Meeting Abstract
Capture, transportation and temporary captivity of wild ungulates carries risk, including that of hyperthermia. Some wild ungulates die during capture, and capture-induced hyperthermia can be evident in both the presence and absence of chemical immobilizing agents. Much of the early work on physiological responses of ungulates under thermal stress was conducted on captive animals, and may not be applicable to free-ranging animals. No one has yet reported the body temperatures of the same wild-caught ungulates while ranging free, during capture, and while in captivity. Here we investigate the effects of captivity and game transport on core body temperature in blue (Connochaetes taurinus) and black (Connochaetes gnu) wildebeest during austral winter. We implanted miniature temperature-sensitive data loggers in wildebeest (n=19) to remotely and continuously assess core body temperature, and attached collars with miniglobe thermometers to assess wildebeest microclimate. We then exposed wildebeest to captive (boma-housed) and free-ranging conditions, while additionally opportunistically investigating the Tcore of wildebeest during transportation between these two conditions. We found that the amplitude of the daily rhythm of wildebeest core body temperature was higher when they were free-ranging than when they were captive, irrespective of species. We also found that wildebeest Tcore during transport reached temperatures much higher than maximum Tcore when free-ranging or boma-housed (up to 2.5°C higher for black wildebeest). We conclude that 1) homeothermy of captive ungulates thus does not imply homeothermy when ranging free, and 2) animals can experience precipitous rises in Tcore when transported, placing them at risk of morbidity and mortality.
