20 research outputs found
Olfactory Enrichment in California Sea Lions (\u3ci\u3eZalophus californianus\u3c/i\u3e)
Get PDFIn the wild, California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) are exposed to a wide array of sensory information at all times. However, it is impossible for captive environments to provide this level of complexity. Therefore unique procedures and practices are necessary for the maintenance of physiological and psychological health in captive animals (Wells, 2009). This project aims to explore the behavioral effect of scent added to the environment, with the goal of improving the welfare of captive sea lions by introducing two scent types: 1.) Natural scents, found in their native environment, and 2.) Non-natural scents, not found in their native environment. The use of scent to add complexity to the captive environment has been utilized with big cats (Szokalski, Litchfield & Foster, 2012; Wells, 2009), canids (Steele & Steele, 2005), and other zoo-housed species (Wells, 2009) yet this method has not been explored in marine mammals. Nor has this approach been documented in the scientific literature for use with captive sea lions, despite caretaker reports that scents may be a fruitful approach for captive sea lion enrichment. Scent enrichment was found to significantly impact sea lion behavior, as demonstrated by a reduction in pattern swimming, increased habitat utilization, and reduction in stereotypical behavior, however, there appears to be no relationship between these variables and a preference between natural and non-natural scents
Improving Occupational Health for Tribal Buffalo Workers
Get PDFOccupational health and safety of Tribal buffalo workers is essential to many Tribal food sovereignty initiatives taking place within Tribal nations across the country, supporting the broader effort to bring the buffalo home. In response to requests from Intertribal Buffalo Council (ITBC) members, we developed occupational health cards identifying top zoonotic disease risks to improve patient–clinician communication. Each card links via QR code to a comprehensive clinician guidance booklet that includes etiologic agents, transmission routes, symptoms, occupation-specific screening questions, and reporting resources. Using a One Health approach, we mapped county-level data for ITBC buffalo herds, including elevation, ecosystem type, and seasonal climate averages, and compiled human and animal zoonotic disease data (2020–2025) by state. These were cross-referenced with emerging and existing agricultural diseases to identify the highest-risk threats and analyzed correlations between geography and disease occurrence in agricultural occupations. Findings and interventions were presented at the 2025 Buffalo Worker Safety and Herd Health Roundtable for community feedback, and finalization is ongoing.https://digitalcommons.unmc.edu/surp2025/1003/thumbnail.jp
): a review of the defining characteristics and acoustic criteria of the dolphin vocal repertoire
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