140 likes | 230 Views
FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY IN SELECTED UNGULATE SPECIES IN AL AIN WILDLIFE PARK AND RESORT, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. By: Chege S.M., Kitala , P. & Muchemi G. Introduction. AWPR (Formerly Al Ain Zoo) founded in 1968 by the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan
E N D
FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY IN SELECTED UNGULATE SPECIES IN AL AIN WILDLIFE PARK AND RESORT, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. By: ChegeS.M., Kitala, P. & Muchemi G.
Introduction • AWPR (Formerly Al Ain Zoo) founded in 1968 by the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan • Importance of zoos – education, conservation, exhibition(Goossenset al. 2005) • Ex-situ conservation challenges- resistance to diseases, naivety to predators, Inbreeding (few founders)
Objectives • Overall objective • To investigate the causes of morbidity and mortality in some selected ungulate species in the zoo • Specific objectives • Estimate crude and cause-specific morbidity and mortality rates • Determine the risk factors associated with morbidity and mortality
Materials and methods • Study area - Al Ain Wildlife Park and Resort (Latitude 24°10'45.37"N, Longitude 55°44'19.99"E), Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates • Climate – Long summer (temperatures > 50oc) and short winter (≤ 6oc). Average annual rainfall >100mm • Study design – Historical data(6yrs) and follow up study (6mo) • Data analysis – Excel, Genstat, Univariate and multivariate analysis (Logistic regression-backward elimination)
Results • Sex and age structure – (1Y:6A), (1M:1F), Arabian oryx neonates (2M:1F) • Feed – Alfalfa, hay, & pellets • 1keeper per 100 animals • Vet care – team, clinic, vaccination program • 2005-2010 morbidity cases = 1021. Arabian Oryx(28.5%) and Speke’s gazelle(27%)
Major causes of Morbidity & Mortality Mortality causes • Septicaemia(38%) • Trauma (25%) • Reproductive disorders (12%) • Pneunomia (8%) • Diarrhoea (6%) • Unknown (6%) • Nutritional deficiencies (3%) Morbidity causes • Trauma (40%) • Septicaemia(18%) • Diarrhoea(16%) • Reproductive disorders(9%) • Pneumonia(6%) • Nutritional deficiency(5%) • Unknown (5%)
Discussion • Morbidity and mortality increases with increased herd size (Lance et al. 1992; Silva del Rio et al. 2007) • Biased sex ratio of 2:1of the Arabian oryx newborns. Price (1989) reported a similar finding. On the contrary, Vie (1996),observed a sex ratio of 1:1 • Neonates were 7x and 23x likely to get sick or die respectively…other similar reports ;Heinrichsand Radostits, (2001), Morrow et al. (1999),. • Lower birth weights recorded – may be related to inbreeding
Conclusion & Recommendation • Conclusion • True rates of morbidity(19.2%) and mortality (11.3%) per animal-month respectively – high • Trauma as leading cause of morbidity. Young die more than old. Low birth weights • Recommendations • Trauma – manage overcrowding , single male & several females • Initiate studies on genetic viability and maternal relatedness of the population