<
https://theconversation.com/are-zoos-ready-for-the-changing-climate-289757>
"When people think about climate change and animals, they might picture melting
sea ice, drought-stricken landscapes or species struggling in the wild. Far
less attention is given to the animals living in our care. Yet as heatwaves
become more frequent, intense and unpredictable, zoos may be facing one of the
biggest animal welfare challenges of the coming decades.
The recent deaths of three lions at Tama Zoo, Japan during a heatwave that
reached over 40°C have brought this issue into sharp focus. Investigations are
ongoing, but the incident raises an important question. Do we understand how
animals will – or won’t – cope with heat in a rapidly changing climate?
Many people are surprised to learn a lion can be vulnerable to high
temperatures. After all, lions evolved in Africa and are often associated with
hot, arid landscapes. But this assumption oversimplifies how animals experience
heat. Temperature is only one part of the story.
Humidity can play an equally important role. Lions, like many mammals, do not
sweat effectively like humans do. Instead, they seek shade, move less and pant
to dissipate heat.
High humidity can make these cooling strategies less effective. Perhaps
surprisingly, humans are often more heat tolerant than lions. Our ability to
sweat over most of the body makes evaporation cooling remarkably effective,
allowing us to remain active in conditions that may force lions to rest and
seek shade.
In the wild, lions may have more choices available to them that help them to
remain cooler. Wild lions can move across large landscapes, select favourable
microclimates, rest in shaded areas and adjust their activity patterns – none
of which may be feasible in a zoo. Wild lions are famously inactive for much of
the day, often waiting until cooler periods to hunt and socialise.
Other vulnerable species are perhaps unsurprising, including polar bears,
penguins and red pandas, all of which are adapted to cooler climates. However,
climate change may also affect species that people typically associate with
warm environments.
Great apes, tapirs, cheetahs and even elephants can struggle with dangerous
levels of thermal stress when high temperatures are combined with humidity,
which reduces the body’s ability to dissipate heat. For elephants in particular
(due to their large body size), the risk is heightened when access to shade,
water or other cooling opportunities is limited.
This highlights an important principle in animal welfare science: welfare is
influenced not simply by the environment animals are exposed to, but by the
degree of choice and control they have within it."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
