SURVEY OF THE HEALTH STATUS AND DEVELOPMENT OF HEALTH MONITORING SYSTEM FOR CAPTIVE LARGE FELIDS

M Cfffl^ "Survey of the Health Status and Development of Health Monitoring System for Captive Large Felids" Name of Student Name of Major Guide R. H. Sabapara Dr. R. G. Jani Department of Veterinary Medicine College of Veterinary Science & Animal Husbandry Gujarat Agricultural University Anand Campus , Anand-388 001 Zoos serve as an important institution devoted to the conservation of endangered fauna. Major objectives of zoo include conservation, education and scientific research. Asiatic lions, Bengal tigers and Indian leopards are categorised as endangered species of large felids that require proper attention for its future survival. With an objective to study the health status of captive large felids of zoos and to develop a scientific health monitoring system, the present study was undertaken. The animals from Ahmedabad, Baroda, Junagadh and Rajkot zoos were included in the study. The large cats of the zoos were examined clinically for their health statx s and detailed examinations of biological material were carried out. The lions, tigers and leopards revealed clinically healthy with out any manifestation of diseases. The clinical parameters viz., rectal temperature, heart rate and respiration rate were recorded that found within the range. Haematological and biochemical parameters were studies from 44 lion;;, 12 tigers and nine leopards. 12 haematological, 11 biochemical and 16 minerals were studied from each blood sample. No significant variation was observed in most of these parameters while compared between the species of large felids. No significant morphological differences were observed in the blood ceU of large felids. Mean diameter of RBCs, neutrophils, l5anphoc5^es, eosinophils and monocytes in ĵjn were 5.84 ± 0.13, 10.12 ± 0.06, 8.087 ± 0.09, 12.32 ± 0.13 and 13.18±0.15 respectively. The samples for bacteriological study were collected from 12 lions, six tigers and ten leopards. Rectal, oral and nasal swabs were collected and analysed. Major genus of bacteria isolated were Escherichia coli (30.77 %), Aeromonas spp. (12.50 %), Shigella spp. (10.58 %), Proteus and Staphylococcus spp. (11.54 %), Citrobacter spp. (9.62 %) and Salmonella spp. (5.77 %). Other less frequent bacterial organisms were Streptococcus spp. (3.85 %), Monococcus spp. (1.92 %), Pseudomonas app. (0.96 %) and Klebseilla spp. (0.96 %). The cultural isolation from meat and water was carried from 10 samples and total 18 bacterial isolates were recorded. E. coli was found in 6 sfmiples. Streptococcus spp. in 4 samples, Staphylococcus spp. in 4 samples, Aeromonas spp. in 2 samples, Monococcus spp. in 2 samples. From ten water samples E. coli was isolated in 60 %, Citrobacter spp. in 20 % and Salmonella spp. in 20 %. Parasitic screening of stool samples from 54 lions, 22 tigers and 32 leopards revealed Ascaria spp. as the most common parasitic ova with overall cccurrence as 16.67 %. Other parasitic ova recorded were Ancylostoma spp. (9.26 %), Spirometra spp. (3.7 %) and Isospora spp. (3.7 %). Antibody detection was carried from the sera samples of 27 lions, 3 tigers and 9 leopards, using commercially available ELIZA kits. Antibodies against canine distemper, feline leukaemia and feUne infectious peritonitis virus were detected in 35.90 %, 56.41 % and 58.97 % respectively from the sera of large cats. Antibodies against immunodeficiency, leishmania protozoa and antigen of feline leukaemia were not detected in any of the samples tested. The screening of stool samples (n=108) from seven species of captive carnivores using polymerase chain reaction technique did not reveal parvo viral DNA. Since the existing health monitoring system is not adequate, several recommendations and suggestions have been incorporated to develop unifoim health monitoring system for captive large feUds.