Advancing animal biomarker detection and analysis in zoo populations
Developing novel biomarker approaches to support ex situ animal health and wellbeing
As with wild population monitoring, conservation physiology techniques have huge potential to roll back the frontiers of animal welfare best practice. In the last decades, scientists at Chester Zoo have been at the forefront of advancements in biomarker detection and analysis in zoo animals.
We apply endocrinological testing to improve the outcomes of both day to day health and also in reproduction, particularly in species with low population numbers in the wild and in human care.
Chester Zoo is responsible for a diverse and evolving range of animals, all with unique husbandry needs. Many wild species are relatively under-researched, their physiology less understood than domesticated animals better known to science.
The more we know about an animal's physiology, the better day-to-day care we can provide, and the more effective conservation breeding methods become.
Case study: The okapi conservation breeding project
The problem:
Okapis (Okapia johnstoni) are an elusive giraffarid species found only in the Democratic Republic of Congo. They are Endangered, according to the IUCN Red List, and are threatened by illegal hunting and habitat loss.
As the European okapi zoo population is small, Chester Zoo needed to find ways to reliably monitor okapi fertility hormones and pregnancies to increase the chances of successful conception.
The Solution
Chester Zoo scientists developed an on-site endocrinology lab to test samples, most often extracted from faecal matter, collected from okapi and other animals in our care.
By tracking reproductive biomarkers, like progestagen and oestrogen metabolites, we are able to monitor oestrus cycles to accurately predict fertility windows and confirm pregnancies.
This has helped inform a number of successful pairings and support the breeding of numerous okapi calves.
About 50 okapi reside in European zoos. Within this small breeding population, every birth is crucial to retain genetic diversity and safeguard the species.
However, okapi biology is distinct from other hoofed species, so reproductive methods established for other ruminants, like cattle, are not applicable.
Before our scientists began researching okapi reproductive biomarkers, no okapi had been born at Chester Zoo. The project has grown alongside our okapi population; since its inception, we have planned, detected and monitored ten okapi pregnancies on site.
Our in-house endocrinology work has now been established for more than a decade, and we are in the fortunate position to be able to share our expertise with the wider zoo and animal sanctuary community.
We routinely run tests on samples collected from Asian elephants, giraffes and okapi held in human care across Europe, so that keepers and researchers can make informed healthcare and reproductive decisions.