Philadelphia Zoo’s Post

In a recent Conversation article, Angela Russell explains how her 20-strong member ‘Poop Troop’ is helping to save our nation’s marsupials.    Angela, a PhD candidate at La Trobe’s School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, examines marsupial faeces to better understand their microbiome. She is now affectionately known as ‘Dr Poo’.    “As any wildlife carer can tell you, monitoring what comes out of an animal is a vital part of keeping an eye on its health,” explains Angela.    “So, when I set out to find volunteers to collect poo from wild and captive marsupials, it was mainly wildlife carers who answered the call.” Angela’s volunteer group, appropriately titled ‘The Marsupial Microbiome Poop Troop’, collects poo from eastern grey kangaroos, swamp wallabies, red-necked wallabies, bare-nosed wombats, and ringtail and brushtail possums – from Queensland to Tasmania. ‘Poo parcels’ then get sent to Angela at her laboratory for genetic analysis. “The research we do with the collected poo has serious potential to save many marsupial lives and we have a particular focus on young, orphaned joeys,” she says. “The gut microbiome of these ‘pinky’ joeys is equivalent in development to that of premature human babies. It is still being established at this crucial time, via the mother’s milk, environmental conditions in the pouch, cleaning, and grooming.” “The sudden loss of parental care, coupled with the stress of being in captivity and a complete change of diet, can leave the joey open to infections, diarrhoea and dehydration, which can be fatal.” Read the full article: https://bit.ly/3SfE19A #LaTrobeAgricultureBiomedicineAndEnvironment #WildlifeConservation #Conversation  

Could the next pandemic come from pets? As the COVID-19 pandemic made painfully clear, diseases that spillover from animals to humans can cause devastating outbreaks. Evaluating which animals are likely reservoirs for potential pathogens and studying the nature of the diseases they carry is understandably a priority for epidemiological research. But researchers may not need to trek deep into jungles or go spelunking to find the next zoonotic virus—it may already be lurking in our homes or backyards, inside our favorite furry and feathered friends. “Many companion animal species have received comparatively little attention as a zoonotic risk,” University of Glasgow’s Amandine Gamble and colleagues write in a review in yesterday’s special issue of Science Translational Medicine on zoonotic diseases. Yet these creatures—including pets, regular backyard visitors, and so-called beasts of burden (such as horses)—are known to harbor human pathogens and can act as bridges between wildlife and people. The team points to outdoor cats, for instance, which can interact with numerous wildlife species right before snuggling up to their caretaker’s face. “Surveillance of those zoonotic pathogens should include companion animals and peridomestic wildlife, and research should combine ecological approaches with molecular approaches to understand their roles as epidemiological reservoirs or bridges,” Gamble et al. conclude. https://lnkd.in/enCK6rJj

Backyard zoonoses: The roles of companion animals and peri-domestic wildlife - https://lnkd.in/ex7EV2mJ The spillover of human infectious diseases from animal reservoirs is now well appreciated. However, societal and climate-related changes are affecting the dynamics of such interfaces. In addition to the disruption of traditional wildlife habitats, in part because of climate change and human demographics and behavior, there is an increasing zoonotic disease risk from companion animals. This includes such factors as the awareness of animals kept as domestic pets and increasing populations of free-ranging animals in peri-domestic environments. This review presents background and commentary focusing on companion and peri-domestic animals as disease risk for humans, taking into account the human-animal interface and population dynamics between the animals themselves. Fig. 1. Pathways for zoonotic spillovers between and via (peri-)domestic species. (A) Direct transmission to humans from a (peri-)domestic species acting as a reservoir (e.g., T. gondii in cats). (B) Transmission from wildlife to humans via a (peri-)domestic species acting as a bridge (e.g., Y. pestis in wild small mammals preyed on by cats). (C) More complex scenarios can include different maintenance and bridge populations, as well as populations playing specific roles in pathogen evolution (e.g., HPAI).CREDIT: A. FISHER/SCIENCE TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE

Today it’s International Primate Day 🌴 Primates are an order of mammals that include lemurs, lorises, tarsiers, monkeys, apes, and humans🐒 According to a 2022 study: 🇺🇸There were 68,000 primates used in research in the United States 🇨🇳 An estimated 28,000 primates were reportedly used in laboratory research in China 🇪🇺 Approximately 8,000 primates used in research facilities in the European Union 🇬🇧 In 2023, an official report of the Parliament of the United Kingdom has shown that, in 2022, 1,800 nonhuman primates, mainly macaques, were imported into the UK for to undergo 2,000 scientific procedures Macaques, a mainly frugivorous monkey, were mainly used in ‘toxicity and other safety testing’ experimental procedures, and almost 70% were imported from Africa, and the remainder from Asia 💔 🎨: @ignadee on IG 📷: @crueltyfreeintl via @actionforprimates 👉 Help Make Animal Testing History: Sign and Share the Pledge to ONLY Support Cruelty-Free & Vegan Products: drove.com/.2zoc #primates #InternationalPrimateDay #illustration #sad #animalrights

I imagine it’s more to do with lab directors not wanting the hassle of more legislative paperwork to fill in- just morally disgusting. You have the money lab directors! It’s quite honestly the least you can do for the monkeys that have been used regularly for human experimentation 🧪💉. #monkeylabs #retireyourmonkeys #labs #animaltesting #animaltestingfacilities

Hippopotamuses can become airborne for up to 0.3 seconds when running fast, according to new research from the Royal Veterinary College! #AnimalScience #Hippos #Wildlife - 🦛 Monitored hippos at Flamingo Land Resort in Yorkshire. - 📹 Analyzed internet footage to gain insights. - 🌊 Usually stick to water, posing a challenge for researchers. - 🏃 Unlike elephants and rhinos, hippos can trot and get airborne. - 🏞 Findings could influence zoo husbandry and enclosure design. Additional details: - 🔬 First study focused solely on hippo locomotion. - 🧑🔬 Led by Professor John Hutchinson from the RVC. - 🏅 Could have positive impacts on zoo communities. - 📊 Estimated 115,000 to 300,000 hippos in the wild. - 🗺️ Mainly found in rivers and lakes throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Hippopotamuses can become airborne for substantial periods of time, researchers discover https://lnkd.in/gujR_nQe

Last week, our PhD researcher Wenqi Lou received the animal Journal Award at the 74th EAAP - European Federation of Animal Science Annual Meeting in Lyon. Congratulations! 🎉 The award was presented for his novel research on breeding resilient #dairy cows based on rumination data. Wenqi Lou defined various #resilience indicators from from rumination data around calving and calculated their heritability. The most resilient animals had better a fertility, calved easier and had a lower disease incidence than less resilient animals. Resilience was associated with higher feed efficiency and productive life as well. These findings could be used to select more resilient cows in #breeding programmes.   

Over the past year I have been driving strategies to strengthen our little penguin health program that can help us prepare for future health and biosecurity risks. I would like to give a huge shout out to Jasmin Hufschmid, Lee Skerratt & Rebecca Vaughan for leading the development of the Disease Risk Analysis (DRA) for Little Penguins on Phillip Island. We have made this DRA visible for other practitioners who may find this resource useful! https://lnkd.in/dYHZSYTF Top Australian and international experts in penguin disease, parasitology, biology, and ecology collaborated to help develop the construction of a risk matrix ranking for little penguin populations on the Phillip Island (and also relevant to other species).  This report is extensive, and findings included:  🐧80 hazards of concern for little penguins.   🐧5 hazards were rated as high risk including: High Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI H5N1), marine oil event/oiling, predation (terrestrial and marine), and wildfire.  🐧Additional measures are required to address knowledge gaps through further health and environmental research and conducting annual reviews to refine and document management strategies. Following on from this DRA, we are now collaborating with Jasmin Hufschmid and Lee Skerratt from University of Melbourne to progress little penguin health research projects over the next 3 years. Watch this space! The more we understand about the health of our colony, the more we can develop and prepare strategies to support our population. This DRA was generously funded by The Penguin Foundation and we are grateful for all the donors and adoptees that virtually adopt a penguin or privately donate! Your generosity is helping us to protect our penguins. Wildlife Health Australia The Australian Veterinary Association Phillip Island Nature Parks Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) BirdLife International BirdLife Australia

Animals do not belong in cruel laboratories or Zoos. “Their treatment of the issue was only slightly more nuanced. Captive chimpanzee behavior is normal, the authors say, in that they display many of the same behaviors as their wild counterparts—behaviors that we refer to as species-typical. As we know, captive chimpanzees tend to run, climb, groom, and use tools, just like wild chimps. The problem is that they also display a wide range of behaviors that are only rarely, if ever, seen in wild chimpanzees, such as hair-plucking, regurgitation and re-ingestion, coprophagy (eating feces), urophagy (drinking urine), pacing, rocking, self-clasping, and self-biting, which are commonly understood to be a reflection of poor welfare at some stage of life, and perhaps even mental illness. After observing the behavior of 40 chimpanzees at six accredited zoos in the U.S. and Europe, the authors came to the conclusion that abnormal behavior was not only present but endemic in these populations, regardless of group size, composition, and housing. Every single chimpanzee subject exhibited at least one abnormal behavior during the study period, with an average repertoire of five abnormal behaviors and an average frequency of once every forty minutes. This, it should be noted, was in contrast to the whopping total of zero instances that they recorded in over 1,023 hours observing wild chimpanzees in Uganda” https://lnkd.in/ext2jtFn

🔬 Exploring the Animal Microbiome: Part 1 Welcome to the first post of our educational journey on Exploring the Animal Microbiome! Understanding the Animal Microbiome:  The animal microbiome encompasses an intricate network of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other microorganisms that inhabit various niches within the bodies of animals. From the gut to the skin and beyond, these microbial communities form a complex ecosystem that interacts in numerous ways with their host organisms. Significance of the Animal Microbiome: The animal microbiome is a key player in crucial biological processes, including digestion, immune system modulation, and even behavior. The delicate balance of the microbiome is vital for the overall health and resilience of the host animal. Furthermore, the animal microbiome has been linked to various aspects of animal health, productivity, and disease susceptibility. The Importance of Studying the Animal Microbiome: Delving into the intricacies of the animal microbiome is paramount for several reasons. By studying the animal microbiome, researchers and practitioners can gain valuable insights into host-microbe interactions, disease resistance, and the development of innovative strategies for improving animal health and welfare. Moreover, understanding the animal microbiome has significant implications for areas such as agriculture, veterinary medicine, and conservation biology. You can find more information about Animal microbiome here https://lnkd.in/g2Gp2UHK https://lnkd.in/gf5NuTzK #AnimalMicrobiome #Science #AnimalHealth #MicrobiomeResearch #Egybiome