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dc.contributor.authorJakob-Hoff, Richard
dc.contributor.authorKingan, Michael
dc.contributor.authorFenemore, Chiaki
dc.contributor.authorSchmid, Gian
dc.contributor.authorCockrem, John
dc.contributor.authorCrackle, Amanda.
dc.contributor.authorvan Bemmel, Emily
dc.contributor.authorConnor, Rebecca
dc.contributor.authorDescovich, Kris
dc.date.accessioned2019-10-22T01:18:14Z
dc.date.available2019-10-22T01:18:14Z
dc.date.issued2019-07-31
dc.identifier.issn2076-2615
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10652/4756
dc.description.abstractSIMPLE SUMMARY: Animals in zoos can adapt to many noises they hear on a regular basis. However, construction noise that is intense or occurs unpredictably may negatively impact the welfare state of some animals and induce a chronic stress response. This study aimed to understand the behavioral response to construction noise of selected species in an urban zoo in order to guide mitigating actions in advance of, and during, a planned construction project. The behavior of elephants, giraffes, emus and alligators was recorded during 90-min exposures to different sound environments including ambient sound, and four construction sound treatments. A non-invasive measure of physiological stress response was also measured in emus. All species appeared to respond to the recorded noise, with giraffes, elephants and emu, demonstrating behavioral changes potentially indicative of agitation or stress. This study has implications for the trade-offs that occur when zoos seek to improve long-term animal welfare through enclosure refurbishment and short-term impacts on animals exposed to construction noise. ABSTRACT: In anticipation of a major construction project in an urban New Zealand zoo, a study was initiated to assess the response to construction noise of selected animal species (elephant, giraffe, emu and alligator) previously observed to be sensitive to this kind of noise. The overall aim was to detect any signs of aversive responses to this noise to enable keepers to recognize these and take any necessary mitigating actions during the construction period. The experimental approach involved the creation of acoustic maps of each focal animal enclosure, a series of 90-min video recordings of the animals’ behavior in response to ambient noise (control) and amplified broadcast of pre-recorded continuous and intermittent construction noise. Concentration of fecal corticosterone metabolites was also measured for the emus. Key findings were that giraffes, elephants and emus appeared to show an increase in behaviors that could indicate stress or agitation including vigilance and locomotion and may prefer quieter regions of their enclosure during sound exposure. Giraffes also increased close contact with conspecifics when exposed to construction noise. While alligators did not show clear evidence of noise-related stress, our findings indicated that all focal species showed some behavioral responses to recorded construction noise.en_NZ
dc.language.isoenen_NZ
dc.publisherMDPI (Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute)en_NZ
dc.relation.urihttps://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/9/8/504en_NZ
dc.rightsThis is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. (CC BY 4.0).en_NZ
dc.subjectAuckland (N.Z.)en_NZ
dc.subjectNew Zealanden_NZ
dc.subjectAuckland Zoo (N.Z.)en_NZ
dc.subjectzoosen_NZ
dc.subjectanimalsen_NZ
dc.subjectanimal welfareen_NZ
dc.subjectwelfareen_NZ
dc.subjectconstruction noiseen_NZ
dc.subjectnoise pollutionen_NZ
dc.subjectelephantsen_NZ
dc.subjectgiraffesen_NZ
dc.subjectemusen_NZ
dc.subjectalligatoren_NZ
dc.titlePotential impact of construction noise on selected zoo animalsen_NZ
dc.typeJournal Articleen_NZ
dc.date.updated2019-10-18T13:30:24Z
dc.rights.holder© 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.en_NZ
dc.subject.marsden0608 Zoologyen_NZ
dc.identifier.bibliographicCitationJakob-Hoff, R., Kingan, M., Fenemore, C., Schmid, G., Cockrem, J., Crackle, A., Van Bemmel, E., Connor, R. & Descovich, K. (2019). Potential Impact of Construction Noise on Selected Zoo Animals. Animals, 9(8), 504. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/ani9080504en_NZ
unitec.publication.spage504en_NZ
unitec.publication.volume9en_NZ
unitec.publication.issue8en_NZ
unitec.publication.titleAnimalsen_NZ
unitec.peerreviewedyesen_NZ
dc.contributor.affiliationUnitec Institute of Technologyen_NZ
dc.contributor.affiliationAuckland Zoo (N.Z.)en_NZ
dc.contributor.affiliationUniversity of Aucklanden_NZ
dc.contributor.affiliationMassey Universityen_NZ
dc.contributor.affiliationUniversity of Queenslanden_NZ
unitec.identifier.roms64537en_NZ
unitec.institution.studyareaNatural Sciences


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