Un lavoro complesso e multidisciplinare, fondato su un’approfondita attività di monitoraggio e supportato da indagini innovative cliniche e di laboratorio e, per la prima volta, dall’emogasanalisi condotta direttamente sul campo, per garantire le migliori pratiche di anestesia, monitoraggio clinico e trasporto, tali da garantire il benessere degli animali catturati e la piena efficacia delle catture ai fini della sopravvivenza degli individui fondatori di nuove colonie di camoscio, che rappresentano una speranza concreta di evitare l’estinzione di questa sottospecie autoctona dell’Appennino.
The Apennine chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica ornata) is one of the rarest subspecies in Italy, listed in Annexes II and IV of the Habitats Directive and currently included as a vulnerable subspecies in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. The Maiella National Park population has recently been defined as a source population for reintroduction into other parks. Since collective captures allow for better selection of target animals for the establishment of new colonies, the aim of this study is to evaluate the physiological conditions and animal welfare in free-ranging Apennine chamois after collective physical capture followed by chemical immobilization. The effects of capture and anesthesia were evaluated using clinical variables, hematology, serum biochemistry, and venous blood gas analysis, the latter being used in the field for the first time in chamois capture. The protocol applied in this study represents an innovative approach to assessing animal physiology and welfare in collective mountain ungulate captures, useful for improving management activities for conservation purposes. [Fonte: P.N. Maiella]
Welfare and Clinical Assessment on Physical Captures Followed by Anesthesia in Apennine Chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica ornata) 