Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

The golden takin (Budorcas taxicolor bedfordi) comes from the Qinling Mountains in central China and is used to rocky environments and occasionally cool temperatures. The blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra) can be found in India and Nepal where they like to graze on short grass in open fields. They do not coexist in a natural state and Furuvik is the first zoo to keep these two species together. Previous research has shown that pairing species found in the same habitat in the wild is the most successful way. The aim of this study was to investigate how the blackbucks and golden takins used their enclosure, what kind of social interactions between and within the two species there were, and whether enclosure use was related to feeding. The animals were observed at Furuvik Zoo during the spring of 2023 for ten days. The results showed that they used the whole enclosure but that zone 1 was the most popular zone based on the resources. The species were recorded the most times in different zones rather than being in the same zone. Both species were most active during the morning and most passive during lunch. There were more social interactions within the species than between them. The most common interaction between the golden takins were "bars" and with the blackbucks it was "sniffs". The results showed that the golden takins probably did not use the enclosure in relation to feeding, but that the blackbucks may have. Studies on zoo animals vary widely and there are many factors at play, so it is important that future research is done on golden takins and blackbucks in captivity to get a broader picture of their movement patterns, social interactions and activity. This study aims to contribute to important knowledge that can improve the animal welfare of golden takins and blackbucks in zoos.