San Diego Zoo

The San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park will construct a working model to monitor stress in two distinct taxonomic groups of animals: cheetahs and okapi. The project will develop technology to collect behavioral information, validate glucocorticoid (stress hormone) assays using less expensive stock reagents rather than commercially available kits, and it will analyze hormones and behavior to define behavioral measures of welfare. The final model can then be tested with other species to maximize the health and wellbeing of collections within zoological institutions by allowing for proactive management and to ensure the animals are engaging in natural behavior, allowing zoo visitors to connect more meaningfully to wildlife.