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| Rhino Resource Center: Rhino Forums > Rhinos in Captivity > Breeding > White Rhino male selection |
| Posted by: nyukitx Mar 9 2010, 05:50 PM |
| I currently work a large mixed species yard with several white rhinos. Out of the herd, there are two females with a very strong bond who tend to gang-up on our male and have caused some serious injuries last summer. We have tried running two herds with these specific females in different groups hoping to break the pair bond but without success, after over 6 months apart they came right back together upon introductions and proceeded to back down the male as a team. When seperated into different herds they allowed the male to breed and only mild agression was noted. Has anyone experienced similar problems or have advice on what might be triggering such antagonistic social behaviors? Both females are proven breeders and we are eager to get them bred again. |
| Posted by: GHoneyman Mar 29 2010, 12:40 PM |
| Dear nyukitx, Please find attached a brief response to your forum post. Hope you find it helpful. Let me know if you have any problems viewing it. Best Wishes, Gordon |
| Posted by: nyukitx Mar 30 2010, 05:09 PM |
| Gordon, Thank you for your input, the ethograms would be extremely useful as we were getting ready to implement a similar program here. You have saved us a good deal of groundwork, if you don't mind us using it! I would love to discuss this further in great detail with you but am having difficulty sending a message to you. |
| Posted by: GHoneyman Apr 2 2010, 10:41 AM |
| Hi nyukitx, no problem, glad to be of help. Free exchange of information is, to me, the best way things can move forward. The RRC being a very good example. In fact, the park I worked at was offerd the ethogram to aid in continuing the work - to monitor a new calf - but its not (rather dissapointingly) been taken up as yet, so it'd be really great to have it used elsewhere especially when received with such enthusiasm. Indeed, I approached a prof. about his thoughts on having a standardised ethogram with consensual definitions of behaviour to work from (save re-inventing the wheel for every study sort of thing), so some external input on my own ethogram would be more than welcome. Anyway, my e-mail address gordonhoneyman AT yahoo DOT co DOT uk should work but the internet is fickle so if no success please try: gordonhoneyman AT btinternet DOT com PS Please do let me know where abouts in the world you are located. Look forward to hearing from you. Best Wishes, Gordon. |
| Posted by: Willem Apr 2 2010, 01:32 PM |
| Gordon, Excuse me for editing your post. I have changed your email adresses so they are less susceptible to receiving spam in the near future. On the internet 'robots' scan around all webpages to identify email adresses using the "@" and ".com" or ".co.uk" as idetification. I hope this way you'll be spared. Otherwise a private message is better for transfering your email adres to someone. Hope you understand my actions... Nyukitx, what filetype were you planning to share? Or can I help with your message sending problems? |
| Posted by: GHoneyman Apr 8 2010, 12:49 PM |
| Hi Willem, don't mind at all, glad your watching out for these sort of things. Best Wishes, Gordon. |
| Posted by: GHoneyman May 4 2010, 08:54 AM |
| Hi again nyukitx, Couple of things for you came over this thesis abstract ref located on RRC : Meister, J., 1998. Investigations on the social and reproductive behaviour of captive White rhinoceroses (Ceratotherium simum simum). EEP Research Group Newsletter 5: 14-16 It certainly sounds alot more knowledgeable than anything I could propose – which I admit wouldn’t be difficult. Anyway, in particular interest to you may be her mention of: …………All animals were involved in aggressive interactions, both as actor and recipient.......... ……………..In contrast to the assumption, the urinary cortisol concentration of the male, as main recipient of aggressive acts, was not elevated………….. If you haven't already it certainly seems worth a read. Moreover, I hope this will reinforce my point of not to be unduly worried by the aggression you have seen with your own rhinos and let you relax and develop a well thought out study. 2) During my own little write-up, I have altered and colour-coded the ethogram to, what I believe, a more workable and concise form and will e-mail you/ or attach it as a doc on RRC forum. Best wishes for now, Gordon |
| Posted by: GHoneyman May 4 2010, 11:52 AM |
| Hi again Forgot to add Swaisgood et al , 2007 (full PDF on RRC ) has additional definitions but as I found many types so rare that listing them all may be superfluous to your needs. Moreover at a practical level tricky to recall in heat of recording behaviour of multiple rhinos. Best Wishes, Gordon |