wide range of human activities are subject reliable photo‐identification efforts and thus represent perfect candidates monitoring. Parameters may inform us on some aspects the...

Abstract Indo‐Pacific humpback dolphins form a resident population off the east coast of Leizhou Peninsula (LZP) in South China. The most recent study suggested ~1,500 individuals this area, making one only two populations species exceeding 1,000 individuals. However, demographic information regarding has been lacking since 2012. Using 5‐year (2019–2023) photo‐identification data set, we examined key parameters LZP population, namely apparent survival and size, using multistate...

Fishing activities result in a depletion of fish resources and an increase bycatch probability non-target species, which are thought to be the cause recent demographic change experienced by coastal cetaceans waters off Guangdong province, China. However, fishing intensity its spatiotemporal pattern remain poorly examined this region. Here, random daily tracks from 100 vessels were used estimate operations province. The performance two methods was tested with Automatic Identification System...

All the studies that have considered motivation of dolphins to interact with their trainers as a possible welfare indicator been carried out in facilities where trainer-dolphin interactions (TDIs) sessions were reinforced food. Therefore, these specific circumstances, it was difficult separate interacting from food drive. The current study aims assess interaction between and absence rewards. research at Dolphin Reef (Eilat, Israel), facility 14 bottlenose different sex age classes did not...

The number of welfare-oriented studies is increasing in animals under human care, including odontocetes. However, validated welfare indicators are lacking for captive We studied the effect several conditions (moment day, social grouping, public presence) and stimuli (enrichment, perturbations) on solitary behaviour Yangtze finless porpoises (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis), East-Asian (N. a. sunameri) bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). frequency play increased three...

Although the use of fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGCM) measurements as non-invasive biomarkers for stress response in mammals has increased, few studies have been conducted odontocetes. We investigated if animal sex, age, pregnancy or contextual variations (season, sampling time, enrichment, social separation and presence visitors) influenced FGCM concentrations presumably healthy, captive endangered Yangtze finless porpoises (YFPs, N = 4) bottlenose dolphins (BDs, 3). For YFPs, were by...

Social group dynamics are known to impact odontocetes' health and welfare in captivity dominance agonistic interactions that occur establish maintain these relationships might express themselves differently between species groups, could be used monitor social changes. This is the first comparative quantitative study of among three groups captive odontocetes Yangtze finless porpoises (YFPs; Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis), Fast Asian (EAFPs; sunarneri), bottlenose dolphins (BDs;...

Abstract Tooth rake marks are usually used as an indicator of received aggression in odontocetes whose social interactions difficult to observe directly. Photographic data from five locations the northern South China Sea were analyze seasonal, demographic, and geographic effects on density tooth dorsal fin notches Indo‐Pacific humpback dolphins ( Sousa chinensis , IPHDs). The analysis revealed that fresh most frequent during dry season. Males exhibited significantly higher mark than females...

Abstract An opportunistic sighting of an Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin ( Sousa chinensis ) was reported in the nearshore waters off east Liaodong Peninsula, China. This is first at-sea this area, and northern-most record species with a distance >3000 km away from nearest described conspecific population located mid-China. The present occurred close proximity to location at which another found by-caught 2003. sighted individual could not be identified through existing photo-identification...

Considering the effects that COVID-19 pandemic had and still has on human psychological health, it is expected might also affect household dogs’ cats’ welfare. The current study explores behavioral changes in dogs cats before (BL) during lockdown (DL), as reported by their owners China. Besides demographic parameters, variables related to daily management of were analyzed relation problems, stress-related behaviors, anxiety-related behaviors lockdown. A total 261 questionnaires collected. In...

Breathing frequency is a non-invasive physiological measure that brings valuable information on the bottlenose dolphins' internal state and behaviors.When combined with behavioral observations, it helps to better understand interpret relevant behaviors.The present study aimed investigate some basic characteristics of breathing rate in nine dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) (e.g., age sex effects) describe modulation animals' influenced by their simultaneously displayed activity (solitary play,...

Odontocetes are usually reported giving birth to calves in breech position (fluke-first). Cephalic (head-first) is less frequently observed and, therefore, considered be abnormal for the parturition. However, influence of calf at on parturition process and survival has not been thoroughly studied. More information needed improve captive breeding success odontocetes-especially endangered species such as finless porpoises (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis). In this study, we labor eight (N....

Yangtze finless porpoises use high-frequency clicks to navigate, forage, and communicate. The way in which click production may vary depending on social or environmental context has never been investigated. A group of five captive was monitored for one year, 107 h audio recordings collected under different conditions. Using a MATLAB-generated interface, we extracted density (i.e., number per minute) from these analyzed its variation the context. As expected, increased as animals present...