Geophagia in a large felid in captivity: A case report of lethal gastrointestinal impaction in a Bengal tigress (Panthera tigris tigris)

Hernández-Aco, Rodrigo S. ; Villarroel, Morris ; Miranda-de la Lama, Genaro C. (Universidad de Zaragoza)

Resumen: Deliberate geophagia or sand-eating behaviour has been widely documented in herbivorous and omnivorous mammals, but never in large felids at captivity. Here we report a case of apparent lethal gastrointestinal impaction from sand intake in a 10-year-old captive Bengal tigress. After 2 days of anorexia and prostration the tigress was admitted to the University Veterinary Hospital with abdominal distension and diarrhoea and died shortly afterwards. A post-mortem examination revealed oesophageal perforation, abundant liquid in the stomach and pyloric obstruction due to the presence of compacted sand and some masses of poultry bones. It is hypothesized that geophagy (of sand) may have been a strategy to alleviate indigestion by consumption of rotten poultry carcasses, but evolved into a compulsive/obsessive-compulsive disorder over time, possibly due to a restricted and barren environment. Zoo animal welfare involves a series of challenges that include an adequate diet in quantity and presentation, as well as complex behaviours such as the motivation to ingest non-food substances under certain contexts during life in captivity.

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.1016/j.jveb.2022.01.006

Año: 2022

Publicado en: Journal of Veterinary Behavior 50 (2022), 13-17
ISSN: 1558-7878

Factor impacto JCR: 1.8 (2022)

Categ. JCR: VETERINARY SCIENCES rank: 50 / 144 = 0.347 (2022) - Q2 - T2
Categ. JCR: BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES rank: 40 / 52 = 0.769 (2022) - Q4 - T3

Factor impacto CITESCORE: 4.2 - Veterinary (Q1)

Factor impacto SCIMAGO: 0.57 - Veterinary (miscellaneous) (Q1)

Tipo y forma: Article (Published version)

Área (Departamento): Área Producción Animal (Dpto. Produc.Animal Cienc.Ali.)