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Scent detection dogs as a novel method for oestrus detection in an endangered species, the Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii)

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posted on 2023-11-15, 22:36 authored by Hannah RobertsHannah Roberts, Kerry FansonKerry Fanson, Naomi Hodgens, Marissa L Parrott, Pauleen BennettPauleen Bennett, La Toya Jamieson

The original contributions presented in the study are publicly available. This data can be found here: https://doi.org/10.26181/22883564

Abstract: Captive breeding is a critical tool for conservation of endangered species. Identifying the correct time to pair males and females can be a major challenge for captive breeding programmes, with current methods often being invasive or slow. Detection dogs may provide a non-invasive way to determine female receptivity, but this has not been explored in captive wildlife. This exploratory study investigated the use of detection dogs as a novel method of oestrus detection in the endangered Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii). Faecal samples were collected from 11 captive female devils during the breeding seasons of 2020 and 2021. Three dogs with prior detection experience were trained and subsequently assessed (n = 188 searches per dog), on their ability to discriminate between oestrus and non-oestrus devil faecal samples, in a one sample set-up. When assessed on training samples, dogs were able to correctly discriminate oestrus from non-oestrus with a mean sensitivity of 69.1% and mean specificity of 65.7%. When assessed on novel samples, their sensitivity to oestrus dropped (mean sensitivity of 48.6%). However, they were still able to correctly identify non-oestrus samples (mean specificity of 68.1%). This study is the first to explore detection dogs’ ability to identify oestrus in a captive breeding programme for endangered wildlife, providing a promising tool for non-invasive monitoring of reproductive status in wildlife.

Funding

This research was undertaken as part of a Master of Science degree for which HR received a La Trobe Research Training Program stipend scholarship.

History

Publication Date

2023-10-17

Journal

Frontiers in Veterinary Science

Volume

10

Article Number

1224172

Pagination

12p.

Publisher

Frontiers

ISSN

2297-1769

Rights Statement

© 2023 Roberts, Fanson, Hodgens, Parrott, Bennett and Jamieson. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

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