12月11日的《科學》雜志報道說,，生活在野外的大象比生活在囚禁中的大象要更健康且活得更長,。這一發(fā)現(xiàn)可能標志著一個長期存在的爭論的終止,。這一爭執(zhí)是關于大象的身體和精神健康的情況,。它也可能對全世界的動物園帶來某些變化,。
英國皇家防止虐待動物協(xié)會（RSPCA）Ros Clubb及其同僚分析來自 4500多頭大象的數(shù)據(jù)后發(fā)現(xiàn)了將大象引進動物園會損害其生存能力的經(jīng)驗性的證據(jù),。研究人員提示,，大象生命早期的受到壓力的經(jīng)驗、在動物園之間的遷移以及可能失去它們母親等諸因素都與在這些動物園大象中記錄到的廣泛存在的健康和生殖問題有關,。研究人員審查了那些野生的亞洲象和非洲象的數(shù)據(jù),，并將其與歐洲動物園中大象的數(shù)據(jù)進行比較后得出了這些結論。
鑒于這一結果,，文章的作者建議對囚禁狀態(tài)的大象進行壓力和肥胖癥跡象的篩檢,，以辨識出可能有問題的大象個體。他們還呼吁停止將大象從它們的本土國家進口的作法,，并建議繁殖大象應該限于在那些對囚禁狀態(tài)下出生的大象沒有有害影響的動物園中,。。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦原始出處：
Science,，Vol. 322. no. 5908, p. 1649,，Ros Clubb，Georgia J. Mason
Compromised Survivorship in Zoo Elephants
Ros Clubb,1 Marcus Rowcliffe,2 Phyllis Lee,3,4 Khyne U. Mar,2,5 Cynthia Moss,4 Georgia J. Mason6*
We analyzed data from over 4500 elephants to show that animals in European zoos have about half the median life span of conspecifics in protected populations in range countries. This discrepancy is clearest in Asian elephants; unlike African elephants in zoos, this species' infant mortality is very high (for example, twice that seen in Burmese timber camps), and its adult survivorship in zoos has not improved significantly in recent years. One risk factor for Asian zoo elephants is being moved between institutions, with early removal from the mother tending to have additional adverse effects. Another risk factor is being born into a zoo rather than being imported from the wild, with poor adult survivorship in zoo-born Asians apparently being conferred prenatally or in early infancy. We suggest stress and/or obesity as likely causes of zoo elephants' compromised survivorship.
1 Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), Wilberforce Way, Southwater, West Sussex, RH13 9RS, UK.
2 Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London NW1 4RY, UK.
3 Psychology Department, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK.
4 Amboseli Trust for Elephants, Post Office Box 15135, Nairobi, Kenya.
5 Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK.
6 Animal Sciences Department, University of Guelph, Guelph N1G 2M7, Canada.
